We talk and meet regularly with professionals to gather their opinions and thoughts on how and what we teach. Many of these people are guest speakers on our courses.
Our guest speakers have included:
- Andy Clarke, art director and web designer
- Andy Budd, design and technology blogger
- Brendan Dawes, artist and designer
- David Higgerson, the Digital Publishing Director at Trinity Mirror
- Vincent Ryan, of Google News Labs
- Rob Irvine, editor in chief MEN Media and Trinity Mirror
- Amanda Coleman, head of corporate communications for Greater Manchester Police (she oversaw the Manchester Arena bombings)
- Jane Lavender, Mirror Online
- Rachel Spencer, former News of the World and Daily Sport journalist, now freelance
- Kevin Bourke, former theatre and film editor at the Manchester Evening News
- Paul Gallagher, digital innovations editor at the Manchester Evening News
- Prof Chris Frost, former journalist who holds posts with both the AJE and NUJ and has authored books on Media Ethics
- Yakub Quereshi, Manchester Evening News news editor
- Niall Duffy, director of external affairs at IPSO (Independent Press Standards Organisation)
- Helen Pidd from The Guardian
- Nigel Skinner, editor of the Tameside Reporter
- Peter Fraser, editor of the LadBible
- Sean Sutton, International Communications Manager (renowned photographer who covers traumatic events)
- Dean Wilkins, reporter for The Sun, who was nominated for the Best Young Journalist award at the British Press Awards in 2016
- Journalist Jackie Newton on the ethics of trauma reporting. She has co-authored a just-published book: Reporting Bad News.
- Joel Goodman, professional press photographer
- Maeve McClenaghan, producer for The Tip Off podcast with the Bureau of Investigative Journalism
Manchester offers the opportunity to network and attend events throughout the year. There are events like GeekUP, Ladies that UX and Northern Digitals BLAB. We also host our own events that make sure students and professionals get to meet and mix in a friendly, informal environment.
We fully support Manchester Digital's Talent Day and the Big Chip Awards. These are industry-led events, the first being a chance for students to meet and talk to representatives from many of the digital agencies in the North West and further. The Big Chip Awards ceremony is a celebration of digital in the north. Our students have been nominated and won the 'student' award.
