OXFORD MEDIA SOCIETY

Connecting the University of Oxford to the global media industry.

Oxford Media Society is the foremost forum within the University of Oxford for discussion about the media industry in the 21st century. The Society hosts interviews with world-class speakers, leads interactive skills and employability workshops, and connects students to organisations and opportunities within the media sphere.

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PRESIDENT’S WELCOME

Happy New Year and welcome back to Oxford.

I am so pleased to be able to welcome you to Oxford Media Society’s 20th anniversary year. I hope this term’s events will encourage and assure you that – although its forms may now be different – journalism is more vital than ever before: from explaining the world in multiple layers, to tackling big subjects with nuance and sensitivity, telling stories that matter is the history and the future of the media. 

An interest in the ways that people create and communicate is the spirit which drives the society. It is striking how the advent of social media around twenty years ago has taken journalism into the world in non-traditional ways. Content creation has changed, and the potential for journalistic work is unprecedented. Writers, filmmakers, photographers, and reporters capture moments which connect us to each other, continuing to deepen our understanding beyond the obvious and better informing the world.

One way in which we’ll be thinking about journalism in this way is by continuing our discussion on the current events in Ukraine, and how war is reshaping a nation. Alec Russell (Foreign Editor of the Financial Times) will be joining us at the beginning of term to reflect upon his recent return to Kyiv and the changing nature of international coverage. Looking beyond the short term news agenda will remain a focus as we consider how journalism can drive change (with Rozina Breen Editor in Chief of The Bureau of Investigative Journalism) and, as ever, celebrate honest writing and reporting (with Jean Seaton Director of The Orwell Prize). 

Moving from print to digital, we’ll be learning from Peter Drury (of SKY SPORTS) about his flair for football commentary, from Ella Kemp (of Letterboxd) on her work as a film critic, and from Jancis Robinson OBE, on her fifty year career writing and broadcasting about wine – a passion first inspired by her time at Oxford as an undergraduate, where it all began.

As we celebrate two decades of the Oxford Media Society, I hope that this term card continues to uncover ideas, solutions, and stories which will shape the debate about the future of journalism and the media for many years to come. 

Yours,
Rachel Turner (University College)
President, Hilary 2024


Evolution of Political Satire in British Media

In this week’s newsletter, Paul Furey, our Commissioning Editor, considers how satire in British media, from classic literature to contemporary platforms like Private Eye and Banksy’s works, serves as a dynamic force for social commentary, challenging power structures and engaging the public in political consciousness despite risks of offence and oversimplification.

The Political Aesthetics of Brazilian Carnival

In this week’s newsletter, Sophie Magalhães, explores how Brazilian Carnival, renowned for its vibrant spectacle, merges cultural celebration with political commentary, as samba schools craft elaborate performances and musical displays to address social issues and injustices like colonialism’s legacy and environmental destruction.

Why should we care about regional news? 

In this week’s article, Nicole Gibbons, our Marketing Director discusses the decline of independent regional news media and underscores the vital role these outlets play in local communities. They hold governments accountable, cover relevant local issues, and foster democratic engagement, but in order to prevent their disappearance, they need support more than ever in an…


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