SPA National Conference Brochure 2023

National Conference 2023 Delegate Brochure

University of Glasgow

31 March - 2 April

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Chair’s welcome

Welcome to the 2023 SPA National Conference! As many may already know, it’s our tenth year running this event, and we’re thrilled to be hosting the highest number of delegates in SPANC history this year!

Our headcount isn’t the only unique thing about this year’s conference. It’s our first year in Scotland, and the furthest north we’ve taken this roadshow since it began. Among other benefits this will allow delegates who have never been able to attend SPANC in years past to come and learn from our storied speakers and potentially see their work honoured at our national awards ceremony.

We can’t wait to meet some of these new faces, and we’d highly encourage anyone who wants to help guide student media in the coming year to run to be part of our executive committee (or for a Trustee position) at our Annual General Meeting.

Promoting inclusivity and proactive support in our industry is at the forefront of what our organisation stands for, and that vision can only be realised with the guidance of talented student journalists such as yourself.

Whether you’re joining us at Friday night’s social, enjoying our speaker talks and panels across the weekend, or living it up at our awards dinner, we hope you have a wonderful time at #SPANC23.

Thank you,

Marino Unger-Verna Chair

Meet the team

This year’s National Conference wouldn’t be possible without the hard work of our executive committee, trustee board, regional and project officers!

Marino Unger-Verna Chair

Matt Ward-Perkins Events Officer

Tabitha Lambie Training Officer

Ben Warner Communications Officer

Talia Andrea Digital Media Officer

Jordan Hunter Scotland Officer

Jem Collins Trustee

Bree Allegretti Trustee

Geri Scott Trustee

Juliet Rix Trustee

Anttoni Numminen Trustee

Richard Brooks Trustee

Meet your hosts

For our first ever Scottish-held conference, we have three joint hosts from the University of Glasgow - The Glasgow Guardian, G-You Magazine and qmunicate. Here’s what you need to know about our hosts at #SPANC23!

— The Glasgow Guardian

The Glasgow Guardian is the university’s most traditional broadsheet. It covers everything from news to sport to culture and everything in between. It has an illustrious group of alumni including Andrew Neil, Fraser Nelson and Peter Capaldi. The publication has also won numberous awards from the SPA and other organisations.

— G-You Magazine

G-You is a magazine and the official publication of the Glasgow University Union (GUU), one of the university’s three students’ unions! It reads similar to The Atlantic with writers discussing opinions on everything from science to student issues. The publication is closely linked with GUU, which was the first students’ union in Scotland.

— qmunicate magazine

qmunicate is the quarterly in-house publication of Queen Margaret Union at the university. The publication has a whole range of sections with a particular focus on the arts, including film, creative writing and culture. There are now more than 150 issues of the magazine, with regular articles also published on their website in-between print runs.

A huge thank you to all our

#SPANC23 sponsors!

Lead sponsors

Postgraduate course in Journalism, Boost your confidence with a Media and Communication.

ONLINE OPEN DAY – 26 APRIL 2023

Log on from the comfort of your own home. Chat to our course leads and current students to find out more about what an MA course at Sheffield can do for your career.

• MA Journalism and MA Broadcast Journalism

12.30 – 1.30pm

• MA International Public and Political Communication

4.00 – 5.00pm

• MA Global Journalism

1.00 – 2.00pm

Postgraduate campus tours

Want to see more? These tours will give you the chance to have a look at our campus and industry-standard facilities.

• 19 April – 3.30pm

• 3 May – 3.30pm

• 17 May – 3.30pm

You can book your place on one of our open day events or a campus tour using the QR code.

“Thanks to the excellent training and support we’d received from staff in the department, when an industry professional from Greatest Hits Radio visited for a day, it led to me getting freelance shifts with them. I worked on the weekends reading for GRH during term time, giving me the necessary experience to get my first full time job in radio. In June 2022 I started my role at Global Radio, becoming the youngest newsreader on a staff contract in the company.”

Jacob Waters MA Broadcast Journalism (class of 2022)

Annual General Meeting

No SPANC would be complete without our Annual General Meeting, or AGM. Our yearly review of how the SPA runs allows our members to hear and scrutinise reports and accounts, as well as propose their own motions. Crucially, this is also when we elect new members of our executive committee, as well as a trustee.

All individual members can stand for election. All you have to do is give a short speech (two minutes for chair, one minute for any other role) about why your chosen role is right for you. Afterwards we open the floor to questions, we take a vote, letting our members decide who they want representing them for the year!

The roles up for election this year are:

Chair: The figurehead of the SPA, serving as the public face of the charity. The Chair oversees all other Executive and Project Officers, and is a role well-suited to someone passionate about team management and leadership.

Conference & Events Officer: Responsible for planning smaller regional events, such as our Regional Awards, and our National Conference. This is a great role for those interested in event planning or project leadership.

Communications Officer: In charge of external and internal comms. This is a role for those who are well-organised, and looking to enhance their social media/copywriting skills.

Training & Opportunities Officer: Develops training/learning opportunities for members throughout the year, including but not limited to events or documentation. Great for those passionate about supporting others and keen to develop skills in content creation/networking.

Sponsorship Officer: Responsible for developing and perpetuating sponsorship opportunities for the SPA. If you love networking and organisation, this role is for you.

Saturday timetable

Saturday is the first full day of #SPANC23, and we’ll be starting off at Glasgow University Union, one of three venues we’ll be using over the weekend. Here’s what you need to know for the day ahead.

9:30 - Registration opens (GUU Foyer)

9:55 - Conference welcome for delegates (DC)

10:10

- In conversation with... John Nicolson MP (DC)

- What makes a good pitch? (BL)

- Arts and culture reporting (DR)

11:00 - Political reporting (DC)

- How to make your opinions publishable (DR)

11:50 - Crime, courts and how to tell the story (DC)

- News Associates workshop: Breaking News (BL)

- Using data to bring your stories to life (DR)

12:40 - Lunch, swap shop and careers fair

13:30 - How to make your features sing (DC)

- PA Training workshop: covering a police press conference (BL)

- Getty workshop: how to take photos for news*

- Workshop: perfecting your podcast* (DR)

14:20

- Reporting from the frontline (DC)

- Getty workshop: how to take photos for news* (BL)

- Alternative routes into journalism (DR)

15:10 - How to run your own magazine (DC)

- Workshop: quiz Christine Jardine MP* (BL)

- Bloomberg: finding business in every story (DR)

16:00 - The life of a national reporter in Scotland (DC)

- PA Training workshop: build your dream story (BL)

- Honing your social media and SEO skills (DL)

19:00

- Arrival for SPA dinner and National Awards! (The Marriott)

Sunday timetable

After the fun and games of Saturday - including the SPA awards and dinner, we’ll be decamping to Queen Margaret Union for the remaining sessions and our AGM on Sunday. Here’s what you’ve got to look forward to.

10:00 - In conversation with... Paul McNamee (BO)

- Careers in broadcast journalism (BT)

11:00 - Annual General Meeting and Brunch (BO)

12:00 - The skills you need: student journalism to your first job (BO)

- Going for gold: honing your sports reporting (BT)

13:00 - In conversation with ... Isabel Hardman (BO)

- Finding your feet in freelancing (BT)

Drop-in sessions

We’re also putting on a number of extra workshops to help you hone your skills as a budding journalist!

Saturday

10:10 - 12:40: Spruce up your CV *

11:00 - 12:40: Your free byline photo *

13:30 - 17:00: The SPA copy clinic *

15:10 - 17:00: So you want to run the SPA?

Sunday

10:00 - 11:00; 12:00 - 14:00: The mentoring drop in *

10:00 - 11:00: So you want to run the SPA?

10:00 - 11:00; 13:00 - 14:00: The SPA design clinic *

12:00 - 13:00: Your free byline photo *

* Please note: this session requires a booking

DC = Debates Chamber

BL = Bridie Library

DR = Drawing Room

BO = Bar One

BT = Bar Two

B = Bistro

Campus map

International College C1

Please note: there is major campus redevelopment underway and some access routes may be restricted.

For more information see glasgow.ac.uk/maps

Updated August 2022

University of Glasgow, charity number SC004401

Awards shortlists

Congratulations to all finalists, and everyone who nominated themselves, on your hard work during the last 12 months!

Best Publication

Sponsored by News Associates

The Beaver, London School of Economics

Roar News, King’s College London

Cherwell, University of Oxford

Exeposé, University of Exeter

Platform Magazine, Nottingham Trent University

Brig Newspaper, University of Stirling

The Mancunion, University of Manchester

Concrete, University of East Anglia

The River, Kingston University

York Vision, University of York

Best Reporter

Sponsored by PA Training

Elizabeth McBride, Palatinate

Emily Doughty, Palatinate

Megan Ballantyne, Exeposé

Kimberley Mannion, The Glasgow Guardian

Alanah Hammond, Nouse

Luke Chafer, The Glasgow Guardian

Vanessa Huang, The Beaver

Liberty Phelan, The Student

Lara Hassan, The River

Kit Sinclair, Impact Magazine

Best Overall Digital Media

Sponsored by News Associates

The Beaver, London School of Economics

Nouse, University of York

Forge Press, University of Sheffield

Roar News, King’s College London

Empoword Journalism

The Glasgow Guardian, University of Glasgow

Palatinate, Durham University

The Mancunion, University of Manchester

The Saint, University of St Andrews

The Student, University of Edinburgh

Billy Dowling-Reid Award for Outstanding Commitment

Sponsored by Newsworks

Talia Andrea, STRAND Magazine

Freya Shaw, Epigram

Rowan Humphreys, Epigram

Shikhar Talwar, The Mancunion

Lucy Jackson, The Student

Joe Rossiter and Nicole Wu, Palatinate

Lucy Acheson, BathTime Magazine

Joshua Hughes, Exeposé

Nandini Agarwal, The Cheese Grater

Reece Goodall, The Boar

Best News Story

Sponsored by Bloomberg

Andrew Robson, Brig Newspaper

Waseem Mohamed, Palatinate

Tabitha Lambie, SCAN

Emily Doughty and Nicole Wu, Palatinate

Neil Majithia and Elettra Plati, The Cheese Grater

Liberty Phelan, The Student

Emily Doughty, Daniel Hodgson and Holly Barry, Palatinate

Kimberley Mannion, The Glasgow Guardian

Vanessa Huang, The Beaver

Luke Chafer, The Glasgow Guardian

Best Specialist Publication

The Economic Tribune, University College London

The Lemon Press, University of York

POLITY, University College Cork

La Civetta, University of Bristol

The Isis, University of Oxford

Women’s Wrongs, University College

London

The Creative Writing Society

Compendium, University of Aberdeen

Best Newcomer Publication

Sponsored by University of Sheffield

ScienceMind, King’s College London

Viva Voce, University of York

The Creative Writing Society

Compendium, University of Aberdeen

Solipse Magazine, Birmingham City University

Leicester Student Magazine, University of Leicester

Best Science

Publication or Section

Sponsored by ABSW

The Mancunion, University of Manchester

ScienceMind, King’s College London

I, Science, Imperial College London

Epigram, University of Bristol

GUM, University of Glasgow

The Boar, University of Warwick

Redbrick, University of Birmingham

Nouse, University of York

Concrete, University of East Anglia

Best Sports Section

Epigram, University of Bristol

SCAN, University of Lancaster

Exeposé, University of Exeter

The Boar, University of Warwick

Brig Newspaper, University of Stirling

Platform Magazine, Nottingham Trent University

Impact Magazine, University of Nottingham

The Mancunion, University of Manchester

Palatinate, Durham University

Best Website

Sponsored by City University

Epigram, University of Bristol

The Gaudie, University of Aberdeen

The Saint, University of Edinburgh

POLITY, University College Cork

Exeposé, University of Exeter

Impact Magazine, University of Nottingham

Brig Newspaper, University of Stirling

The Mancunion, University of Manchester

Roar News, King’s College London

Best Science or Tech Piece

Sponsored by ABSW

Emma Hattersley, The Mancunion

Leah Renz, Redbrick

George Barsted, Concrete

Milan Perera, Epigram

Sytske Lub, GUM

Ben Keedwell, The Boar

Emily Sinclair, York Vision

Freya Anderson, The Mancunion

Will Brown, Palatinate

Waseem Mohamed, Palatinate

Best Sports Reporter

Oliver Jervis, Palatinate

Claire Thomson, The Glasgow Guardian

Jake Rodrigues, The Boar

Maddie Parker, Palatinate

Sanjay Suri, Palatinate

Lauren McCann, The Scoop

Joshua Hughes, Exeposé

Andrew Robson, Brig Newspaper

Best Comment Piece

Sponsored by Pagefield

Isla Glen, Brig Newspaper

Shikhar Talwar, The Mancunion

Waseem Mohamed, Palatinate

Tom Gilbert, The Glasgow Guardian

David Williamson, The Scoop

Kate Henshaw, Trinity News

Sahana Rudra, The Beaver

Claire Watson, University Express

Ella Sloane, Trinity News

Natalie Olofsson, The Saint

Best Feature

Sponsored by Lancaster University

Niamh Flanagan, The Glasgow Guardian

Henry Gee, Nouse

Ellen Kenny, Trinity News

Lily Shield Polyzoides, The Beaver

Amadea Hofmann, The Beaver

Liberty Phelan, The Student

George Devo, Forge Press

Claire Watson, The University Express

Lucinda Dodd, Impact Magazine

Sophia Brousset, The Saint

Best Political Piece

Ben Morley and Cameron Roberts, The Boar

Ali Rees, Brig Newspaper

William Dashe, The Saint

Max Abdulgani, Nouse

The Beaver Newsroom, The Beaver

Luke Chafer, The Glasgow Guardian

Niamh Flanagan, The Glasgow Guardian

Claire Dickson, The Scoop

Jeevan Farthing, The Glasgow Guardian

Best Interview

Sponsored by Nottingham Trent University

Joshua Hughes, Megan Ballantine and Amy Rushton, Exeposé

Flávia Gouveia, The Scoop

Sanjay Suri, Palatinate

Alanah Hammond, Nouse

Lucinda Dodd, Impact Magazine

James Dowden, Epigram

Erin Mansell, Forge Press

Emma Tegg, I, Science

Charles Gorrivan, The Saint

Kate Connor, Strathclyde Telegraph

Best Lifestyle Piece

Becca Luke, The Glasgow Guardian

Eve Dickson, GUM

Kathleen Lodge, GUM

Ella Sloane, Trinity News

Izzie Naish, Label

Rothery Sullivan, The Glasgow Guardian

Hannah Bentley, Impact Magazine

Ria Walls, Trinity News

Meg Howe, The Courier

Rory Buccheri, The Gaudie

Best Arts and Culture Piece

Abby Davidson, The Scoop

Youssra Al Hajji, Redbrick

Sophie McNally, The Courier

Ava Bratejka Lindberg, The Gaudie

Jacob Broughton-Glerup, The Mancunion

Fern Kelly-Landry, Trinity News

Olivia Marrins, The Glasgow Guardian

Kimberley Mannion, The Glasgow Guardian

Joe McFadden, The Mancunion

Jeevan Farthing, The Glasgow Guardian

Best Project or Initiative

Sponsored by Women in Journalism

Megan Ballantyne and Joshua Hughes, Exeposé

Lily Whittle and Dillon Loh, The Beaver

Epigram, University of Bristol

POLITY, University College Cork

Impact Magazine and Platform

Magazine, Nottingham unis

Inside The Box, University Centre

Peterborough

The Croft and Epigram, University of Bristol

The Courier, Newcastle University

Talia Andrea, STRAND Magazine

Alan Nemirovski, Amadea Hofmann and William Goltz, The Beaver

Best Magazine Design

RAZZ Magazine, University of Exeter

I, Science, Imperial College London

Impact Magazine, University of Nottingham

The Economic Tribune, University College London

GUM, University of Glasgow

La Civetta, University of Bristol

qmunicate magazine, University of Glasgow

Rising Star

Sumayyah Khalid, The Mancunion

Emma Darlington, Concrete

Emily Dalton, Kingston Courier

Grace Humphreys, The Mancunion

Flávia Gouveia, The Scoop

Ruby Topalian, Trinity News

Luke Hewitt, The Mancunion

Ione Gildroy, The Student

Nicole Quy, The Croft

Best Creative Piece

Danny Munro, The Strathclyde Telegraph

Isabel Loubser and Amelia Perry, The Saint

Mathilde Turner, The Cheese Grater

Megan Ballantyne, Exeposé

Alex Foster, The Oxford Student

Rosie Willoughby, The Stag

Chloe Richardson, Brig Newspaper

Longyin Li, Palatinate

Steven Balac, The Beaver

Best Newspaper Design

SCAN, University of Lancaster

The Saint, University of St Andrews

York Vision, University of York

The Beaver, London School of Economics

The Courier, Newcastle University

Brig Newspaper, University of Stirling

Palatinate, Durham University

Roar News, King’s College London

The Boar, University of Warwick

The Mancunion, University of Manchester

Best Student Photographer

Elizabeth Grace, Roar News

Kieran Moore, Exeposé

Jory Mundy, Falmouth Anchor

Max Harries, The Mic Magazine

Lisa Hamilton, Student Independent News

Simi Borovska, Brig Newspaper

Shikhar Talwar, The Mancunion

Reagan Yip, Platform Magazine

Ainy Shiyam, InQuire Media

2023 Running Order

Best Student Photographer

Best Arts and Culture Piece

Best Science or Tech Piece

Best Political Piece

Best Creative Piece

Best Lifestyle Piece

Best Sports Reporter

Best Comment Piece

Best Interview

Best Feature

Best News Story

Rising Star

Best Reporter

Best Design (Newspaper and Magazine)

Best Sports Section

Best Science or Tech Section

Best Project or Initiative

Best Overall Digital Media

Best Specialist Publication

Best Newcomer Publication

Best Website

Billy Dowling-Reid Award for Outstanding Commitment

Best Publication

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#SPANC23 speakers

This year we’ve got a line-up of over 50 speakers from a wide range of fields, ready to impart their knowledge and take your questions!

John Nicolson MP Former journalist

Juliana da Penha Migrant Women Press

Lucy Dunn The Spectator

Rachel Watson The Scottish Sun

Stewart Paterson Glasgow Times

Rachael Davies Freelance journalist

Paul McNamee The Big Issue

Christine Jardine MP Former journalist

Louisa Wells The Telegraph

Ravi Sagoo Freelance journalist

Alice Hinds The Sunday Post

#SPANC23 speakers

Assa Samaké-Roman The National

Christopher Johnson Citywire

Chris McLaughlin BBC Scotland

Gordon Chree STV News

Alex Massie The Times & Sunday Times

Conor Matchett The Scotsman

Isabel Hardman The Spectator

Dr Kelly Kanayama Freelance journalist

Audrey Gillies Adelphi Communications

Arusa Qureshi Fest Magazine

Heather Dewar Freelance journalist

#SPANC23 speakers

Daniella Theis Freelance journalist

Kristina Völk Broadcast journalist

Josh Sandiford Birmingham Mail

Alex Watson The Press & Journal

Severin Carrell The Guardian

Nick Stylianou Sky News

Lesley-Anne Kelly DC Thomson

Rachel Amery The Courier and The Press & Journal

Laura Webster The National

Alexander Smail Cocoon Magazine

#SPANC23 speakers

Carla Jenkins The Times

Catriona Stewart The Herald

Eilidh Akilade The Skinny

Parisa Hashempour Freelance journalist

Um-E-Aymen Babar BBC Sport

Eve Livingston Freelance journalist

Lauren Gilmour PA Media

Bethany Woodhead BBC Scotland

Dayna McAlpine HuffPost UK

Jeff Mitchell Getty Images

Jane Hamilton Freelance reporter

#SPANC23 speakers

Celia Bergin Bloomberg

Kwaku Gyasi Bloomberg

Ruth David Bloomberg

Rhiannon Davies Greater Govanhill

Sahil Jaidka Sky Sports

Louisa Hatt Fashion blogger

Lucy Dyer News Associates

Sean Howe PA Training

Lukanyo Mnyanda Financial Times

Ali Kershaw PA Training

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