Education Media Centre – Enhancing the use of evidence in the media

The Coalition for Evidence-based Education (CEBE) is developing an Education Media Centre - a new initiative that aims to make education research more accessible to the media and policy makers and so improve policy development, practice and public understanding of education. It will provide users with authoritative, independent and accessible insights from education research in response to current research and policy developments.

Education Media Centre website - www.educationmediacentre.org

 

  *Latest Updates*

Education Media Centre celebrates its first birthday

The EMC has celebrated its first birthday by publishing a review of its activities to date.

 

Education Media Centre starts work

 
The Education Media Centre (EMC) is now up and running.
 
The EMC is an independent charity set up to improve the public and media understanding of education research and evidence.
 
It will do this by making it easy for the media to find useful academic and research expertise on the
education stories they are covering in newspapers, on radio, TV and the internet. The ultimate goal is to raise awareness and knowledge of this research among the public as they turn to the media for up-to-date information about education issues.
 
To find out more about the EMC, please visit their website, www.educationmediacentre.org.
You can also find out more here about the role of the Coalition for Evidence-based Education in the
development of the service.
 

EMC to go ahead!

 A surge in interest from sponsors means the Education Media Centre, which will help journalists reach and use quality research evidence in their education coverage, will be launched later this year. With £250,000 pledged so far, a large proportion of the funding needed to start up and run the centre has been secured.  The Wellcome Trust is the latest high profile organisation to sponsor the EMC, and joins other many important and diverse organisations and individuals supporting this venture.

With office premises secured and administrative support taking shape, the plan is to start building up activity gradually with a view to becoming fully operational during September. However, there have been enquiries on an ad  hoc basis already, because the word is out. One of these gave feedback:

 

“I have already used the Education Media Centre for Radio 4’s The World at One. I needed impartial and reliable information on the outcomes for children in academies and those in schools under LEA control. The EMC were able to point me in the direction of the best and most up to date research, and suggest interviewees for the series. This was invaluable when trying to report impartially on such polarising subjects. For Newsround on CBBC I needed the latest research on mainstreaming pupils with special needs. Within an hour I had a response from the EMC with background information and the names of three leading experts in this field. They really understood the need to work to the tight deadlines involved in broadcast journalism, and had access to all the relevant people.”

 

EMC Briefing Event

In December 2011 we held a briefing event in parliament on the proposals for the EMC.

There was widespread and enthusiastic support for the EMC at this event, from many different individuals and organisations – all with a commitment to improving the understanding of education.

 In case you missed it here is a video of the evening's presentations:

 

 

Education Media Centre - briefing event from Jonathan Sharples on Vimeo.

Individual speeches can be viewed at the following times:

Estelle Morris (EMC Patron) - 0m ; Sue Littlemore (Journalist) - 7m45s;  Fiona Fox (Director, Science Media Centre) - 14m30s; Jonathan Sharples (Institute for Effective Education) - 24m42s; Chris Jones (CEO, City & Guilds) - 32m10s

Here are some endorsements by patrons of the EMC - Mike Baker (BBC), Lord Willis, Nick Pearce (IPPR) and John Dunford (Whole Education):

 

Endorsements by patrons of the EMC from Jonathan Sharples on Vimeo.

 

New EMC Business Plan

The development team has produced a full business plan that sets out many of the practical issues for the EMC - with details on initial services, governance, funding models, timeline etc.

We are pleased to say we have raised the majority of the funds needed to launch the centre in 2013, with generous support from a broad range of funders, including:

Esmee Fairbairn Foundation, Wellcome Trust, Learning and Skills Improvement Service, ESRC, Edge Foundation, Communications Management, Cambridge Assessment, Osiris Ltd, City and Guilds, National Science Learning Centre, Association of School and College Leaders, National Union of Teachers, million+, Centre for Effective Education, Durham University, Edge Hill University, Bedfordshire University

Nevertheless, we still need further support to secure a long-term future. Please get in touch  with any ideas for individuals and organisations who would be interested in the aims of the EMC and might consider becoming a founding sponsor. There is a team of us who are more than happy to meet with interested parties face-to-face and discuss the EMC plans.

 

 

 

Liaising with the press
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