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Media insights: Help your students 👨‍🎓

Hello everyone,

Today’s episode of Ask the Expert takes a deep dive into the future of broadcasting. What does it take to succeed in the media industry today? And for students dreaming of a career in media, how will the landscape evolve?

Our guest, talent agent Diane Banks from Northbank Talent Management, shares invaluable insights and expert advice—perfect for sparking discussions in your classroom.

Diane covers a wealth of ground in this conversation, making this an essential listen—especially if your students are creating a podcast or exploring media careers. I was particularly struck by her perspective on emerging trends and opportunities in broadcasting today. This is an episode you and your students won’t want to miss!

These covered five key areas;

  • The end of ‘legacy’ or ‘gatekeeper’ media such as traditional media brands: with your students as both audience and creator, the sky’s the limit.
  • The talent as the brand (rather than a publisher or TV station). If you have your own channel or audience, you can decide if you always want to be the talent – or if the new media broadcasters take a more editorial role and further the potential of collaborating with talent who end up being ‘the star’.
  • With traditional or ‘linear’ media commissioning budgets sinking, there’s an increasing trend in partnerships or integrations between brands and content creators, converging the advertising and media industries. This rethought industry offers potential career paths for your students.
  • Audience ‘ownership’ is powerful but potentially fragile in a world where TikTok can be shut down (as recently happened briefly in the US) – Diane sees a future where the creator is much more in control of their audience, as happens on SubStack.
  • A growing trend in ‘engaged audiences’ where expert or niche influencer specialists can knowledgably discuss topics and so have far more trusting followers – a big change from the early days of somewhat simple product placement in social media.

Don’t miss this chance to explore how the media industry is evolving and what it means for your students’ future careers. Listen to the new Ask the Expert – and bring these exciting insights into your classroom…

Enter Shine 2025!

If you’re keen to enter Shine this year, have questions or need more support, we’re here to answer your questions at shine@stationers.org

Register with the Shine School Media Awards and we can provide guidance and encouragement from now til our entry deadline in May.

Best wishes,

Richard Chapman
Chair, Shine School Media Awards