Rhiannon Davis and Karin Goodwin outside the community newsroom in Govanhill

Two pioneering journalism projects have teamed up to open Scotland’s first independent community newsroom.

WIJ Scotland committee member Rhiannon Davis, who set up Greater Govanhill magazine, and Karin Goodwin, co-founder of investigative journalism platform The Ferret, are leading a fundraising drive to help with set-up costs for the initiative.

The community newsroom is based in the heart of Govanhill, one of Scotland’s most densely populated and ethnically diverse neighbourhoods.

The two independent media outlets say they hope to produce more high impact journalism by having a space where people can engage with journalists directly.

Greater Govanhill magazine will be able to work closely with members of the community who want to share their own stories, while The Ferret, which is a cooperative that is owned by its readers and writers, will continue its Scotland-wide focus but with a community base.

“Doing things differently has never felt more important than in these tricky times.”

The Ferret and Greater Govanhill magazine are also working toward a year-long project – Mind the health gap – which takes a solutions journalism focus to health inequalities in Glasgow, Scotland and beyond.

Both organisations plan to use the venue as an office base as well as a venue for training and other events.

A crowdfunder has been launched to help with set-up costs of the newsroom, which is expected to open next month.

In recognition of the tough financial situation facing people across the country, non-financial donations including furniture, plants and help with renovations are also being welcomed.

Rhiannon, founder of Greater Govanhill magazine, said: “We see the community newsroom as a hub for community building and a space for sharing stories, ideas, and perspectives.

“It will be an innovative space for hyperlocal, community-based journalism to collaborate with rigorous investigative journalism; not seen anywhere else in the country.”

Karin, co-editor of The Ferret said: “At The Ferret our mission is to produce high-quality, Scotland-wide investigations in the public interest. But it is also so important for us to be rooted in the community, and accessible to the public that we serve.

“Greater Govanhill magazine already does a fantastic job of working with its community so we are really excited to see what more we can all learn from each other in this new venture,”

Karin added: “Doing things differently and working collaboratively has never felt more important than in these tricky times.”

For more information on the project and to donate to the crowdfunder click here.

Pictured clockwise from top left Heather Dewar; L-R Gabriella Bennett (Chair of WiJ Scotland), Marion Scott (Sunday Post) and Denise West of the Scottish Press Awards; A group photo of all the award winners. Pictures: Jeff Holmes

By Jennifer McLaren

The 43rd Scottish Press Awards in Glasgow saw a raft of female journalists being recognised for outstanding work over the past year.

We would like to congratulate all the winners, runners-up and nominees – many of whom are members of our network.

Heather Dewar of the Scottish Daily Mail picked up Journalist of the Year and Sports News Writer of the Year, while Marion Scott of The Sunday Post received the Nicola Barry Award and Reporter of the Year.

There were so many other names to celebrate including: Daniella Theis (Student of the Year); Beth Murray (Young Journalist of the Year) Hannah Rodger (Political Journalist of the Year) and WiJ Scotland’s chair Gabriella Bennett, who was runner-up in both Scoop of the Year and Travel Writer of the Year.

We caught up with Heather Dewar, who is not only an outstanding broadcast and print sports journalist but also a Women in Journalism Scotland mentor on our mentoring programme.

She was ecstatic to take home her double whammy of awards after a challenging few years.

Heather told us: “Winning Journalist of the Year and Sports News Writer of the Year is without doubt the highlight of my career so far. On the night, I really wasn’t expecting to win a thing. I was absolutely delighted just to have been nominated.

“It was such a huge, huge honour to take both titles. I have an enormous amount of respect for my journalistic colleagues and fellow nominees, so to come home with Journalist of the Year, in particular, is simply incredible.” 

She added: “I really want to thank the judges for recognising the work I have delivered over the last year. It means so much to me after a particularly torrid time.”

Heather Dewar accepting her award on stage. Picture: Jeff Holmes

Heather revealed that this time two years ago, she was on Universal Credit and living off a credit card, having been cast aside as a freelancer due to the global pandemic. 

She explained: “I fell through every crack imaginable and could only look on in envy at those fortunate enough to be furloughed. I’d gone from a contracted position as women’s sport reporter  to staring into the abyss of unemployment. No help. No warning. Nothing. 

“The Mail threw me a lifeline just after I’d started a full-time role with the civil service and gave me the opportunity to step into the world of newspapers as a freelance contributor. I juggled home-schooling and working full-time with writing and deadlines. 

“As a broadcaster of twenty years, this was a whole new world for me, but the welcome I have received has been fantastic.”

Heather said she has worked on amazing stories with some phenomenal individuals over the past year. 

“I want to thank them for the trust they instilled in me to tell their stories,” she continued. “I hope that in some small way, my own story can inspire young journalists to keep on fighting when the world seems against them. 

“Know your worth. Don’t listen to those who try to put you down”

— Heather Dewar

“Have faith in what you do and who you are. Reach for the stars. Know your worth. Don’t listen to those who try to put you down. With hard work and determination, you can beat your own path to success. 

“Most importantly, respect those around you. Do that, and you’ve already won half the battle.”

The Nicola Barry Award is sponsored by WiJ Scotland and is open to all women journalists working in print and online media in Scotland.

It honours the memory of Nicola Barry – one of Scotland’s most respected journalists – who passed away in 2017.

Heather was the runner-up in this category and the judging panel felt without exception that both she and winner Marion Scott reflected Nicola’s incisive and thorough approach to investigative journalism, imbuing all their stories with humanity, heart and soul. 

Marion is Chief Reporter at The Sunday Post and her portfolio had three extremely powerful articles, which displayed her talent for interviewing and storytelling as well as tireless research and attention to detail.

Marion said: “I was absolutely over the moon to receive this award. I have been in journalism for such a long time and have collected a lot of awards over the years, but it was particularly special to receive the Nicola Barry Award because it’s something I never thought I would get.

“Nicola was tremendous and a trailblazer. She did an incredible job. I just hope that I am worthy of having the award in her name.”

She added: “I’m very lucky The Sunday Post and our editor Jim Wilson ensures we get the time to do the research and he encourages us absolutely to do the whole story. In fact, that’s one of our slogans – when you read the paper you’re not just getting a tidbit, you’re getting the whole story.”

Marion believes it’s vitally important a Sunday newspaper is able to take the time to present in-depth stories so readers can digest the background and research that has gone into crafting the articles. The Sunday Post was also named Sunday Newspaper of the Year at the ceremony.

Nicola Barry Award. L-R Gabriella Bennett (Chair of WiJ Scotland) Marion Scott (The Sunday Post) and Denise West (Scottish Press Awards) Picture: Jeff Holmes

“I think no matter what happens we will always have a Sunday newspaper and one of the things we should always concentrate on is doing stories that matter, taking on subjects that mean something to our readers,” Marion continued.

“We tackle subjects such as serious women’s issues, domestic violence, crime, child abuse. I did the mesh implants campaign after thousands of women were left with life-changing injuries across Scotland.”

She also noticed something of a sea change at the press awards ceremony, with more women being recognised for their hard work and professionalism.

Marion said: “It was really wonderful to see Heather Dewar receiving Journalist of the Year as a sports writer and getting recognition for doing what she does. She has gone across the board and tackled incredible subjects that don’t just appeal to sport fans, they appeal to every kind of reader. She was a worthy winner and really deserved it.”

WiJ Scotland would like to thank the Nicola Barry Award judges: Jan Patience, Cat MacPhee, Jean Rafferty and Nicola Young for their time and energy.

Gabriella Bennett, WiJ Scotland chair, said: “Women in Journalism Scotland is proud to celebrate our very best women journalists with the Nicola Barry Award. This year’s finalists spanned a broad range of beats but all had sparkling writing and original ideas in common.

"The award was set up to pay tribute to one of Scotland’s finest women journalists, and Marion Scott is another top talent to add to that list”.

L-R Alex Watson, Isla Glen, who recently completed a three-month internship with the DC Thomson Comment team, and Morag Lindsay

Women in Journalism Scotland caught up with Morag Lindsay and Alex Watson, who are the respective heads of the Comment sections of The Courier and The Press and Journal – both DC Thomson Media titles.

Both Morag and Alex write columns as well as commissioning and editing other writers. Alex’s work has won her a nomination for this year’s Nicola Barry Award at the Scottish Press Awards, which is sponsored by WiJ Scotland.

These dedicated Comment sections were introduced to the titles just over a year ago as part of a move to creating digital content first. Here, Morag and Alex share their tips for creating successful pitches.

“When we take a step back and look at what we have done, the Comment sections on both websites have come on leaps and bounds. They are very different from what they were before,” Morag explains.

“We are producing far more volume and far more variety, hearing from a much broader range of voices than we had before. It’s also younger, certainly more female and more diverse. I think we are also presenting the pieces in a much more interesting way.”

“We’ve had a lot of success with different things – so always pitch it”

— Alex Watson

Alex adds: “I think we have proven there’s an appetite for less conventional articles. People look at The Courier and The P&J and think of them as quite reserved, conservative, but we’ve had a lot of success with different things – so always pitch it.”

In terms of standing out from the crowd, Morag and Alex believe that regional publications are in the advantageous position of having a bit more time to spend on crafting a good piece of work.

Alex says: “There are always lots of hot takes, but I think it’s better to take a step back, a little bit of time and get something that’s unique – otherwise everyone just ends up writing the same thing.”

Morag adds: It’s much more considered now, so think about making a unique point rather than just reacting quickly. It’s also thinking about the audience. Most are local so we still have to think about how the topic might affect people in our area.”

When it comes to getting in touch, Morag and Alex don’t want you to be shy. They both say the majority of their regular pitchers are male – so if you have an idea then drop them a line.

Alex says: “It’s worth saying we’re both really nice. We’re never going to be horrible. And we do always get back to people.”

So, what can writers do to ensure they get their pitch is, well, pitch-perfect?

Morag advises: “Look at the Opinion sections of both of our websites and read the website every day to see the stories that we are reporting on. We still find that local comment pieces on local issues tend to do the best.”

Alex adds: “We would like a fleshed-out pitch. Sometimes people have already written the piece, but we would prefer they didn’t. We also want to hear a bit about you because we need to know whether you are the right person to write this – tell us what experience you have to be able to comment on the subject.”

In terms of subject matter, Morag is currently on the lookout for political commentary and she’s got a soft spot for a personal piece.

“I love really personal pieces, anything with a bit of heart to it,” she says. “Taking something that’s in the news but putting a personal spin on it.”

If you want to get in touch with Morag or Alex, you can email them:

molindsay@dctmedia.co.uk

alex.watson@pressandjournal.co.uk

Pippa Crerar, Catriona MacPhee, Ayesha Hazarika and Gabriella Bennett. Pictures: Laura A Tiliman

By Claire Thomson, WiJ Scotland mentee

“Don’t give up on your ambition. Have each other’s professional backs. You don’t always have to agree with each other. Create your own gangs of advisors. As women, remove the shame of failing.”

The reason why Women in Journalism (WIJ) Scotland was established five years ago was perfectly summed up by Ayesha Hazarika, political commentator, broadcaster and comedian, in her after-dinner speech at The Big Five celebration event.

I first discovered WIJ Scotland in December 2021 when I applied to the mentorship scheme as an aspiring sports journalist. Less than nine months on and my career aims are beginning to become a reality, thanks to the volunteer-run organisation.

I was so excited to come together with other women with career goals like mine at the V&A Dundee to celebrate everything that WIJ Scotland has done to campaign for gender equality and equal opportunities in Scottish media.

Between the meeting of new people and putting faces to names, there was the opportunity to explore the new exhibition uncovering the story of Valentines, Scotland’s most successful commercial photographers. The V&A Dundee also kindly opened their exhibition on ground-breaking Scottish dancer and choreographer, Michael Clark, to the guests of WIJ Scotland’s five-year summit, which was an excellent immersive experience.

The first panel of the event chaired by broadcast and print sports journalist and my incredible mentor, Heather Dewar. ‘Moving the Goalposts: how to get more woman into sports journalism (and make them want to stay)’ featured four of Scotland’s most influential women in the sports journalism industry.

Following the launch of WIJ Scotland’s Sexist Shame of the Beautiful Game campaign a few months ago, Ginny Clark, Scotland’s first female sports editor of a national newspaper, Elizabeth McLaughlin, Sports Journalism Degree Programme Leader at the University of West of Scotland and Press & Journal sports reporter, Sophie Goodwin, discussed their personal experiences of being a female in a male dominated sector and some of the challenges that they have faced as a result.

It was eye-opening to delve deeper into the obstacles preventing women from staying in the industry. Everything from long working weeks and non-existent maternity leave to male dominated, intimidating press boxes and gossiping cliques on pitch side. The panel went on to discuss how things are changing and barriers are slowly being broken down. Knowing that there are strong women in the industry who I can follow is encouraging and gives me hope moving forward.

A short, witty presentation entitled ‘Why data journalism isn’t only for bros’ by Data Content Lead Lesley-Anne Kelly and Special Projects Editor Cheryl Livingstone, both from headline sponsor DC Thomson, gave an outlook on a new approach of teamwork and how to celebrate the successes of everyone involved by giving credit where credit is due. With an all-female team of data journalists, the pair certainly did prove that data journalism is no longer a ‘lads’ domain.

The next panel – Culture Clash: is arts journalism at a crossroads? – was introduced by Director of the V&A Dundee, Leonie Bell, who perfectly articulated the different concepts of culture and set the stage for the speakers. Chaired by arts journalist Anna Burnside, the panel featured arts journalists Claire Sawers and Jan Patience and music writer Arusa Qureshi. Similarly to the sports journalism panel, the speakers discussed the barriers they’ve faced when it comes to budgets and accessibility in arts journalism.

Talking confidence, making room for ambition and WIJ Scotland’s collective voice, co-chairs Gabriella Bennett and Catriona MacPhee reminded us in the first of the speeches that much has changed for the better for women’s equality and that every day we achieve more by working together and empowering each other.

This was followed by WIJ Scotland founders Shelley Jofre and Libby Brooks, who reflected on the achievements of the past five years, proving that you can achieve your goals and become stronger when other women are there to support you.

The final keynote speech before the three-course gala dinner at Tatha, V&A Dundee’s restaurant with wonderful views over the River Tay, needed no introduction. Daily Mirror political editor Pippa Crerar (soon to be Guardian political editor), who is known for breaking scoops on Barnard Castle and the Downing Street ‘partygate scandals’, took the floor by storm making her first ever speech to her peers.

She talked about juggling a successful career with raising children and male colleagues, who are sharing parental duties and leave – a sign of the changing times.

It was an honour to hear how far someone can come both personally and professionally with hard work and determination - helping to pave the way for upcoming, young female journalists - providing political insight, positivity and most of all, optimism for the future.

Women in Journalism Scotland has partnered with Pass the Mic this year to amplify the voices of women of colour in the Scottish media.

Here Juliana da Penha, a freelance journalist from Brazil based in Scotland, writes about the need to embrace migrant and refugee women in the discussions about diversity in the media.

Juliana is founder of Migrant Women Press, an independent digital media focused on women's experiences with migration and displacement. She holds a Bachelor degree in Cultural Studies and Communication and Masters Degree in Human Rights and International Politics.

Fair media coverage will tell diverse stories and, at the same time, guarantee that marginalised voices, such as migrant, refugee and asylum seeker women, will sit at the table during editorial decision making. Migrant women are not only passive sources in the news headlines; they are also skilled journalists and storytellers, with an additional advantage: lived experiences. 

The conflict in Ukraine has highlighted why a respectful, kind and empathetic public narrative around migration is needed. We see families who have been displaced overnight in need of open borders and open minds.

“We need more than single stories which tick a box...we need consistent and fair representation. ”

Migration remains the leading topic in newsrooms in the UK though recently, there has been a clear shift in the media discourse. The apocalyptic narrative of invasion, the spread of fear, anti-immigration rhetoric and a constant misunderstanding about migration and asylum were suddenly replaced by a message of solidarity, and empathy, emphasising the need to welcome and support refugees. Unfortunately, not all refugees receive the same treatment, especially when their skin is dark.

The hysteria and fear created by misinformation in our news have created hostile Westminster immigration policies and caused the deaths of innocent asylum seekers on our shores. Inhumane immigration policies such as the UK Nationality and Borders Bill, criminalising anyone arriving in the UK to claim asylum without a pre-approved claim, raise serious concerns about refugees' human rights. 

The public sentiment separating the "good" and "bad" refugees reveals how structural racism and the immigration system are interrelated oppressing non-European asylum seekers; they are still not welcome in Europe.

Migration experiences are complex and varied: people can be the first, second and third generation of migrants, migrant workers, students, asylum seekers, and refugees. People move to reunite with their families and follow their loved partners. People flee war, persecution, and various types of violence, like gender-based violence and poverty. People run from natural disasters and climate change. People also look for better opportunities and safe places to raise their children.

Migrant and refugee women face different levels of oppression during their journeys, including gender-based violence, racism, and xenophobia. An intersectional approach is essential to understanding the specific issues women from other ethnic groups, sexual orientation, gender identities and women with disabilities might experience during migration and displacement.  

Besides the "feminisation of migration", a term used to demonstrate how since the 1980s, the number of women on the move increased, growing faster than the number of male migrants, the experiences and contribution of migrant women have been largely overlooked in the media.

One of the reasons for the failure of fair media coverage and a constructive narrative around migration is the lack of diversity in the newsrooms. A 2021 NCTJ report on Diversity in Journalism reveals that although more women than men work as journalists (53 per cent compared to 47 per cent), 92 per cent of journalists come from white ethnic groups. Moreover, 90 per cent of journalists were born in the UK, with five per cent from the EU27 and five per cent from the rest of the world. This research is an example of the amount of work still to be done to guarantee diversity in the British media.

“I brought almost ten years of experience as a reporter in my luggage...but could not work in journalism for many years.”

Although we can see more diverse voices, the proportion is still low. Having only a few marginalised voices in the mainstream media reflects on the important lesson the author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie gave us about "The danger of a single story". We need more than single stories which tick a box of diversity; we need consistent and fair representation. 

When I left Brazil, I brought almost ten years of experience as a reporter in my luggage. However, I could not work in the journalism field for many years. It was tough to enter in the industry in Europe for many reasons, such as language barriers and discrimination, which impacted my self-confidence. On the other hand, this experience pushed me to reinvent myself and I understood that I was not alone. So, I decided to create a platform to connect with other migrant women through Journalism and founded Migrant Women Press, an independent digital media focused on women's experiences with migration. 

As a black migrant woman and journalist, I recognise the efforts of women individuals, groups, and organisations to challenge these barriers and open doors for more women like me in mainstream media. I am glad projects such as Pass The Mic exist, as it is changing the media landscape in Scotland, creating spaces for women of colour voices to be heard. 

I celebrate every diverse voice I see in the media, especially women of colour, migrants and refugees. But I also keep in mind a quote found in the book "Crusade for Justice" an autobiography of Ida B. Wells, an African American pioneer in investigative journalism, newspaper editor, educator, anti-lynching, and women's rights advocate: "Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty".

In a society built on unequal power structures, bringing diversity to media is an ongoing work in progress. 

Picture credit: Nataliya Zubar

WIJ member Jen Stout is currently reporting from Ukraine, where she has been based since April. Here she shares what she has learned about being a freelancer covering a war.

How do you prepare to cover the war in Ukraine as a freelancer with no experience of conflict zones?

'Just don't go' was the answer I got from many, usually with an added expletive. Going to Ukraine, I was told, would be the most selfish and reckless decision of my life. I gave up on the idea a few times.

To be clear, I don't think anyone should rush in unprepared to this. That is, indeed, selfish and reckless. I've met journalism students who've never done a day's reporting, telling me they were 'going in': no flak jacket, no helmet, no knowledge of Ukraine or any language ability. I told them not to, probably using the same expletives.

I'd spent my whole adult life dreaming of, and trying to, report in Russia and Ukraine, from the age of 16 when I started learning Russian in my Shetland high school, and started reading Anna Politkovskaya's articles. I'd finally got to Moscow in November last year, on a programme for foreigners, and was about to start my stint as a reporter when we had to leave in a hurry. I was glad to go, being of course opposed to the war, the regime and the creeping fascism taking hold there. But I wasn't about to go home.

“‘Just don’t go was the answer I got from many...”

From Vienna I went to the Ukrainian border in Romania, down near the Black Sea where a ferry crosses the Danube. I spent a month there, interviewing the refugees arriving from Odesa and Mykolaiv. And trying every single possible avenue to get the safety training and body armour I needed to go to Ukraine.

There is funding for the (very expensive) training, but to be eligible for the Rory Peck Trust you have to have worked as a freelance for 18 months – continuously. Overall, I've done two and a half years, but not continuous. Accordingly, I was not eligible. I was pulling my hair out when I found a short, London-based version of the course. Flying back to the UK from Romania was not cheap, but the Sunday Post, which I'd been writing for, and WIJ Scotland, helped with the costs, and so by early April I had the training certificate and could do a reasonable job of a tourniquet.

Picture credit: Zhenya Titarenko

The next hurdle was a flak jacket with body armour plates, and a ballistics helmet. Again, I tried everything, emailing every company, every charity. The invasion had of course prompted a massive demand, and prices had shot up. The big media outlets were buying everything up, I was told – freelancers didn't stand a chance. I'm a member of RSF, but they didn't even answer emails. At many points I just despaired of finding anything, but got there in the end, thanks partly to a brilliant Romanian friend who somehow sourced an ex-UN jacket from a contact in Kabul. It came down nearly to my knees, so I couldn't walk (the other big problem - all this kit is invariably 'large male' size and I'm barely 5ft) but I put the plates in a small flak jacket another friend found. These two are Stuart Paver and Marian Machedon, tireless volunteers capable of magicking up impossible items, and both responsible for a huge amount of aid and supplies getting into Ukraine.

It was with one of their deliveries that I got to Odesa, flying through the checkpoints with a military escort. I spent three weeks in this extraordinary city – I'd dreamed of seeing Odesa for so many years and felt incredibly lucky to be there, even if the circumstances were grim. Almost daily rocket attacks began in the city not long after I arrived, and I was there reporting on the devastation afterwards – destroyed apartment blocks, families torn apart, grief and bewilderment and fury. By now I was writing regularly for the Sunday Post, a fantastic paper that deserves huge credit for investing in foreign reporting and paying freelances properly (and promptly). The scorched earth where great newspapers used to stand is a depressing place, and I was told by some once-prestigious titles that they have absolutely no budget for foreign news. Where many papers now rely on rehashed agency copy, the Sunday Post recognises the worth of having reporters on the ground. They should get a lot of credit for that.

From Odesa to Mykolaiv, on to Kharkiv and Kyiv, and soon I'm going to the Donetsk region. Being freelance obviously can be challenging. Costs are high, things like the conflict zone insurance that's totally essential. But I value hugely the freedom to go wherever I choose, to stay longer if it's interesting; to spend an entire day just reading about Kharkiv in the 1920s for a long article, if that's what I fancy doing. I meet TV colleagues who are always dashing about for the next live and don't envy them much; newspaper and radio stories suit me very well.

One of my favourite ways of telling a story is still radio, and doing regular despatches for Radio Scotland's Saturday programme, Radio 4's 'From Our Own Correspondent' and RTE’s World Report has been a real pleasure. I feel with these I can draw people in, help them feel, hear and see what's around me. A lot of these scripts are based on conversations, chance encounters – and little details that stand out when I'm reporting, and want to expand on.

Seeing Ukrainian friends again has given me some of the happiest moments of the last three months – especially in Kharkiv, a city I love so much. They've given me great insight into the context and history and shifting attitudes in the country. Many of them are the activists who've been so integral to helping a small army defend this country since 2014, integral to this huge project of building a Ukrainian civic society and patching up the holes in the state. Under bombing and sirens they've kept up this work, tirelessly, and they're some of the most extraordinary people I've ever met. And then there's the colleagues I've met along the way, both foreign and Ukrainian– an endless source of advice, inspiration and friendship, and sometimes whisky.

Now I'm thinking of going home; three months on the road and I'm starting to loathe my rucksack and to miss Shetland like a physical ache. I've never appreciated before how lucky I am to have a home that is safe. To be able to just leave all this, the sirens and worry and rockets, is a privilege my friends here don't have. I'll come back to Ukraine in the autumn. I hope it's to report on rebuilding and not war, but I suspect it'll be both.

Picture credit: Zhenya Titarenko

We are delighted to announce that WIJ Scotland will be holding an industry summit at the V&A Dundee on July 23 to mark our five-year anniversary.

Our keynote speaker will be The Daily Mirror political editor Pippa Crerar (soon to be Guardian political editor), who hails from Scotland and is known for her outstanding political coverage, including breaking the Barnard Castle scoop and many of the Downing Street 'party gate' scandals.

There will also be a host of other inspirational names attending the event at Dundee’s stunning waterfront museum, including political broadcaster and comedian Ayesha Hazarika, who will give an after dinner insight into her career in politics.

This will be an unmissable chance to look back over the achievements of the past five years since the volunteer-run organisation was established by Shelley Jofre of BBC Scotland and Libby Brooks, The Guardian's Scotland correspondent.

The day also features a panel discussion on levelling the playing field for women in sports journalism featuring Heather Dewar, broadcast and print sports journalist, Sophie Goodwin, sports reporter at the Press and Journal, and Ginny Clark, a freelance sports journalist who was appointed Scotland's first female Sports Editor of a national newspaper 20 years ago.

Following a break for tea and coffee there will be a panel discussion on the future of arts journalism with Joyce McMillan, arts journalist and columnist, Arusa Qureshi, music writer and editor, Jan Patience, freelance arts journalist and Anna Burnside, arts journalist at The Sunday Mail.

Guests will also be invited to take a guided tour of a new exhibition uncovering the story of Valentines, bringing together the disciplines of photography, illustration and print design.

After an afternoon of panel discussions and mingling, there will be a three-course gala dinner at Tatha, V&A Dundee’s restaurant with glorious views over the River Tay.

The event will kick off at 2.30pm with registration and name badge collection in the auditorium on the upper floor. Panel discussions will take place in the afternoon, speeches from 7pm and dinner is at 8pm.

WIJ Scotland now has around 150 members and 300 subscribers working across the industry. We can't wait to see you there.

Tickets are priced from £40 for members and since numbers are limited we expect this event to sell out fast. For all the details including how to book, click here.

With thanks to our headline sponsor DC Thomson.

Women in Journalism Scotland (WiJ Scot) is launching a campaign to tackle gender inequality in Scottish sports journalism. We're doing this for many reasons but one is that we've gathered info on the current gender split in Scottish print titles and out of around 95 permanent staff positions, just three are held by women. While the balance is better in broadcast there is still work to be done there too. During the pandemic when cuts were made across some journalism sectors, it became clear that sports journalism often offers the most stable, secure, well-paid work and talented, hard working women are missing out on this.  

Sexist abuse, pay disparity, macho culture, male-dominated meetings and management structures, lack of opportunity, tokenism, lack of flexibility, barriers to a career path are all reasons cited by our members as deterrents to sports journalism, and frustratingly, as reasons for leaving by those few women who make it into the sector. 

There are numerous causes and negative consequences of this gender imbalance but from speaking to our members we realise it’s pervasive, systemic and perpetual. For this campaign we are interested in solutions. 

Mentoring

The first part of our campaign was to ring-fence five sports journalism mentorships with WiJ Scotland’s 2022 scheme. These pairings are proving successful and it’s clear that mentoring is an area which has tangible benefits for up-and-coming female sports journalists, and something we hope to expand on. 

Online community and support 

We have also set up an online community for our mentors, mentees, and sports journalism members and students for the sharing of opportunities, advice, links and to highlight work done by members. 

Jobs, work experience, shadowing, training

In order to level the playing field, we want to share as many opportunities with female sports journalists as possible. We are actively seeking these opportunities with media partners and approach editors directly to ask for support, but while we source these roles, if you are working in this field and would like to help our campaign by offering an opportunity then please do get in touch at wijscotland@gmail.com

Broadcast training

Past attendees from our broadcast training workshops have told us of their success in sports broadcasting as a direct result, therefore we are organising further sessions with media outlets to boost confidence, practise interviews and familiarise the next crop of sports commentators with studios, cameras, microphones and broadcast etiquette. If you are a potential collaborator, we want to hear from you. 

Stemming the tide - working with schools and sports clubs

Our members and research have told us that the problem needs to be addressed earlier than university and college level. If young women who are interested in sports don’t see journalism as a viable career (and a possible alternative to professional sports), they will not choose that path. We want to promote sports journalism as a career option by engaging with youth sports clubs and schools and holding presentations to show that women are needed and indeed, do excel in this field. We are working with several partners to pilot a presentation. More on that soon. 

Academic Research

Our campaign has benefited greatly from input by two Masters students from the University of Strathclyde. Hannah Nicol and Rowan Clark have carried out interviews with student journalists and those working in the industry to quantify the barriers and inform solutions. Their fascinating findings will be posted here shortly. 

Steering Group

We are pleased to partner with several women in other key sectors who are helping us to shape and inform this campaign.

Catriona MacPhee - Co-chair, Women in Journalism Scotland

Anna Burnside - Treasurer, Women in Journalism Scotland

Professor Karen Boyle - Head of Gender Studies at Strathclyde University

Maureen McGonigle - Founder of Scottish Women in Sport

Elizabeth McLaughlin - Senior Lecturer in Sports Journalism, University of West Scotland

Claire Thomson - Sports Editor at Glasgow Guardian, WiJS 2022 mentee

Gabby Pieraccinni - Athletics Journalist and WiJS 2021 mentee

Moira Gordon - Sports writer for The Scotsman, Scotland on Sunday and Edinburgh Evening News.

Fiona McKay - Journalism Course Leader, Robert Gordon University

Members of the WiJ Scotland committee. L-R: Raj Gill, Anna Burnside; Jan Patience; Catriona MacPhee; Gabriella Bennett and Georgia Edkins

Our co-chair Gabriella Bennett writes about the parallels between International Women’s Day and Women in Journalism Scotland

For more than 100 years International Women's Day (IWD) has strived to celebrate female achievement, raise awareness against bias and take action for equality.   

Those objectives are also the bedrock of what we do at Women in Journalism Scotland (WiJS). I joined in 2019, although becoming a WiJS member had been on my to-do list for years. When I finally got in touch with co-chairs Jan Patience and Catriona MacPhee it was to see if we could collaborate on a mentoring scheme. The scheme was something I’d wanted to launch for ages before WiJS empowered me with the tools, structure and support I needed.   

The first thing that struck me was how warmly I was welcomed. It can be tough to make new friends in your thirties, especially within an established group, but here were dozens of brilliant women journalists who were just as great in person and on Zoom as their Twitter personas suggested. Time after time I saw how they lifted each other up while pursuing shared and individual goals. It made me want to do the same.  

Since then I’ve been able to see just how much support the organisation provides on a daily basis. In fact, I’d say that support was WiJS’s leitmotif. Before I joined the committee I wasn’t entirely sure what WiJS did, only that I liked the idea of a body that supported women in the industry. Now I know that alongside more visible campaigning – organising events, facilitating training, researching discrimination and so on – an enormous amount of work goes on behind the scenes. I had no idea that members could contact the committee for tailored tips on career progression, for example. Or that those experiencing difficulties at work could receive guidance.  

Then, in the summer of 2021, when the marvellous Jan stood down as co-chair, I took on the role. Catriona, my fellow co-chair and partner in crime, showed me the ropes while inspiring me to go the extra mile with her drive and determination. Catriona and I also work together on the WiJS mentoring scheme, which we were able to get off the ground just a few months after I joined. I had a mentor early in my career and have seen first-hand how transformative the relationship can be. Our mentors help their mentees bag bylines in international publications, secure new jobs and fortify confidence. Mentors say the process reminds them how much helpful advice they have to give. 

None of what we do at WiJS would be possible without each other. On the committee we’ve got decades of experience; there’s no issue someone hasn’t already faced. And on the rare occasions we do find ourselves in new territory the committee problem-solves with cool logic. They’re like a twelve-headed agony aunt, except with faster shorthand.  

Being part of WiJS is the best thing I’ve done in my career. While we still have work to do to in the activism goals we share with IWD, today we celebrate the remarkable achievements of women journalists. They’re what keep us going and have been especially precious during the pandemic. WiJS's successes are a direct result of the collective power of women. That spurs me on just as much on IWD as it did the day I joined.   

It’s time to dig out your entries for this year’s Scottish Press Awards - and once again we are offering support to encourage more women to enter. 

WIJ Scotland will support 20 paid entry fees for members who want to enter the Awards, allocated on a lottery basis. 

In past years, there have been many more men shortlisted than women. Hundreds of talented women journalists working across Scotland should be recognised for their work, but often don’t put themselves forward for these types of awards.

This year WIJ Scotland will be again sponsoring the Nicola Barry Award, which was launched in 2017 in memory of one of Scotland’s most respected journalists.

Last year’s winner was Laura Smith of The Sunday Post for her “exceptional” work on youngsters’ mental health, birth companions and caring for vulnerable children.

The closing date for the Scottish Press Awards is 3rd March 2022 and you can find details of all the categories here.

To apply for entry fee support from WIJ Scotland, please send an email with a note of your entries to wijscotland@gmail.com and we will respond to successful applicants with details for payment.

On 22 February WIJ Scotland is also hosting an online session on the Scottish Press Awards, with a panel of guests to help explain the judging process and answer questions about how to apply, how to decide what to submit and to give you the confidence boost you might need to throw your hat in the ring.

You can register for the free event here.

L-R: Laura Kuenssberg; Chitra Ramaswamy; Catherine Salmond; Eve Livingston; Elaine Livingstone; Kathryn Samson; Nicki McCourt and Jan Patience

Last year, Women in Journalism Scotland launched its inaugural mentoring scheme to help nurture the talents of early and mid-career journalists.

Over the past 12 months our mentors have helped their mentees bag national bylines, build contacts and grow their confidence.

In fact, the scheme proved so successful we’ve decided to expand it for 2022. In our second intake, 18 influential women journalists have agreed to share their knowledge and experience with the next generation.

Their names are among the most recognisable in Scottish and UK media, spanning print, broadcast, digital, radio and photojournalism.

Our 2022 mentors

Laura Kuenssberg has been the BBC's political editor since 2015, when she became the first woman, and youngest journalist to take on the role; leading the corporation's political coverage. She works across a wide range of BBC programmes; in particular, the 6 and 10 o Clock news and the Today programme.

Chitra Ramaswamy is a journalist and author. Her first book, Expecting: The Inner Life of Pregnancy, published by Saraband in April 2016, won the Saltire First Book of the Year Award and was shortlisted for the Polari Prize. She writes mainly for The Guardian, is the restaurant critic for The Times (Scottish edition), a columnist for the National Trust for Scotland, and broadcasts for BBC Radio Scotland.

Catherine Salmond is editor of Scotland on Sunday. She has worked in the news industry for 16 years, across digital and print. Her previous roles include live editor (The Scotsman) and assistant news editor (Edinburgh Evening News). Her route into journalism was through local weeklies, with posts in Dumfries and Galloway and Fife.

In Susan Egelstaff's previous life she was an international badminton player but after retiring from sport following the London 2012 Olympic Games, she became involved in journalism. She's been a writer and columnist for The Herald for ten years, covering primarily Olympic sports, and is also a regular contributor on BBC Radio Scotland.

Nicki McCourt was lucky enough to be offered a two-week placement with STV News after graduating from Napier University in 1992. She left eight years later. The subsequent decade was spent as a director with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. She’s since returned to Scotland and to STV News as head of news-gathering and planning with responsibility for a team of reporters and camera operators.

Moira Gordon is a sports writer for The Scotsman, Scotland on Sunday and Edinburgh Evening News.

Jan Patience has been a journalist for over 30 years. After spending 15 years writing about visual art for The Herald, she is now art critic for The Sunday Post. She co-wrote a biography about the artist George Wyllie in 2016. In 2020, she co-founded Eardley 100, set up to mark the centenary of Anglo-Scottish painter Joan Eardley.

Eve Livingston is a freelance social affairs journalist. She has written for The Guardian, The Independent and VICE among many others and has appeared on TV and radio including BBC Woman's Hour and ITV News. In 2018 she was one of Young Women Scotland's 30 under 30, and in 2019 she was shortlisted for an Orwell Prize and Amnesty Media Award.

Gabriella Bennett is editor of Alba, the lifestyle section of The Times Scotland, where she writes a weekly column, and another for the Sunday Times Home. She was named travel writer of the year at the 2021 Scottish Press Awards and regional property journalist of the year at the 2021 UK Property Press Awards. She is also a best-selling author.

Sarah Gillespie got her start in journalism as an editorial assistant at a Scottish wedding magazine in 2013. She then worked as a features writer, online editor, and digital content manager. In 2020, she changed focus in the industry to become a lecturer in Journalism, Media & Communication, and Professional Writing Skills at City of Glasgow College.

Catriona MacPhee is a senior journalist with the BBC working on Question Time and Debate Night. She previously worked for STV News managing the Dundee newsroom. Prior to working in broadcast news Catriona was in print journalism for nearly a decade, cutting her teeth as a cub reporter at The Oban Times then as a roving Highland reporter at The Press and Journal.

Anna Burnside has worked at the Gorgie-Dalry Gazette, the Sunday Times and everything in between. She has been a reporter, a sub editor, a section editor and an editor. Over a couple of stints as a freelance she had bylines in national papers, trade papers and women's magazines. She is currently a feature writer at the Daily Record. She also appears on TV and radio and chairs live events.

Shona Gossip is the live news editor at the Press and Journal and Evening Express in Aberdeen. She started out at the P&J as a trainee and has covered more than a decade of the north of Scotland's biggest stories. She enjoys working with the trainees within the newsroom and is looking forward to being part of the WiJS mentoring scheme.

Kathryn Samson has been STV’s Westminster correspondent since 2019. She presents political coverage on STV News at Six, which is Scotland’s most watched news programme, and on Scotland Tonight. She’s covered all the major political events of the last decade, including the Scottish independence referendum, Brexit and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Elaine Livingstone is a freelance photographer based in Glasgow working on a variety of photographic assignments for a wide range of clients including national press, magazines, publishers, institutes, and organisations. Elaine’s photography career began in journalism; she is the former picture-editor of the award-winning Sunday Herald newspaper and The Herald magazine.

Talat Yaqoob is a consultant, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, and a member of the First Minister’s Advisory Council on Woman and Girls. Her experience spans education, women’s rights, anti-racism, workplace equality and inclusion, and political/civic participation. She is also a commentator, appears regularly on BBC Scotland’s Seven Days programme and has written for several publications. Talat is the co-founder of Women 50:50 and Pass the Mic, the national project to amplify women of colour’s expertise in Scotland’s media.

Christine Lavelle is the Scottish political editor of The Scottish Sun, where she has worked for over eight years covering news, politics and features. She previously spent two years at PA Scotland, and started her career at Deadline news agency in Edinburgh after graduating from Glasgow Caledonian University with a Masters in Multimedia Journalism.

Natasha Radmehr is a freelance journalist who writes features and op-eds for publications including The Times, The Sunday Post, The Herald, Homes & Interiors Scotland and Platinum. She has worked in Scottish media for 10 years, and formerly edited a leading wedding magazine.

Amy Irons is a Scottish TV and radio presenter who presents across sport, news and entertainment. Amy has worked on some of the biggest programmes in recent years including BBC One’s Hogmanay and Sports Personality of the Year. On screen she presents The Adventure show, The Edit, sport on The Nine and Sportscene. In radio Amy has hosted the Capital breakfast show as well as Off the Ball and BBC Five Live’s breakfast show.

Alison Conroy is a digital journalist with Sky Sports News in Scotland. She made the switch after 10 years working as a sports reporter then sports editor at Radio Clyde.

Maggie Ritchie is a freelance features and news writer, columnist, and award-winning author. Her 33 years in the media include seven at the Daily Record.

How to apply

To apply to have your media career shaped by this opportunity, fill in the below application form by December 13 2021.

Apply here.

Who can apply?

Eighteen early-to-mid career women journalists working in Scotland will be chosen to take part in a year-long programme, which will include at least an hour a month of their mentor’s time, most likely on Zoom. WiJ Scotland defines a mid career journalist as someone who feels they still have space to grow in their career and has specific goals they feel a mentor would help with.

One of our goals this year is to boost numbers of women of colour journalists. We welcome applications from women of colour student journalists.

Applicants must be a member of Women in Journalism Scotland. If you are not yet a member of Women in Journalism Scotland, join here.

Why mentoring?

We believe mentoring has the ability to change the future of journalism. That future features a more confident, diverse workforce, a greater prevalence of female voices and more women in senior positions.

Speaking about the scheme, Women in Journalism Scotland co-chair, Gabriella Bennett, said:

"By expanding our mentoring pool we hope to support more up-and-coming women journalists, who, evidence shows, will face discrimination in terms of pay and promotions during their careers.

"We were thrilled to hear of the success stories from last year's pairings and are delighted so many industry-leading mentors are willing to take part in 2022.”

How is the mentoring scheme judged?

Applicants will be selected by a panel led by the WiJ Scotland co-chairs. The panel will study all the answers to the questions posed in each application and base its final decision on the journalists proving how much they would benefit from the programme. An additional factor will be which applicant best fits the skills and experience of the 18 mentors.

When will I hear back?

We aim to contact all applicants by the end of December. Successful applicants will then be invited to an introductory workshop in January.

Laura Smith (centre) with the award presented by Nicola’s husband Alastair Murray (Picture: Jeff Holmes)

“In a truly outstanding field, her work was exceptional, authoritative, humane and deeply passionate.”

That was just some of the praise for the work of Laura Smith of The Sunday Post - this year’s winner of the Nicola Barry Award.

The category at the Scottish Press Awards is sponsored by Women in Journalism Scotland in memory of one of Scotland’s most respected journalists, who died in 2017.

It recognises women journalists for their work in issue-led reportage or commentary - a field in which Nicola excelled. 

All the entrants were praised by judges for writing about important human issues and on dark challenging topics which many people sometimes prefer not to face.

But it was Laura’s “exceptional” work on youngsters’ mental health, birth companions and caring for vulnerable children which stood out. 

She said: “I am delighted and pleasantly surprised, as the calibre of the other women that were nominated was so high.

“I am very honoured it was the Nicola Barry award as she was obviously a trailblazing journalist and really focused on humanitarian and social justice issues. That is what I have always been keen to do.”

One of the main pieces Laura was nominated for was a special report into children and young people’s mental health - and the failures in care services.

“That was written during the pandemic, but it was on issues that had been prevalent for a long time and I think the pandemic really really shone a light on it - like a lot of areas,” she said. 

The other articles she submitted covered support for pregnant asylum seekers and refugees and an interview with the woman who led of a review of Scotland’s care system.

Laura added: “The last 18 months has been tough, and it was great to see at the Press Awards people are really committed and managed to produce really important and high quality work, even though they were working in bedrooms and with toddlers and kids running about.

“You’re still making a bit of impact even if it is from your living room- even if you might not feel like that when you are bashing out a story on the keyboard with no-one to talk to.”

The runner-up in the Nicola Barry Award was Catriona Stewart of The Herald, who was praised by the judges for writing about migrants and the pandemic with “warmth and colour”.

She said: “I was really taken aback to be shortlisted for the Nicola Barry Award this year, never mind win an award. I was up against three colleagues whose work I greatly admire, Shona Craven, Kirsteen Paterson and Helen McArdle, as well as the impressive Laura Smith, so I'm pleased with the recognition but also take my hat off to the others on the shortlist.”

Catriona submitted three columns on immigration for the awards - tackling issues including online racism, offshore detention of asylum seekers and migrant labour. 

She said she chose to focus on immigration as it has been such a vital topic in the middle of the pandemic and the “grinding muddle of Brexit”.

“Despite the work of Women In Journalism Scotland, and despite the issue long being a hot topic, the balance of the sexes at the Scottish Press Awards is skewed heavily every year towards male reporters, particularly in certain categories such as politics and sport,” she added.

“The Nicola Barry Award is an important step in addressing this balance and I would really encourage women journalists to enter the category next year. It's vital that women's work is visible at high profile industry events. 

“We know that women can feel reluctant to enter, for a variety of reasons, but just take the plunge - there's nothing to lose and every possibility of a win.”

Our congratulations also go to all those shortlisted for the Nicola Barry Award - Shona Craven of The National, Helen McArdle of The Herald and Kirsteen Paterson of The National/Sunday National.

WIJ Scotland would also like to say a huge thank you to all the judges of the award - Nicola’s husband Alastair Murray, who was the chair, Jean Rafferty, Sandra Ratcliffe and Jan Patience.