Mabel Banfield-Nwachi
City University
From a young age, I’ve always been an avid consumer of the media; from podcasts and the radio to blogs and articles. But growing up, I rarely saw people - and especially women - who looked like me hosting radio shows or as editors of publications. It’s hardly surprising, then, that I didn’t dream of reporting the news until I was an undergrad at The University of Manchester.
At university, I soon got stuck into societies focused on social justice, like the Feminist Collective, as Anti-racism Representative and Deputy Chair. Here, I was free to ask questions and began writing an informal blog relating to the weekly discussions. This marked the beginning of my journalistic ambitions, as I was keen to continue writing more seriously about inequalities and giving voice to those underrepresented in the media. I began writing for Manchester’s brilliant student newspaper The Mancunion, and later became Deputy Investigations Editor where I worked with a team to uncover stories about student injustices.
Black women are one of the least represented voices in the media and not because we have nothing to say. The Scott Trust Bursary empowers me to advocate for those causes that I care deeply about and continue to fight injustices faced by some communities. Coming from a working-class background, without it, I likely would have struggled to get a foot in the door. So, I can continue to push the boundaries of what I imagined I could do with my life, and I will use this amazing opportunity to open the door for other young girls who, like younger me, might not have realised that journalism is a viable career path. I’m particularly looking forward to writing more about women's rights and gender equality issues from an intersectional standpoint and to experiment with various reporting mediums.
At university, I soon got stuck into societies focused on social justice, like the Feminist Collective, as Anti-racism Representative and Deputy Chair. Here, I was free to ask questions and began writing an informal blog relating to the weekly discussions. This marked the beginning of my journalistic ambitions, as I was keen to continue writing more seriously about inequalities and giving voice to those underrepresented in the media. I began writing for Manchester’s brilliant student newspaper The Mancunion, and later became Deputy Investigations Editor where I worked with a team to uncover stories about student injustices.
Black women are one of the least represented voices in the media and not because we have nothing to say. The Scott Trust Bursary empowers me to advocate for those causes that I care deeply about and continue to fight injustices faced by some communities. Coming from a working-class background, without it, I likely would have struggled to get a foot in the door. So, I can continue to push the boundaries of what I imagined I could do with my life, and I will use this amazing opportunity to open the door for other young girls who, like younger me, might not have realised that journalism is a viable career path. I’m particularly looking forward to writing more about women's rights and gender equality issues from an intersectional standpoint and to experiment with various reporting mediums.
