ABC / WEN Media Workshop - ONLINE ONLY

CALL FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST FROM WEN MEMBERS

ABC / WEN Media Workshop

One of the key goals of the Women in Economics Network (WEN) is to elevate the voices and views of female economists in the media and public arena.

WEN is excited to collaborate with ABC The Business to provide an opportunity for WEN members to participate in a media workshop. The workshop will focus on the Federal Budget and election issues, but also expand to broader economic issues including climate change, the care economy, and other timely topics of interest. The workshop will be conducted online.

This initiative will provide individual participants with a valuable opportunity to:

• Personally meet and connect with ABC journalists
• Receive guidance from ABC journalists and other WEN members with previous media experience on effective media engagement across all platforms (TV, radio/podcast, print)
• Share your expertise and news story ideas on economic issues with ABC journalists, leading to opportunities for direct media engagement
• Be supported by WEN throughout all of this process.

This initiative is part of the ABC’s commitment to ensure more diverse faces, voices, cultures and stories are reflected and represented across its programs and content. Through this workshop with WEN, the ABC is aiming to:

• Inform its coverage of economic issues and policies by drawing on expertise from the WEN community
• Create an opportunity for emerging female and diverse voices in economics to meet Senior Business reporters from the ABC 
• Identify where are the gaps for women in the Federal Budget and discuss what policies and issues should women focus on in the lead up to the Federal Election in May
• Discuss ways to engage women in coverage of politics, policy and economics, including through content that applies a “’gender lens” to broader economic issues. 

Who is eligible to participate?

This is an excellent opportunity for WEN members who are interested in engaging with the media more regularly, as it will help build relationships, provide an opportunity to engage on major issues and provide you with practical insights into what media are looking for through their engagements.

We especially encourage participation by WEN members who are from non-English speaking and culturally diverse backgrounds, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander backgrounds, from rural and regional areas, or who identify with any other under-represented cohorts. We also aim to lift the visibility of female economists all across the age spectrum and ensure varying degrees of experience are represented. In sum, we want to show the amazing diversity of the WEN community and the breadth of talent and insights that female economists bring. 

Applicants must be a current WEN member. As a signal of your availability and keenness to participate in the media, we also expect that interested applicants to have listed their profile on the WEN Register of Economists (and encourage you to do so if you have not already). 

We understand that some WEN members might feel hesitant about putting yourself forward for this opportunity and wondering if you are “expert” enough. We want to reassure you that you all bring valuable views and perspectives at all stages of your career. The most important factor here is your keenness and readiness to share your voice and engage in the media. If you have a genuine interest in contributing to the media, then this workshop is designed for you.

Can I nominate others to participate in the workshop?

Yes, if you know of a talented female economist who you think would be a great contributor to Australia’s economic voices in the media, please encourage them to apply.

When and how will the workshop be held? 

The workshop will be held online on Thursday 7 April 2022 from 10.30am to 12.30pm. Due to limited places, we ask that applicants make a firm commitment to be able to attend for the full duration of the workshop on this date and time.

How to apply?

The WEN National Committee is calling for expressions of interest from WEN members to participate in the workshop. Due to the interactive nature of the workshop, places are limited.

Priority will be given to applicants who can firmly commit to attending on the scheduled date and time, are in a current role that allows them to publicly participate in the media, and are committed to actively continuing to build their engagement with ABC Journalists as an outcome of this workshop. WEN will continue to support you in this process.

If you have a general interest in learning more about media opportunities, but are unable to make this commitment at this time, we invite you to let us know about your general interest and whether you would be interested in other media opportunities in the future.

Please register your interest by Wednesday 23 March 2022.  

Application Process Closed

All information provided in this application process will be securely stored by WEN and not used for any other purposes.

All applicants will be informed of the outcome in the week of 28 March2022.

Please reach out to WEN Deputy Chair Dr Angela Jackson at angela.jackson@impacteconomics.com.au if you have any questions at all.

This is a great opportunity to raise more female voices in the media and highlight the expertise of our membership. We look forward to seeing and hearing more of your faces, voices, insights and opinions in our news and current affairs coverage in the coming months!

Our thanks to the ABC Team for partnering with WEN on this important initiative to foster greater diversity, representation and inclusion in Australia’s media.