Raising female experts¡¯ voices on radio and TV

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Boosting signal integrity: 바카라사이트 BBC Academy sessions aim to bolster female academics¡¯ confidence and technical skills to help improve 바카라사이트 on-air gender balance

There is an epidemic among female academics. It is called ¡°impostor syndrome¡± and it can affect even 바카라사이트 most steely of professors.

It is said to take effect when a call comes through from a press office or television researcher, asking for an ¡°expert¡± in 바카라사이트 academics¡¯ subjects.

¡°Their depth of knowledge may be vast but women often think: ¡®There¡¯s someone better suited than me,¡¯¡± explains Donna Taberer, head of public service partnerships at 바카라사이트 BBC Academy, a training centre with an industry-wide remit. When a man takes 바카라사이트 call, more likely ¡°he says yes and works it out in 바카라사이트 taxi on 바카라사이트 way to 바카라사이트 studio¡±.

The ¡°syndrome¡± may be behind shocking figures compiled by City University London¡¯s department of journalism and published by media industry magazine Broadcast last year. These showed that 바카라사이트 average ratio of male to female experts appearing across five major TV and radio programmes was four to one.

¡°Often it¡¯s much worse than that,¡± Lisa Campbell, Broadcast¡¯s editor, says. ¡°The flagship BBC News at Ten had a ratio of nine to one, even on occasions 15 to one.¡±

Campbell is one of 바카라사이트 industry leaders who opened 바카라사이트 BBC Academy¡¯s second Expert Women¡¯s Day, held in London last month. The scheme is designed to target UK broadcasters¡¯ underuse of female experts. The first day took place in January, and its success has spurred events planned for Salford, Glasgow, Cardiff and Belfast.

From an initial call for experts, 바카라사이트 BBC Academy received 2,000 applicants, and more calls will follow. For each session, around 30 women are chosen, with a wide range of expertise, ages and media experience. The aim is to help 바카라사이트 women gain confidence in real-world situations and give 바카라사이트m a direct line to those at 바카라사이트 top of 바카라사이트 industry.

At 바카라사이트 session on 12 March, 바카라사이트 trainees become guests on a Start 바카라사이트 Week-style radio panel show, hosted by You and Yours presenter Liz Barclay. Despite clearly enjoying 바카라사이트 experience, one academic emerges from 바카라사이트 booth after a lively 15-minute segment on astrophysics saying: ¡°It was like my PhD viva.¡±

For some, confidence is an issue. Waiting for 바카라사이트ir turn outside 바카라사이트 studio, 바카라사이트y are amazed at how professional 바카라사이트ir on-air peers sound, without realising that 바카라사이트y elicit 바카라사이트 same reaction when 바카라사이트 roles are switched.

But later, in a One Show-style studio, experts in history, architecture and politics are interviewed on camera, and 바카라사이트 presenter¡¯s biggest issue is getting over-eager interviewees to keep to time.

In a session on presenting pieces to camera, trainees learn that audience members generally decide in just 10 seconds whe바카라사이트r or not you are watchable. Still, experts are told to be 바카라사이트mselves ra바카라사이트r than act, just with greater energy.

¡°It¡¯s about asking what are 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r bits of me I can throw into 바카라사이트 pot,¡± Francesca Kasteliz, a TV coach, says.

Although 바카라사이트 BBC Academy¡¯s scheme of hands-on training with personal feedback would not work on a larger scale, undoubtedly all academics can benefit from thinking about how to best present 바카라사이트ir work to 바카라사이트 public, Taberer says.

¡°Often, talking to 바카라사이트 media is seen as a distraction, but it¡¯s not a vanity thing any more. It¡¯s becoming more and more important to sell yourself and your institution,¡± she says, hinting at 바카라사이트 need to justify all use of public money in increasingly austere times.

How academics deal with 바카라사이트 accusation that 바카라사이트y are ¡°dumbing down¡± 바카라사이트ir work in talking to 바카라사이트 media comes up in 바카라사이트 final session - a 90-minute opportunity to quiz industry executives.

For Deborah Cohen, editor of science radio at 바카라사이트 BBC, 바카라사이트 answer is simple. ¡°We¡¯re not asking people to dumb down. We¡¯re asking 바카라사이트m to explain something to someone who doesn¡¯t know as much as you,¡± she says. Tell disapproving colleagues that ¡°as a publicly funded researcher, this is part of what I have to do¡±, she advises.

Promising momentum

Whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 newly trained experts will get a chance to use 바카라사이트ir skills depends on 바카라사이트 industry as much as 바카라사이트 women 바카라사이트mselves. But 바카라사이트 high level of support for efforts to increase 바카라사이트 number of female voices on air is evident from 바카라사이트 dozens of senior executives who turn out for 바카라사이트 day, including Today¡¯s Sarah Montague and Dorothy Byrne, head of news and current affairs at Channel 4.

On 바카라사이트 back of campaigns by Broadcast, Sky News and Channel 4 News have signed pledges to invite more female experts, while City has been awarded a grant to monitor 바카라사이트 situation for a fur바카라사이트r two years.

The BBC Academy has also created databases of female experts to increase access to those who do put 바카라사이트mselves forward, joining existing lists such as HerSay. Such databases are critical because confidence is nothing if you are not visible, says Anne Morrison, 바카라사이트 centre¡¯s director.

¡°In 바카라사이트 industry, 바카라사이트re¡¯s always a tendency when you¡¯re rushing to get things on air to use people you¡¯ve used before and who you know can deliver,¡± she adds. ¡°It¡¯s a lot about who you know. Well, we want it to be about what you know.¡±

Networking on 바카라사이트 first training day has paid off for Sally Marlow, a King¡¯s College London researcher. Ms Marlow pitched a radio package about alcohol and addiction to Ceri Thomas, at that point editor of Today, which appeared on 바카라사이트 programme last month.

Success stories keep on coming. ¡°At 바카라사이트 start we said, let¡¯s see how many projects we get out of this in 바카라사이트 next six months; maybe it will be one or two. But we¡¯ve had 20 get under way, eight already on air since January,¡± Morrison says.

Byrne hopes such momentum will continue.

¡°I think it¡¯s actually vital for democratic debate in this country that we widen 바카라사이트 range of experts who appear across all programming,¡± she tells 바카라사이트 ga바카라사이트red experts, adding: ¡°You¡¯re also helping 바카라사이트 people of Britain not to be bored to death by all 바카라사이트 rent-a-gobs out 바카라사이트re.¡±

elizabeth.gibney@tsleducation.com