WiJS chair Gabriella Bennett (L) with Marion Scott (centre), winner of the Nicola Barry Award. Picture by Andrew Barr - andybarr.com

Women in Journalism Scotland (WiJS) is celebrating the work of a raft of women journalists being recognised at the annual Scottish Press Awards, including many members of our network.

The winner of the Nicola Barry Award, which is sponsored by WiJS, was Marion Scott of The Sunday Post for the second year - and she made it a hat-trick by also picking up Reporter of the Year and Scoop of the Year.

Runner-up for the award - which reflects Nicola’s lifelong passion to standing up to injustice - was Karin Goodwin of The Ferret.

Committee member Jen McLaren was named Regional Reporter of the Year, with another committee member Catriona Stewart was also nominated in this category.

Heather Dewar, who is also on the WiJS committee, received two runner-up awards for Sports News Writer and Sports Columnist of the Year,

WiJS mentor Chitra Ramaswamy of The Times Scotland won Food and Drink Writer of the Year, while another mentor Vicky Allan was runner-up in Interviewer of the Year. WiJS mentee Christiana Opoku was nominated in the Student of the Year category.

WiJS member Jen Stout, a freelancer who has extensively covered the war in Ukraine, was runner-up in Reporter of the Year and former WiJS chair Jan Patience was nominated in the Arts and Entertainment Journalist of the Year category.

The winners of the 44th Scottish Press Awards. Picture by Andrew Barr - andybarr.com

Gabriella Bennett, chair of WiJS said: "It's thrilling to see so many of our members acknowledged for their brilliant journalism at this year's press awards. 

"In particular the Nicola Barry Award - sponsored by Women in Journalism Scotland - highlighted two journalists at the very top of their game.

“Both Marion Scott and Karin Goodwin continue to give a platform to marginalised voices. The Scottish media landscape is richer for their writing.”

The extensive list of female winners at the awards also included Press Association photographer Jane Barlow, who became the first ever photographer to win the Journalist of the Year category for her portrait of Queen Elizabeth II at Balmoral - the last public picture before her death. She also won News Photographer of the Year.

Feature Writer of the Year went to Patricia Kane of the Daily Mail and Emma Cowing from the same title picked up Interviewer of the Year.

Janet Christie of The Scotsman/Scotland on Sunday won Arts and Entertainment Journalist of the Year and Constance Kampfner of The Times Scotland picked up the Young Journalist of the Year award.

Women in Journalism Scotland (WiJS) and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation have announced the recipients of the inaugural WiJS x JRF bursary programme. 

Five women journalists have been chosen by a panel of judges to receive £1,500 to develop a project shining a light on economic and / or social inequalities around Scotland.

The funding will support the successful applicants over the remainder of 2023 as they work up their projects from an idea stage to a developed pitch ready to be taken to a publication, or launched independently by the end of the year.

The successful journalists are: Kyra Edwards, Enas Magzoub, Juliana da Penha, Claire Sawers and Jen Stout.

Part of the bursary programme involves working with an established woman journalist who will provide support for each applicant’s project. All five have now been matched with a mentor as their work gets underway.

Providing mentoring for the programme this year will be: Dani Garavelli, Karin Goodwin, Arusa Qureshi, Catriona Stewart and Chitra Ramaswamy.

This opportunity was aimed at early to mid-career freelance women journalists who believe they still have room to grow in their careers. Applicants must also have experienced economic inequality at some stage in their lives.

Enas Magzoub will investigate health inequalities affecting migrant women in under-served areas, and explore what actions could be taken to address these issues.

Kyra Edwards will report on the potential flaws within the benefits system, where couples often find they are discouraged or unable to live together due to the system forcing them into a joint financial claim.

Juliana da Penha will focus on a series of multimedia long-form features on migrant women workers in Scotland revealing how it is to be in the intersections of gender, race, nationality, class and be part of the precarious workforce.

Claire Sawers will research women working in the arts whose lives have been affected by the cost of living crisis for a podcast series.

Jen Stout will take an in-depth look at the rural housing crisis in Scotland, from Shetland to the Western Isles, using photography, text and radio to tell the story of individual places and people affected. 

Gabriella Bennett, chair of Women in Journalism Scotland, said: "The recipients of our inaugural bursary programme are five hugely talented journalists working on a broad range of subjects. Their projects will enrich Scotland's media landscape, telling essential stories and reflecting the reality of life in under-reported communities. 

“Post-pandemic, and in a cost-of-living crisis, it has never been more important to give women journalists the funding and mentoring they need to progress their careers."

Husna Mortuza, associate director for public engagement at the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, added: “This inaugural programme could not be timelier. The number of people living in deep poverty in Scotland has risen dramatically, while the cost-of-living crisis continues to leave Scottish families hungry, cold and without a safety net.

“The five finalists announced today, with the invaluable mentoring from Women in Journalism Scotland, will bring their talent and expertise to projects designed not only to report on these pressing issues but to offer hope in the form of solutions.”  

Kyra Edwards

https://twitter.com/KyraEdwards13

Kyra is a journalist who has previously freelanced for Sky News, The Scotsman, Newsquest, and most recently BBC Scotland. Growing up in poverty is what prompted her to start a career in journalism, and she has always had social change at the forefront of her mind.

She wants to use her writing to bring about awareness and better understanding of social inequalities, and advocate for marginalised communities.

After a few years of declining mental health and an unintentional hiatus from journalism, she is ready to re-enter the industry and eager to use her own experiences living in poverty to bring about much needed change.

Enas Magzoub

https://twitter.com/EnasMagzoub

Enas is a Sudanese journalist whose previous work has been included in publications such as The Morning Star, The New Internationalist and Scottish Left Review.

Coming from a widening access background, she is passionate about social justice and true inclusivity in society.

Aside from journalism, she has a background in engineering and data science, and has written extensively about ethical implications surrounding advances in new technology and what that means for wider society.

Juliana da Penha

https://twitter.com/ju_penha_br

Juliana is an independent journalist from Brazil based in Scotland. She has worked in the charity sector in Italy and Scotland in community development, empowering marginalised groups, especially women and migrant communities.

She is the founder editor of Migrant Women Press, an independent media outlet focused on women’s experiences with migration.

She is an NCTJ-certified journalist with a bachelor's degree in cultural studies and communication and a master’s degree in human rights and international politics.

Claire Sawers

https://twitter.com/claire_sawers

Claire is a freelance arts journalist who lives in Edinburgh with her son.

She has spent the last twenty years contributing reviews, interviews and features to newspapers, magazines and websites, including The Herald, The Times, The Wire, The Guardian, The Quietus, Resident Advisor, The Australian and Haaretz, amongst others.  

Jen Stout

https://twitter.com/jm_stout

Jen is a writer and reporter from Shetland. She worked for BBC Scotland and BBC Radio Shetland, for the Stranraer and Wigtownshire Free Press, and is now freelance.

For the past year she has covered the war in Ukraine for the Sunday Post, London Review of Books, BBC radio and other outlets. A Russian speaker, she previously lived in Moscow and Leipzig. 

Photography by Laura A. Tiliman

Mentors and mentees from our 2023 cohort gathered at BBC Scotland headquarters for Women in Journalism’s first ever in-person mentoring social. 

Around sixty women attended the event, which took place at Pacific Quay in Glasgow. 

Mentors and mentees were able to meet other pairings from the 2023 programme and network. 

They heard from a mentor, Anna Burnside, about the benefits of mentoring, which include giving back, sharing skills and experience and boosting confidence in both mentor and mentee. 

Shelley Jofre, editor of long form journalism at BBC Scotland, interviewed a mentee, Georgina Davies, to find out about her experience of having a mentor. Georgina spoke about how her career has been shaped by a variety of BBC Scotland women journalists, especially after returning from maternity leave. 

Gabriella Bennett, chair of Women in Journalism Scotland, said the evening was an invaluable opportunity for mentees, in particular, to mingle. 

“Over and over again we hear that since the pandemic, young women journalists are not getting the chance to socialise with their colleagues or have regular access to an office environment,” she said.

“Working from home has brought many benefits but we aim to plug the gap it has created in providing an essential networking platform.”

Women in Journalism Scotland thanks all at BBC Scotland for making the evening happen. We aim to make our in-person mentoring social an annual event. 

We are looking for mentors to join our pool for next year’s intake. Interested? Email wijscotland@gmail.com 

Fiona O’Hara

By Fiona O’Hara

Rugby has been an integral part of growing up in my family. Despite personally being, let’s say - not ‘gifted’ - at any sports, my brother excelled at school rugby all the way through to the U20s Edinburgh and Scotland teams.

When the Six Nations or the Autumn Internationals came around, our family was attending without fail. While my interest maybe started as a way to join in conversations between my brother and my dad, over time the knowledge and insights gained grew into my own passion for the sport.

After finishing my Masters degree in Journalism, I was confronted with the challenge of how to break into the media industry. After a couple of work experience weeks and internships, I decided to focus on my own interests and find opportunities to write about them.

I was immediately drawn to the idea of sports writing and in particular rugby. As if Women in Journalism Scotland (WiJS) could hear my thoughts, they announced a press trip to Scotstoun Stadium in Glasgow to learn the tips and tricks of rugby reporting. This is where I initially met Stuart Bathgate, freelance rugby correspondent for The Offside Line, and the opportunity to shadow him was set up through WiJS.

This opportunity to channel my passion into a possible career was the perfect starting point.

Once Stuart and I exchanged numbers we discussed a plan of action and I started attending press conferences with him at the DAM Health stadium in Edinburgh, as well as attending matches and getting to sit in the press box with all the other journalists. Through these experiences I met many of the Edinburgh Rugby players and Head Coach Mike Blair and got the opportunity to ask questions (an opportunity I wish I utilised more, but my confidence is slowly growing) as well as meet other journalists and Edinburgh Rugby’s media managers.

While attending press conferences and match reporting was very exciting, there was a lot of time waiting around for your chance to speak to the players - which Stuart warned me jokingly was the realities of his day to day. These periods of waiting gave me the opportunity to learn more about Stuart and the other journalists’ careers, their schedules and how they work together.

Making these new connections has already opened doors to new opportunities going forward and makes the industry feel less daunting as everyone I’ve meet has been so inclusive and encouraging of my progress.

I had the chance to write my own articles based on the press conference interviews and have Stuart review them. His advice and critiques on my writing have been invaluable in developing and improving my skills; to have someone as knowledgeable as Stuart review my work has been such a privilege. This led to one of my articles appearing The Herald, giving me my first byline for rugby journalism.

Overall, this opportunity has been amazing and I am glad that it has continued longer than just the two-week work experience it started off as. Shadowing Stuart has already taught me so much and has given me a solid foundation in the sports journalism industry that I can build from as my career progresses.

By Amy Shearer

The Girl Gang.

A phrase thrown about frequently, emblazoned on canvas tote bags and hash tagged under the Instagram posts of posing pals enjoying an overpriced passionfruit martini.

A notion that seems new, yet really a concept that has existed for quite some time. In recent times our ears have been blessed with the sweet sound sensations, the Spice Girls. Before that, everyone and their granny wanted to sport a satin pink bomber jacket in a nod to the Pink Ladies.

In the fifties there were the 'Teddy Girls' - groups of females in London hitting back at austerity with androgyny. Going back further, women adorned in purple, white and green sashes caused a stir by smashing windows and throwing themselves under horses.

Now we have Women in Journalism Scotland (WiJS). A powerful group of brilliant women journalists who celebrate peers and offer advice when faced with dilemmas. A network of welcoming females who know how to lift one another up, champion change and offer support in everything from career progression to maternity pay queries.

Existing at different points in history, it could be hard to see what exactly links these groups of women.

“There is no question too silly nor problem too big”

To me, the answer is clear.

Rebellion.

On today, International Women's Day (IWD), it strikes me that throughout the years, women have always had to shout a bit louder whilst being told we should really keep the noise down.

At WiJS, we said 'Alexa, volume maximum'.

As a young female journalist, it's incredible how common misconceptions about the field fuel ignorance. I've turned up at jobs before and been asked if I am 'old enough' or 'qualified enough' to cover the story. I've answered a tannoy call to the newsroom to go down and greet someone at reception who has a story, only to arrive in front of the person to be asked 'Are you the journalist?'

There are still people out there who have a particular vision of what we should look like and get a real shock when they are not met with a man wearing a trilby hat and Tweed jacket, but a young woman sporting a zebra print blazer and orange kitten heels.

At WiJS, there is no judgement on what you are wearing or who you are, the organisation simply wants to provide the tools for success. Last year I was fortunate enough to be part of the mentor scheme and was paired with my 'Fairy Godmentor', Anna Burnside. She has provided a sounding board of well-informed advice, given me confidence to challenge injustices and also has instilled in me the importance of asking career questions so as not to live with regret.

It's not all work and no play - in-between chatting injustices and career progression, we can now be found charity shopping, sampling small plates or enjoying camp pantomime performances across the West.

Last year, I also joined the event committee alongside other fabulous female forces. Taking on the role within the organisation has allowed me to meet many new faces and strike up friendships with incredible people. Some of these new acquaintances I know only within the realms of Twitter, but seeing their smiling faces in a little circle in the likes or comments on a tweet is a support system I am truly grateful to have.

When we have been fortunate enough to come together as a group, whether at one of our many social events or informative workshops, the unwavering support carries into real life too. A hive of activity and positivity, meeting women who are at the top of their game is inspiring. The willingness of the group to share their skills and lift up their peers is something worth celebrating.

There is no question too silly nor problem too big, the network of support is there to offer guidance to anyone who may need it at that time. 
WiJS continues to be a force for change. Just recently, the organisation planned and delivered an informative and free redundancy workshop open to all within just 24-hours of news breaking about mass redundancies in the industry.

Currently, we are accepting applications for a new bursary scheme in partnership with the Joseph Rowntree Foundation to provide five women journalists £1,500 to develop a project shining a light on economic and/or social inequalities across Scotland. A look through the website or social media channels also serves as a reminder of the incredible work that has happened and continues to happen.

As an organisation, we've rebelled against the stereotypes. We have championed change, celebrated achievements and fortified confidence. We have ensured that women feel they CAN shout about their achievements and have somewhere to turn in times of need.

We may have swapped toffee hammers for Twitter feeds, militancy for mentorships and National Gallery vandalism for informative newsletters, but we are rebels in our own way.
And it's a girl gang I'm proud to be a part of.

By Julia Benko

I have been an avid magazine reader for as long as I can remember. I’ve always loved flicking through the pages and absorbing the stories. I'm a fourth-year student at the University of Stirling, studying English and Business. My passion, however, lies in journalism –  it's the career field I'm hoping to get into.

If someone had told me that one day I’d create a magazine myself, I’d think they were having a laugh.

But last summer, I did it. I fought against all of my insecurities and started Midway Magazine.

I was consumed by self-doubt before I even decided to pursue it. Every voice in my head told me that it was a stupid idea, that I don’t have enough experience and that getting people to write for it wouldn’t work – nobody would want to do it.

Part of the reason why I decided to launch a magazine is to get more perspective into how a publication is run. I'm a comment editor in my student publication Brig Newspaper, but I wanted to know what it feels like to create something meaningful from the ground up.

The vision board created by Julia for Midway magazine

Building up the confidence was hard. Countless times I had to sit myself down and give myself pep-talks to remind myself that there was a reason I felt like starting this project, that it simply felt right and that if I didn’t act on it, I’d regret it.

Eventually I gave in: I visualised my idea and created a WordPress page. I got in touch with a few artists and some people I’ve been following who I thought could be interested. I went into every conversation expecting the worst. However, more often than not, I found that people were enthusiastic to talk about their passions.

I was in disbelief and started thinking that this might actually work. But the real kicker came when the magazine was ready to be launched. Promoting it on social media was my worst nightmare. I never publicised my personal projects; I felt so bare and vulnerable doing it.

“If this fails, please don’t let anyone remember,” I thought.

Nearly a year later, I can confirm it didn’t fail.

Another reason why I started the magazine is because I've always been devoted to expressing myself through the arts – mainly through words. Putting my emotions down in writing always helps me cope, and I know there are many people who do the same, whether it's through taking photos, creating an outfit or painting.

“There’s no such thing as failing when it comes to following your heart”

They let their emotions out and take control of them, rather than letting their emotions control them. That is essentially what Midway Magazine is: it's all about self-expression. It's a way to decompress and express yourself through a medium of your preference and then sharing it with the world, which I find can be quite a cathartic experience. 

While Midway is still a small team of writers, I’d call it a successful personal project; one that’s teaching me something new every day. Since launching it, I’ve learned how to get in touch with people in various ways, how to create engaging content and always be on the lookout for more, but most importantly, it taught me how to be confident in achieving my dreams.

It’s very important to remember: there’s no such thing as failing when it comes to following your heart.

Building Midway took a long time, a lot of patience and it pushed many of my boundaries, but it also opened me up to exploring the lengths of my determination and provided me with handy new skills.

It’s a very rewarding feeling to see something you worked so hard on flourish and see yourself blossom in the process, too.

So, if there’s something you’ve been wanting to do or a project you’ve been wanting to start but felt that you “weren’t good enough” – this is your sign to go against those voices that tell you you shouldn’t, and do it anyway.

I know tuning out the anxious thoughts isn’t easy. But be kind to yourself. Picture yourself at the finish line, happy in knowing that you’ve been brave enough to do what you love.

UPDATE: DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS EXTENDED UNTIL MARCH 13

Women in Journalism Scotland and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation have launched the inaugural WiJS x JRF bursary programme. 

Five women journalists will each be awarded £1,500 to develop a project shining a light on economic and / or social inequalities around Scotland. 

The project should be solutions-driven. More information on the types of projects considered can be found below. 

The funding will be spent on working up each project from an idea stage to a developed pitch ready to be taken to a publication or launched independently. 

Part of the bursary programme involves working with an established woman journalist who will support successful applicants. This could be by helping to develop news lines, devising a list of target publications and advising on research techniques. The journalist mentor will be paid for two days of their time. Applicants should suggest a mentor they want to work with. 

The funding will support successful applicants over the course of 2023. We expect all projects to be launched by December.

Gabriella Bennett, chair of Women in Journalism Scotland, said: “This is an essential opportunity to eliminate financial hurdles that would usually stop women journalists from working on long-form journalism. It’s also a great chance for publications to find new voices and dazzling pitches.”

Chris Birt, associate director for Scotland at the Joseph Rowntree Foundation added: “The Covid-19 pandemic and the current cost of living crisis must surely convince us that we can do better than this.  Poverty, and the inequality that underpins it, is bearing its teeth in a way that cannot be tolerated in a society as wealthy as Scotland.  

“This exciting project’s aim is to shine a light on both the causes and cures for poverty and inequality and to help support more women journalists to use their experience and skill, with support from their peers and us, to do so.”

PROJECTS CONSIDERED

We expect proposed projects to be reasonably developed with some initial research already undertaken. We welcome ideas for:

• Investigations

• Long-form features 

• Documentaries 

• Radio productions

• Podcast series

• Travel writing or interview series

• Non-fiction book proposals

WHAT YOU GET

• £1,500 to develop a journalism project to pitch stage

• A journalist mentor to help each project reach its potential

• Two check-in meetings with Women in Journalism Scotland to provide extra guidance

• Support from experts at the Joseph Rowntree Foundation 

WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO APPLY

This opportunity is suited to early to mid-career freelance women journalists. Applicants should have a number of bylines under their belt and be confident of being able to get their project published. We define mid-career journalists as anyone who still believes they have room to grow in their career. 

Women journalists in staff jobs can also apply but there must be no contractual barrier to you pitching your project to a wide range of publications (a supporting statement from your employer may be required). 

Applicants must have experienced economic inequality at some stage in their lives. This includes, but is not limited to:

In childhood

• A family member in receipt of benefits

• Family members employed in low-paid work

• Family members who were unable to work due to disability or long-term illness (whether physical or mental ill-health)

• Having experience of the care system

In adulthood

• Receiving Universal Credit or another equivalent means-tested benefit

• Experiencing housing or food insecurity

• Experiencing economic and / or social inequalities during their child’s early years and/or after returning to work from maternity or adoption leave

• Experiencing financial hardship while suffering discrimination in whatever setting (whether work, education or provision of services), including due to race.

• Experiencing financial hardship while in a caring role

• Experiencing financial hardship while recovering from illness, chronic health condition, or being disabled.

If you’d like to apply but are unsure whether you’re eligible, please email wijscotland@gmail.com for advice 

The bursary programme is not open to students. 

WHAT CAN THE £1,500 BE SPENT ON?

The funding will most likely be used as a wage to live from while researching your project. However, it can also be spent on travelling expenses or accessing archive material, for example. 

We envisage the bursary being delivered in three instalments throughout 2023. 

WHO ARE THE JUDGES?

Shelley Jofre, head of investigations, BBC Scotland

Heather Dewar, sports writer, Scottish Daily Mail and Journalist of the Year 2022

Gabriella Bennett, chair, Women in Journalism Scotland

Arusa Qureshi, freelance journalist and editor 

Husna Mortuza, associate director of public engagement, Joseph Rowntree Foundation

Judith Duffy, chief political reporter, Sunday National

Rhiannon J Davies, founding editor of Greater Govanhill magazine 

Jan Patience, arts columnist, the Sunday Post

Catriona Stewart, writer-at-large, The Herald 

WHEN IS THE DEADLINE AND WHEN WILL RECIPIENTS HEAR BACK?

The deadline has been extended and is now March 13.  

HOW TO APPLY

Applications should include three elements. 

1. A one-page journalism CV (pdf)

2. A one-page pitch outlining and selling the project (pdf). This must include:

• What the project is and what research you have done so far

• How you will approach your project 

• How long your project will take to complete 

• What is your project’s hook / news line

• What publications you’ll pitch to

• Why the project is vital, and why now

• What new light the project shines on its topic

• Who you would like to mentor you (they must be based in Scotland and be working in the same area as your project)

• Why you are eligible 

3. If you are submitting a broadcast / radio / podcast proposal, please send a one minute YouTube video of yourself selling your project. 

Terms and conditions

• Entrants must be a member of Women in Journalism Scotland

• Applications should be emailed to wijscotland@gmail.com Please also include your name, address, email address and telephone number in the body of the email.

• Recipients will sign a conditions of grant document 

Last year a record number of women were nominated and won prizes at the Scottish Press Awards (SPA). Women in Journalism Scotland is determined to continue the trend by offering to cover 20 entry fees for women journalists who'd like to apply in 2023. 

If you'd like to apply to have your entry fees paid, please email wijscotland@gmail.com. Applicant names will be selected at random and successful journalists contacted at the end of this month.

We also welcome questions about the application process and are happy to provide advice if you are finding it hard to choose between articles you'd like to submit. The deadline for applying to have your entry fees covered by WiJS is January 26. 

We're also making available a workshop we hosted last year with Denise West, chair of the SPA judges; Catherine Salmond, then-editor of Scotland on Sunday; and Susan Mathieson, managing director of Events Consultants Scotland, organisers of the SPA since 2004. This workshop helped to demystify the application process and provided lots of practical advice on how and what to enter. 

To receive a recording of the workshop, email wijscotland@gmail.com

Good luck!

The last 12 months have been a whirlwind for Women in Journalism Scotland. 

A return to in-person events saw our committee plan and host an incredible five-year anniversary summit at the V&A Dundee, with guest speakers including the Guardian’s political editor Pippa Crerar and political commentator Ayesha Hazarika. 

Our achievements for 2022 span workshops, socials, and all kinds of member support. 

Here are just a few of the highlights:

26 mentees paired with inspirational mentors

£550 raised in an end-of-year fundraising drive

Two seasonal socials with 85 guests

Two Zoom training workshops

One wonderful book salon 

20 political commentators media-trained in broadcast studios for contributor opportunities + childcare costs covered

Eleven organisations partnered with to improve gender equality in the media

One campaign launched to help raise the number of women journalists on print sports desks

Six student sports journalists trained on match reporting

55 delegates in attendance at our five-year anniversary summit

Four new committee members added

One newsletter writer hired

20 entry fees offered for women entrants to the Scottish Press Awards

Two talks given to students on how to get into the industry 

Countless jobs and opportunities offered to members

All Zoom experts, panellists and web writers paid for their time

None of our achievements would have been possible without the hard work and dedication of our committee. We’d also like to thank our event sponsors. 

On behalf of all at Women in Journalism Scotland, Merry Christmas and a happy new year. 

(L-R) Anna Burnside (WiJS committee); Dorothy Prodhan; Fiona O’Hara; Claire Thomson; Emma Dodds (sports broadcaster); Rhianwen Hopwood and Rachel Cameron.

By Rachel Cameron

The lowdown on broadcasting, how to get a foot in the door - and definitely don’t clap for either team when you are in the press box.

These are just some of the insights into the industry gained by a group of future sports journalists when we headed to Scotstoun Stadium in October to see Glasgow Warriors take on Benetton, during a press box trip organised by Women in Journalism Scotland. 

For those of us who hadn’t seen many - if any - rugby matches before, the Glasgow Warriors put on a great display of rugby for us all to enjoy. It was wonderful to see the Warriors get an epic win too and be awarded the full 15 points to boost them up the 22/23 BKT United Rugby Championship. 

Whilst the rugby was excellent, that was not why we were there. We were there to gain a better insight as to how all the media runs on a matchday, as well as the chance to sit in the press box for the game and write a match report alongside those who work in the industry.

We started off with a tour around the stadium, and we were then extremely lucky to chat to Scottish Rugby legend and now broadcaster Chris Paterson down on the pitch.

Chris gave us a wonderful explanation into the different levels of detail that are required to viewers dependent on the streaming service. The game we were at was being streamed by Premier Sports, Chris explained as this is a subscription platform, viewers expect a wee bit more insight and specifics of the match than you would hear or see in Six Nations coverage.

After chatting to Chris, we headed inside to see the media set up for interviews, the coin toss, and the post-match conference. Here we got to speak to Glasgow Warriors’ media manager, Duncan Seller as well as presenter Emma Dodds.

Duncan gave us a great lowdown on what his role requires before, during and after the match and how it all worked during the worst of the Covid pandemic. 

Emma explained her background and how and what she did to get her foot into the door and become successful in the industry. Emma also gave us some fantastic advice which I think everyone benefitted from. She really took the time to speak with us individually too about all of our future plans, which was nice. 

Then, it was kick off and we headed up to the press box for the game- we quickly learnt that in the press box you are not to clap for either team! We all got our notebooks and laptops out and began devising our match reports. Once the game was over, we headed down to witness the post-match conference. 

This was an absolutely amazing experience for all of us and we can’t thank Women in Journalism Scotland enough for arranging this press box trip. A huge thank you to Anna Burnside for accompanying us and to all the fabulous people who took the time to chat to us.

To learn first hand on what our futures might look like before they have even properly begun is such a privilege and makes me so excited for what is potentially to come. 

Stuck for festive gift ideas? WiJ Scotland is here to help. This Christmas we are hosting an online fundraising auction with gig tickets, spa days, gift vouchers and more, available at huge discounts.

Our sponsors have kindly donated a range of fantastic prizes which we are passing on with price reductions of up to 90%.

Up for grabs are:

2 x tickets to the Riverside Festival 2023

A bottle of Edinburgh Gin signed by Phoebe Waller Bridge

A WanderWomen mindfulness experience

Central Scotland School of Craft gift voucher

Central Scotland School of Jewellery gift voucher

Session for two at the Elie Seaside Sauna

Overnight stay for two at Yotel Glasgow

2 x spa day passes at the five-star Balmoral Hotel Edinburgh

Afternoon tea for two at Saint Judes, Glasgow

Painting by Edinburgh artist Rhona Taylor

You can view all the prizes, and bid, here.

Bids on many items start at just £1 and prizes are guaranteed to be delivered to your door for Christmas.

Bidding is open from now and will end on Dec 6 at 7.30pm 

This is a great opportunity to win high-value Christmas gifts for a fraction of the RRP while also supporting the campaigning work of WiJ Scotland.

This year, our work has included hosting an five-year anniversary summit, matching 25 early-career journalists with mentors, hosting broadcasting training, supporting women entering the press awards and helping aspiring student sports journalists enter the industry. Every penny raised will go back to our cause.

Any questions please email wijscotland@gmail.com

Women in Journalism Scotland has launched the third round of its successful mentoring scheme.

Our mentors have helped their mentees bag bylines in publications such as The New York Times and The Guardian, as well as building contacts and growing confidence.

On the 2023 programme we have more than 30 influential women journalists keen 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 and radio. Their specialisms include politics, investigations, travel, food and drink, arts, health, sport, local news, digital, data, housing, opinion and tech.

Our 2023 mentors

Dani Garavelli is a freelance feature writer and columnist working for titles across the UK.

Laura Kuenssberg presents the BBC’s flagship interview show on Sunday mornings on BBC One. Before that she did a seven year stint as the BBC’s first female political editor, during which she reported for a wide range of BBC programmes, made a number of successful documentaries and won multiple awards. She loves meeting and supporting journalists earlier on in their careers.

Karin Goodwin is an investigative journalist and co-editor of The Ferret. Specialisms include migration, housing and homelessness, and other social issues. She's also worked on a wide range of investigations that look at power and ownership in modern Scotland and recently set-up the Ferret's first community newsroom with Greater Govanhill magazine, with whom she is working on a year-long project about health inequalities. 

TV presenter and broadcast journalist Jean Johansson is the host of flagship Channel 4 show A Place In The Sun. As well as her role as regular reporter for The One Show and presenter on hugely popular BBC daytime programme Animal Park, she has shown her versatility by co-presenting Channel 5 consumer series Are They A Con?

Catherine Salmond is editor of The Herald. Previous roles include editor of Scotland on Sunday, live editor at The Scotsman and features editor at Edinburgh Evening News. She has a wealth of experience in online and print journalism and has mentored with WIJS over the last year.

Heather Dewar has worked in journalism for over 20 years. She has a huge amount of experience in broadcast journalism in both radio and television. When covid hit, Heather moved into the world of newspapers and began freelancing for the Scottish Daily Mail. She remains there today and in 2022, won Journalist of the Year and Sports News Writer of the Year at the Scottish Press Awards. She was highly commended for Interviewer of the Year, Sports Feature Writer of the Year and the Nicola Barry award.

Eilidh Barbour presents and reports for Premier League and FA Cup matches for BBC Final Score and also presents Sky Sports' Scottish Premiership live coverage. She previously reported and presented BT Sport's coverage of Scottish football, Champions League, Europa League and WSL matches. As a presenter, she regularly fronts Football Focus, Match of the Day 2, FA Cup matches and is the face of BBC golf.

Rhiannon J Davies is the founder and editor of the award-winning Greater Govanhill magazine, which takes a solutions-focused approach to covering local issues and aims to provide a platform to voices typically under-represented in the media. Prior to launching the magazine, she worked in freelance travel writing, digital video journalism, third sector communications.

Aasmah Mir is a presenter on Times Radio Breakfast. Before that she presented on Radio 4 and Radio 5 Live.

Ashley Davies is a freelance arts journalist with a particular interest in comedy interviews. She has weekly slots in The Times Scotland's Alba supplement and Metro, and was a judge at this year's Dave's Edinburgh Comedy Awards. In her 30 years in journalism, mainly in newspapers, she's done business reporting (which she hated), sub-editing, section/commission editing and feature writing, and is most happy doing the latter. 

Pennie Taylor is a Glasgow-based freelance journalist and broadcaster. A health and social care specialist, she was BBC Scotland’s first health correspondent.

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.

Lesley-Anne Kelly is the head of data journalism at DC Thomson. She is an award winning journalist who led her team to nominations in the Scottish Press awards, the Future of Media Awards, and the global Sigma awards for data journalism – all in their first year.

Gabby Pieraccini is a specialist athletics writer and founder of the Decathletes of Europe website. Her coverage of combined events, in writing and in commentary, is in demand internationally and highly regarded for its combination of analysis and storytelling. Her work has been published by World Athletics, European Athletics and other athletics platforms.

Gabriella Bennett is an author and freelance journalist. She writes for The Observer, The Guardian, The Times and The Sunday Times on housing, travel and social justice. 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 for her inviestigations into the cladding crisis.

Mary McCool is an award-winning journalist who has worked across major titles in Scotland since 2013. Her portfolio includes a range of hard news and features across digital, print and TV. She covered major events for STV News' online operation including the 2014 Commonwealth Games and the Scottish independence referendum, while her breaking news coverage of the 2018 Glasgow School of Art fire for the Scottish Sun won digital team of the year at the Scottish Press Awards. She now works for BBC News where she covers news, politics and human interest stories.

Vicky Allan is senior features writer for the Herald, specialising in the environment. She has been at the paper for the past 20 years and previously worked for Scotland on Sunday and the Times. She is also an author of non-fiction books on wild swimming, the menopause and trees, as well as one novel, Stray.

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 is STV’s Westminster editor. She presents political coverage on STV News at Six and Scotland Tonight. She’s covered all the major political events of the last decade, including the Scottish independence referendum, Brexit, the COVID-19 pandemic and the Tory leadership crisis. In 2022 she was awarded Nations and Regions Presenter of the Year at the Royal Television Society Awards in London.

Helen McArdle is the health correspondent for The Herald. Since 2020, her focus has been on the impact of the pandemic on the NHS. She was named Specialist Reporter of the Year at the 2022 Scottish Press Awards and picked up the Stephen White Award for the Reporting of Science in a Non-Science Context at the Association for British Science Writers awards.

Alison Conroy is a digital sports journalist at Sky Sports. She also has more than 15 years’ experience in radio broadcasting and was sports editor at Radio Clyde before moving to the Scottish Premiership’s host broadcaster.

Sophie Pither is a freelance journalist specialising in food and travel articles for national newspapers and magazines. She has written for Condé Nast Traveller, The Times, the i, The Sunday Times, The Guardian and Olive magazine, among many others.

Catriona Stewart is a writer-at-large with The Herald. Her interests are social affairs, feminism, education and the complex issues in the Govanhill area of the city. She has also reported from Sierra Leone and the refugee camps along the Thailand/Myanmar border.

Rosalind Erskine is a Glasgow-based magazine editor turned digital editor, content creator and broadcaster who has worked in Scotland, London and Dubai. She currently edits a newly launched news and lifestyle website, GlasgowWorld, as well as writing about all things Scottish food and drink for the Scotsman. She also co-created, co-produces and hosts the newspaper’s award-nominated food and drink podcast, Scran, and is the restaurant reviewer for Scotland on Sunday.

Emily Yates is an accessibility consultant, journalist and speaker currently living in Glasgow after dividing her time between the UK and Rio de Janeiro where she worked with the underground transport system in order to promote inclusion for the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games. She also wrote the Lonely Planet Guide to Accessible Rio de Janeiro that was endorsed by the International Paralympic Committee and given to over 2000 Paralympians.

Fiona McKay is a lecturer and researcher in journalism. She has a teaching focus on gender, media, and politics. Her professional experience also includes working as a freelance news reporter and digital reporter for six years, mostly for the Herald and Times Group (Newsquest) in Glasgow which includes the publications: the Herald, the Herald Online, the Sunday Herald and the Evening Times (now Glasgow Times).

Alex Watson is the head of comment for regional north and north-east Scotland news brands, the Press and Journal and Evening Express. She is also a regular columnist for the P&J, writing mainly about social issues.

Sally Hampton is a consumer magazines publisher at DC Thomson Media. She oversees a diverse portfolio of UK and Scottish interest magazine brands. Her role involves identifying opportunities to grow existing DC Thomson Media titles through innovation and expansion – and launching new products across a variety of platforms. Most recently, she was a key member of the team that delivered Platinum magazine, one of the biggest launches in consumer magazines in recent times. Sally is currently chair of PPA Scotland.

Monica Soriano is editor of the BBC News Technology and Innovation Story Team.

Gina Davidson is LBC's Scotland Political Editor after making the leap from newspapers to radio last year. Decades of working in the Scottish media mean she’s been lucky enough to win some awards, but mostly she’s been very privileged to report on people's lives and the things that matter to them the most.

Kirsty Wark is best known as an anchor on the BBC’s flagship news and current affairs show Newsnight. Kirsty has several major accolades to her name including BAFTA Awards for Outstanding Contribution to Broadcasting, Journalist of the Year and Best Television Presenter.

How to apply
To apply to have your media career shaped by this opportunity, fill in the below application form by December 13 2022.
This year we are also asking applicants to submit a short plan detailing what they would like to achieve with a mentor, including two goals.

Apply here.

Who can apply?

Early and mid-career women journalists working in Scotland will be chosen to take part in a year-long programme, which will include 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.

Boosting the number of women of colour journalists and women sports journalists is one of our goals. Therefore, while the mentoring scheme is not generally open to student journalists, it is open to women of colour student journalists and students who want to be sports 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 women’s voices and more women in senior positions.

How is the mentoring scheme judged?

Applicants will be selected by a panel led by the WiJ Scotland committee. 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 mentors.

When will I hear back?

We aim to contact all applicants by the end of December. Unsuccessful applicants will be provided with feedback.

For any questions, please email wijscotland@gmail.com