UNIVERSITY NEWS LAST UPDATED : 27 JUNE 2017
A host of academics and journalists are to gather at Birmingham City University in July to question the challenges that African women working in the British media face and how they could be addressed.
The ‘African women in the media’ event at the University’s City Centre Campus on Thursday 27 July will feature a series of talks from researchers and journalists, as well as an opportunity to pitch ideas to Dorothy Byrne, head of news and current affairs at Channel 4.
Speakers at the event include founder of the MsAfropolitan feminist blog Minna Salami, award-winning Sudanese reporter Yousra Elbagir and Malawian journalist Kiri Kankhwende.
“The day-long symposium is timely in Brexit Britain as we see a rise of right-wing politics, particularly in relation to debates around the representation of race and immigration in the news”, said Dr Yemisi Akinbobola, lecturer at Birmingham City University’s School of Media and organiser of the event.
Other speakers at the event include award-winning documentary filmmaker Professor Florence Ayisi and Dr Pauline Long, founder of the BEFFTA awards which honour the best showbiz and entertainment personalities in black and ethnic communities across the globe.
Alongside Dorothy Byrne from Channel 4, a team of producers from Nigeria’s TVC News will also be taking pitches for story and programme ideas.