Team WIMB! Shonagh, Erin, Abi and Mrudula in the Great Hall at QUB on Thursday, October 24.

Freelance journalist Caoimhe Clements oversaw the QUB events team at WIM 24 which featured Erin Bowman, Shonagh Gill, Mrudula Srivatsa and Abi Dynan. Here are their reflections:

By Caoimhe Clements

Authenticity, equity and compassion were central themes at the ‘Women In Media 2024'' partnership summit in the Great Hall at Queen’s University Belfast on Thursday, October 24. .

The conference, hosted by WIMB cofounder and freelance Ireland editor Amanda Ferguson, featured a range of individual speakers and panel discussions.

QUB Professor Gabriela Matthews, spoke about the triumphs, challenges and future for women in media, and also reflected on the role of journalism in war zones, including the Gaza-Israel conflict which has claimed the lives of many journalists.

Emphasising the unique perspective women bring to stories, she said: “Women tell stories in conflict in a way that men can’t.”

Women in Media 2024 was an Ireland-Britain media partnership summit, spotlighting collaborative efforts among media workers from Belfast, Dublin, Glasgow, London, and beyond to help create a more inclusive, equitable media landscape.

Ireland’s Press Ombudsperson Susan McKay was joined for a discussion on ethical journalism at a time of diminishing resources by outgoing Mirror journalist Jilly Beattie and missing persons advocate Joanne Dorrian of the Let’s Find Lisa Dorrian campaign.

They discussed relationship building, ethical considerations, the importance of journalistic integrity, and the strength to “take no for an answer” when necessary.

Joanne Dorrian emphasised empathy and compassion when reporting sensitive stories, stressing the value of emotional safety for interviewees.

"Be empathic. Be sympathetic," she said.

Joanne also encouraged young journalists to “stick to your own morals,” with Susan McKay adding, “Let it bring you to the stories.”

Aisling Cannon, a Queen’s University student and co-founder of QUB’s Walkie Talkie Girlies society, shared the purpose behind the group.

Motivated by personal experiences, Aisling explained that she always felt safer walking in groups.

She and a friend established the society in November 2023 to address women’s concerns about walking alone, especially at night.

“The biggest walk had 55 people,” Aisling noted.

On November 6, the society’s Pink Project will see Belfast City Hall lit up in pink to raise awareness about ending violence against women.

Off the back of the conference Aisling was a guest on Frank Mitchell’s morning programme on U105.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THE AUDIO

National Union of Journalists (NUJ) training rep Una Murphy, spoke to delegates about the unions role in supporting journalists throughout their careers.

She emphasised that the union serves both staffers and freelancers, as well as students and recent graduates in journalism and media fields.

Belfast Telegraph journalist Niamh Campbell, focused on the challenges women face in sports journalism with panellists: U105 Radio’s Denise Watson, Paralympic athlete and basketball player Katie Morrow, and freelance journalist Clodagh Traynor.

Denise encouraged women to “Don’t change yourself and be proud of what you are doing,” while Clodagh, drawing from her own experiences, advised, “Be yourself and don’t let anyone change who you are.”

U105 Radio was one of the sponsors of the event.

Peter McVerry Executive Director at U105 and NI chair of The Radio Academy expressed after the event that ‘In Northern Ireland it is vitally important to recognise the female leaders in media, inspire and encourage the next generation.’

UTV’s Barbara McCann then shared reflections on her vast experiences as a woman in media, highlighting that there is still much progress to be made for women in the industry.

The Future of Media discussion was chaired by BBC presenter Claire Graham with colleagues based in Scotland and England.

PA Media’s Westminster reporter Claudia Savage, and Women in Journalism Scotland’s Anna Burnside, and Catriona Stewart shared their experiences in the industry.

They explored a range of issues including how Artificial Intelligence could impact journalism in the next decade, with Catriona Stewart expressing concern that AI “could be used to cut corners.”

Zeppo Arts Vittoria Caffola from the Belfast Media Festival announced the festival’s return this November, noting that the organising team is predominantly made up of women.

The panel chaired by Amanda Ferguson, featured Women on Air’s Roisin Duffy, Noelle O’Reilly, and Alison O’Connor.

Women on Air was established to address the lack of female representation on the airwaves.

Alison O’Connor noted that "women are held to a higher standard" than men, often facing comments over their appearance and behaviour.

Her advice to young female journalists was straightforward: “Fake it until you make it.”

Women in Media 2024 effectively addressed how women need to be protected more in the media industry and how safety of women needs to be a top priority.

Through presentations and discussions, the event highlighted the joy of being a media worker, and the need to empower women and tackle any challenges.

Concluding with Jawbox gin, vegetarian lunch and networking, it was announced that Women in Media Belfast (WIMB) is planning further collaboration with Dublin’s Women on Air.

And it expects to work with WiJ Scotland again next year too.

WIMB will also be hitting the road in the coming months to connect with people beyond Belfast, and I hear they will be back at QUB next year too.

WIMB wants to hear from all those keen to spotlight issues which they feel inspired by.

By Mrudula Srivatsa

“Be authentic. Be you”

It's a rare thing to hear this be the message ringing across a conference. But it's something that shouldn't be as rare to hear.

In a world that keeps asking you ”Will you be the Next…” whether it be the next Serena Williams or the next Arundhati Roy, often a young person in any profession is asked to emulate the veterans.

Asked to be more like them, to do what they do. Usually explicitly. Authenticity is something that ends up being implicit advice.

Something everyone finds out for themselves when they realise they have a niche they can do better than anyone else.

But at Women in Media 2024, it was a refreshing experience to hear nearly every single speaker say explicitly “Be authentic” and “Be you”.

The same was reflected in the individual speakers invited to address delegates from the podium too.

Whether it be 17-year-old Belfast High A-Level pupil Kathryn Walker (who was work shadowing Amanda Ferguson), or the reputed career journalist Barbara McCann, every woman on that stage brought to us a piece of themselves and their unique one-of-a-kind perspective.

Professor Gaby Matthews mentioned that there are some stories that only women can tell that men cannot because of their unique access to spaces and experiences, and empathy that is primarily for those of minority genders

Another recurring sentiment from some but not all was the notion of imposter syndrome.

Multiple speakers mentioned how as women we seem to hold ourselves up to higher standards of personal achievement and perfectionism which makes us underestimate our expertise and professional standing.

“If you are asked to speak, say yes”, Denise Watson said on the panel of Women in Sports.

With the further argument that a male journalist would not question the reason his expertise was asked on a subject even if his knowledge on the subject could be considered not as deep as a female counterpart.

The message of self-assurance and confidence rang through every speaker since.

At the end of the day, as a young professional, I came out of the day realising most of the fears I have about putting myself out there, about “not being enough” are both exaggerated and also not exclusive to me.

Now I know that I should never change myself, my accent, my mannerisms or any part of what makes me unique to try to fit into a mould.

And no one should.

By Shonagh Gill

I had the privilege of serving on the events team for ‘Women in Media 2024’ at Queen’s University Belfast.

The event featured a diverse group of speakers from fields such as investigations, fashion and sports. They shared invaluable insights on topics ranging from the ethics of reporting to the challenges of reporting from war zones.

One of the key themes that resonated with me was the pervasive issue of imposter syndrome that many women in media face.

It was both enlightening and inspiring to hear from such accomplished individuals, reminding me of the

importance of authenticity in our professional journeys.

As someone from Donegal, I was particularly interested in the discourse from WIMB director Niamh Campbell and freelance journalist Clodagh Traynor surrounding pressure to change a ‘culchie’ accent to conform to a so-called professional template, an experience often shared by those in media.

This experience has motivated me to continue advocating for diversity and authenticity in our industry.

I learned so much and left feeling inspired by the incredible women I had the chance to connect with.

Shonagh’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reel and https://www.instagram.com/post

By Abi Dynan

‘Women in Media 24’ was my first event of this kind.

I found it to be really inspiring hearing the unique experiences of so many women in various fields within the media.

It was particularly nice to get an understanding of the many different ways the panellists have coped with the difficulties that can come with the job of journalism or media work more generally.

Multiple panellists spoke about the concept of imposter syndrome and how they have overcome this.

Being a woman in spaces which are often predominantly occupied by men can bring challenges such as feeling like you are not qualified enough, knowledgeable enough or experienced enough to hold your position.

But we must not think this way!

The inspiring women at WIM24 drove home the point that we deserve the jobs we get and doubting this does nothing in our favour.

Trusting in your own abilities and bringing your own personal touch to the job is what makes for a successful career.

This, along with stories illustrating the importance of compassion, integrity, and resilience all made for a brilliantly informative and uplifting event!

Abi’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reel

By Erin Bowman

Erin’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reel

Thanks for reading and watching.

Team WIMB.

P.S - Some Team WIMB will be popping up at the Belfast Media Festival next month so we hope to see you there.

Amanda Ferguson will be speaking on a panel led by BBC Dublin Correspondent Aoife Moore: Are you being heard? Women’s Voices in Local Media https://www.belfastmediafestival.co.uk/schedules/are-you-being-heard-womens-voices-in-local-media/

And QUB students will be among the festival volunteers.