Women in Media: Everything you need to know

Women in Media, the annual conference run by students from Manchester Media Group, is returning to the University’s Student Union next month. The conference, taking place on April 22-23 2023, is a brilliant way to learn more about careers in the media and network with inspirational women.

However, it may not be clear to all students just what WIM is, or what they could gain from attending. As such, we are giving you the run-down of all the information you need to know about the event – including where to buy your tickets before they sell out!

Women still face many barriers to entering careers in the media, an industry which has been historically dominated by men, especially in positions of authority. To try to promote diversity in the media industry and inspire the next generation of women in media, Manchester Media Group is putting together a two-day conference, with keynote talks, panels, Q&As, and workshops celebrating those with successful media careers.

Exciting speakers who have already been confirmed include Branwen Jeffreys, Education Editor for the BCC, and Keisha Thompson, the Artistic Director of Contact Theatre in Manchester.

There will also be panels covering a wide range of media careers, from podcasting and investigative journalism to filmmaking and radio. Other panels include ‘Media in Manchester’, with the conference focusing on championing those doing incredible work in the media of our city.

The fun does not stop with talks, however, as the conference is also putting on a series of interactive workshops across the weekend. Such events include a breaking news workshop with News Associates‘ Lucy Dyer, a creative workshop with Ajifa, and a collage/zine-making workshop from Stephanie Francis-Shanahan.

Celebrating women and creating inspiring environments is not just confined to WIM weekend. On March 20 2023, WIM will be holding a belated International Women’s Day fundraiser club night in Withington venue XLR, with music from Maracuya of NotBadForAGirl. Tickets are already on sale, starting at £5.

The fundraiser will be both a fun student night out and a chance to benefit the local Manchester community, as Women in Media is completely non-profit. This year’s conference is sponsoring two incredible charities working to support women in the city: Manchester Action for Street Health (MASH) and Smart Works Greater Manchester.

MASH helps women working in the sex industry to have better access to good health, safety, and emotional well-being. They provide drop-in health clinics as well as personal case workers who help women set up bank accounts, report crimes, attend appointments, apply for courses, and fill out forms.

Smart Works also does fantastic work, helping women across Greater Manchester secure employment and write their CVs—helping to change the trajectories of their lives. The team is so proud to be fundraising for these incredible charities and is hoping to raise as much money as they can towards their causes. 

Both the fundraiser and WIMCON are open to all, and tickets can be purchased from the link in their Instagram bio (@wimconmcr). This is also a great place for keeping up to date with all of the exciting speakers announcements. Tickets to the conference are £15, however students are able to get the price of their ticket reimbursed by the Students’ Union’s Access to Recreation Grant if needs be.