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Media diversity; Bullying; Female spies

The need for a greater diversity of women in the media, how bullying can affect academic success, and the role of women in spying with an archive interview from Stella Rimington.

Samantha Asumadu on why she wants to change what she calls the "ubiquity of whiteness" she sees in the medias and promote more women of different ethnic backgrounds - with different skin colours, body types, views, experiences, and opinions. She's joined by writer Sunny Singh to discuss.

We talk about how bullying can affect academic success with Liam Hackett from charity, Ditch the Label and Lesley Rose. Our archive interview this week is Stella Rimington, the first female DG of MI5. Professor Christopher Andrew, the Official Historian to MI5 tells us about the role of women in spying.

Dr Sos Eltis, Fellow of English at Oxford University and expert in Victorian literature on Arthur Wing Pinero's play The Notorious Mrs Ebbsmith. And the curator at Leeds Castle, Tori Reeve, tells us about her job.

Presented by Jenni Murray
Studio Producer: Nicola Swords.

Available now

58 minutes

Chapters

  • Bullying Survey

    Lesley Rose on her experience of being bullied, & Ditch The Label founder Liam Hackett

    Duration: 08:18

  • Female Spies

    Dame Stella Rimington in 1999, & Professor Christopher Andrew, Official Historian to MI5

    Duration: 13:13

  • Women And Ethnic Diversity In The Media

    Samantha Asumadu, Founder and Editor of Media Diversity, and writer Sunny Singh

    Duration: 07:43

  • Arthur Wing Pinero

    Dr Sos Eltis, Fellow of English at Oxford University and expert in Victorian literature

    Duration: 08:03

  • Leeds Castle Curator

    Louise Adamson meets up with the curator of Leeds Castle, Tori Reeve

    Duration: 04:15

Bullying Survey

Students who are bullied are less likely to achieve higher grades than those who have never been bullied, according to anti-bullying charity Ditch The Label in a report released this morning. The charity surveyed 3600 young people aged 13 to 18 years old in schools and colleges across the UK. Jenni talks to Lesley Rose about her experience of being bullied at school, and to founder and CEO of Ditch The Label, Liam Hackett.

Female Spies

Dame Stella Rimington became the first female Director General of MI5 and held the position between1992 to 1996. In an interview with Martha Kearney in 1999, Dame Stella reveals how she was recruited into MI5 and how she became a spy. As recent reports that a recruitment campaign to the intelligence services is underway, Professor Christopher Andrew, the Official Historian to MI5, joins Jenni to discuss if women were long thought of as good spies and how the recruitment process to the intelligence service has changed since its early inception.

Women And Ethnic Diversity In The Media

Samantha Asumadu wants to change the β€œubiquity of whiteness” she sees in the media and promote more women of different ethnic backgrounds – with different skin colours, body types, views, experiences, and opinions. She’s set up a group called Media Diversity to promote writers, journalists and experts, and this week they have also published a new book on the subject, called Complicit No More. So has the media brought the world a very narrow, very white, idea of what it is to be female? Jenni is joined by Samantha - Founder and Editor of , and by writer Sunny Singh - who has written about the very narrow and white representation of beauty she sees in the media – to explain the extent of the problem and the changes they would like to see.

Arthur Wing Pinero

Arthur Wing Pinero’s play, The Notorious Mrs Ebbsmith, is being revived on stage in London for the first time since its original run in 1895. It follows the life of Agnes Ebbsmith - a politically radical woman who wishes to live with her partner Lucas without marrying him. The play examines contemporary debates in Victorian society surrounding the institution of marriage and women’s rights as being both separate from, and equal to, those of their husbands. It also looks at the idea of the β€˜New Woman’ – a contemporary term used to describe the emerging class of educated, politically active women who wished to be judged on more than just their sexual history. Jenni is joined by Dr Sos Eltis, Fellow of English at Oxford University and expert in Victorian literature.

Leeds Castle Curator

Today we're meeting the curator of Leeds Castle, Tori Reeve.Β And if you think you've got a lot of bits and pieces stashed away in a loft or that cupboard under the stairs, just imagine what you might find in a castle with a history going back 900 years.Β Tori's job is to look after all the thousands of objects at Leeds Castle – researching them, making sure they're kept in good condition, and putting them on display. Louise Adamson met up with her to find out more about this massive task.

Credits

Role Contributor
Presenter Jenni Murray
Interviewed Guest Liam Hackett
Interviewed Guest Lesley Rose
Interviewed Guest Stella Rimington
Interviewed Guest Christopher Andrew
Interviewed Guest Samantha Asumadu
Interviewed Guest Sunny Singh
Interviewed Guest Sos Eltis
Interviewed Guest Tori Reeve
Producer Nicola Swords

Broadcast

  • Wed 16 Apr 2014 10:00

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