The School of Arts and Humanities are pleased to present an opportunity to Arts and Humanities doctoral students to participate in a media training session.
The training sessions aim to help students produce concise yet detailed messages about their research and why it matters. Structuring and delivering ideas using the discipline of journalism helps articulate them more precisely and in an easily digestible timeframe. Students may subsequently use this method as a basis for conference slots or funding bids and will feel more comfortable and focused in an interview situation. The trainer will explain how to structure and develop the presentation, delivering key messages to a deadline.
Training dates:
| Introductory sessions | Individual Consultations | |
| Monday, 4 November 2024 | 9am - 1pm (max 10 students) | 2pm; 3pm; 4pm; 5pm (4 students per day) |
| Wednesday, 13 November 2024 | 9am - 1pm (max 10 students) | 2pm; 3pm; 4pm; 5pm (4 students per day) |
Application period: 24 September to 24 October, 12pm
Application form: https://forms.office.com/e/g7ANB7CY9s
Limited number of spaces are available, applications will be considered on a first come first served basis.
Vince Hunt is a journalist with over 30 years’ experience in newspapers, radio, television and online – mostly with the BBC – and has won many awards for his work in news, music and documentaries. He advises clients in the UK and abroad on media presentation, teaches multimedia journalism skills at Manchester Metropolitan University (where he is a senior lecturer) and is about to submit a PhD thesis analysing ways of telling stories about the past through documentary journalism.
The emphasis in these sessions is on helping you explain the aims and benefits of your research in two formats – a concise ‘pitch’ and a longer, more in-depth interview. Structuring and delivering your ideas using the discipline of journalism will help you articulate your ideas clearly and deliver your key messages more precisely and in an easily digestible timeframe – in under two minutes, or as part of a conversation similar to a media interview. The aim is that you can use this session as a basis for pitching for conferences, scholarships or jobs and to make you more comfortable in an interview situation exploring why your research matters.
"An Introduction to Media Training with Vince Hunt was a wonderful experience. I gained so much confidence in speaking about my research topic! Vince is experienced and professional, and this session really taught me how to make my work sound interesting and accessible to a non-specialist audience. Our practice podcast was fun as well as useful, and gave me the skills to promote my work in a more casual conversational setting. As an added bonus, this workshop was a great opportunity to meet other PhD students in my programme and learn about the fascinating and diverse work they are doing too!" Eli Dolliver, 2023
The session is in two parts: a two-minute individual pitch of no more than 350 words explaining the value or application of their research, then a more casual group interview exploring their ideas in more detail in the form of a mid-morning radio show.
Students are advised to complete the introductory training then sign up for a 50-minute-long personalised consultancy session in which they can discuss individual projects, ambitions and areas of interest. The trainer offers expert editorial advice, technical help or brainstorming informed by his professional experience, tailored to individual goals