Trinity Term 2022…That’s a Wrap!

I never thought the Oxford Media Society would bring me face to face with creator of Peaky Blinders, Steven Knight, not only a great inspiration for those wanting to get involved in screenwriting, radio, and television, but a great raconteur: he told me how Snoop Dogg, who happens to be a huge fan of his, once offered him a large doobie alongside his views on the character development of Tommy Shelby.

Sam Reich of College Humour provided ample and affable insights into the world of online comedy, mental health, YouTube trends, his time spent in Oxford where he realised the necessity of artistic catharsis, and breaking free from convention- another intimate encounter with a creative keen to usher in the next generation of online comedians.

Gemma McNeil-Walsh, media barrister at 5RB, plunged us into the complexities of modern-day defamation cases from Depp v Heard to ‘Wagatha Christie’. She spoke eloquently and elegantly of the balancing act between free speech and privacy in the media as well as her concerns regarding inequality of libel law, responsible journalism, and  the law playing catchup in its regulation of rapidly developing social media platforms.

Notwithstanding the diverse array of fantastic speakers- our Events team more than deserve a special shoutout- the best part of this term has been the opportunity to get to grips with hosting our very own podcast, soon to be released across Spotify and Apple podcasts among other streaming platforms. Likewise our blog has featured opinion pieces as well as biweekly committee recommendations from the world of TV, Film, and Podcasts. Next term we will be looking to expand our existing production remit with a more collaborative and practical focus.

Looking forward to Michaelmas, we remain passionate about connecting students to the media industry (Digital, Social, Journalism, TV, Film, Music, Publishing) and delivering on our promise to provide fantastic guest speakers- with hopefully some more big names included- workshops, panels, work experience opportunities, and the chance to engage first-hand with media production through our blog and podcast. As regards Events, we are currently sending out invites to broadcast journalists and those from the music industry in particular, but members and media dabblers alike can expect a broad range of media representation from the Michaelmas 2022 Term Card!

Special thanks go out to outgoing president Nishta Vaishampayan and the rest of the Trinity Term committee for doing such a brilliant job last term.