Fergus Bell is a UGC and digital newsgathering expert who has a passion for the positive development of this content in newsrooms and the wider industry. He is the co-founder of a committee for the Online News Association that has brought together leaders in the journalism community to explore the ethics and standards of UGC and digital newsgathering for the news industry.

Fergus is currently head of newsroom partnerships and innovation at SAM, a social media search, curation and storytelling platform specifically designed for the news industry.

Fergus joined SAM from the Associated Press where, as international social media and UGC editor, he led the global operation to source and verify user-generated content for all of the AP's platforms.

Fergus is a graduate of the University of Leeds and has also held roles at ITN, CNN and radio stations across the UK.

He's @fergb on Twitter.