The Expert Women scheme
Overview
Morfarch Media offers training in all aspects of audio/radio production, including story telling, writing for radio, interviewing and presentation skills, feature and documentary making, and live studio production. Founder Fran Acheson has won three National Radio Awards (now ARIAS) for her live studio production and feature making work.
​
We also specialise in devising and running diversity initiatives including the acclaimed Expert Women scheme, designed to increase the number of media-trained female subject specialists.
Get in touch If you'd like to explore what we have on offer.
​
The Expert Women scheme is aimed at providing female subject specialists with an awareness and experience of what it’s like to appear on radio and television. By taking part in mock television interviews and radio panel discussions, the participants have a chance to understand and demonstrate how to engage successfully with the media. The scheme is run by Fran, who ran the Expert Women days at the BBC Academy, directing days in London, Glasgow and at City University, and Jim Davis, presenter at BBC Radio London. Jonathan Allen of Batfish Media looks after the technical side, providing cameras and audio equipment.
Why is the scheme needed?
The Expert Women project was launched by Professor Lis Howell of City University in 2014. She began to monitor the proportion of male to female experts appearing on flagship news programmes, and found that the number of men far exceeded the number of women. Some of this could be put down to the greater number of men in certain professions, but a striking factor in Lis’s research was the reluctance of women to put themselves forward for appearing on the media; a reluctance exacerbated by a lack of media experience. The latest figures from the research (2024) show that the proportion of male to female experts appearing on those flagship programmes hovers around 4:1, showing that there is still a need for specific media training for female experts.
What does the scheme involve?
We warmly welcome enquiries from any organisation or institution that wishes to give their expert women a safe experience of engaging with local or national audio or television outlets, including universities and colleges, industry bodies, charities, companies or trade unions. We run the scheme over one day, when participants get the chance to understand the requirements of appearing on the media; take part in tv interviews and radio discussion programmes; network with each other. Each participant has a tv interview and takes part in a radio discussion as part of a panel, with feedback provided at each stage. There is also advice about how to approach the media and what to expect if one is invited to appear on radio or television.
