Empowering women in academia to master the media
We are a highly experienced team of current and former BBC journalists with a track record of producing BBC Radio 4, 5 Live and political news programmes. Adapted from the BBC's 50:50 Equality Project which monitors diversity on air across 700 programmes and the Expert Women training programme, we have identified a need to raise the profile of female academics in the media. This training will increase the confidence of experts explaining their subject and benefit the profile of universities in the media.
We provide a full day of practical, scenario‑based media training for up to twelve delegates, delivered by a three‑person professional team: producer, presenter, and technical operator. The day is split into two three‑hour sessions (4 to 6 delegates in the morning, 4 to 6 in the afternoon), ensuring everyone gets meaningful on‑camera practice and personalised feedback.
What’s included:
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Tailored interview scenarios for live radio and pre-recorded television
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Insight into editorial process of BBC programmes, and analysis from the BBC’s 50:50 Equality Project
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On‑camera practice for every delegate
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Playback and coaching
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All filming and audio equipment
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Pre‑session planning and briefing
CASE STUDIES
Recent training sessions with female academics
Southampton and Solent Universities
Half day session doing live radio and pre-recorded television interview training. Insights into decision making by programme makers to select experts to interview.
Feedback: "The content of your training really helped me understand the process from the other side and where my contribution fits. This made it much easier to understand how to get my point across in way that represents my expertise, but also in a way that it accessible to the public. Understanding how to get a sound bite was really useful. "
Dr Emma Palmer-Cooper, School of Psychology, University of Southampton
Chichester and Reading Universities
Half day session similar to the morning one doing live radio and pre-recorded television interviews.
Feedback: " thanks for sharing your expert insights into the world of broadcasting. And for creating such a relaxed and friendly environment for practice and learning. This was really valuable training." Eme Dean-Lewis , Palaeoclimatology. Reading University
Who we are
Learn from highly experienced former BBC producers who explain editorial decisions and production processes in all scenarios academics might find themselves in.
Presenter: Jim Davis presents both speech and music radio, currently at Magic Radio, BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Radio London.
Producer: Miranda Holt, former Lead of the BBC’s 50:50 Equality Project which monitored on-air diversity across 700 BBC programmes. Former Assistant Editor of the Today programme and ‘World at One’ on Radio 4, and Politics Live, daily political television programme.
Technical director: Jonathan Allen, former BBC Academy camera operator and VT editor.