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Top Expert Weighs in on What to Expect from Historic Debate featured image

Top Expert Weighs in on What to Expect from Historic Debate

Dean of the Lawrence Herbert School of Communication Mark Lukasiewicz was interviewed by The Washington Post and Newsday about the historic debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump broadcast by CNN. “The pressure is on CNN to make this a good debate for the voters and for their viewers,” Dean Lukasiewicz told the Post. Because the debate will be held in the CNN studios without an audience, he told Newsday that it would not be the usual “public spectacle” of earlier encounters. “I think it’s going to be a very different atmosphere. And I think the result on television is also going to be very different,” Dean Lukasiewicz said. Mark Lukasiewicz is a veteran producer, journalist, and media executive who has spent his professional career telling important stories to worldwide audiences and helping media organizations deal with transformational change. He is available to speak with media regarding this important debate. Simply click on his icon now to arrange an interview today.

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1 min. read
One week to go - Let's look at the role debates play in US Elections featured image

One week to go - Let's look at the role debates play in US Elections

US Presidential debates are a cornerstone of American democratic tradition, playing a critical role in shaping public perception and voter decision-making during election cycles. This topic is not only newsworthy because of its historical significance but also due to its influence on political discourse, media coverage, and the democratic process. The evolution of these debates reflects broader societal changes, technological advancements, and shifts in political strategy. Furthermore, presidential debates provide a platform for candidates to present their policies and personalities, thereby directly impacting election outcomes. Key story angles include: Historical Evolution of Presidential Debates: Exploring the origins, key moments, and changes in format and style of presidential debates from the Kennedy-Nixon debate in 1960 to the present day. Impact on Voter Perception and Behavior: Analyzing how debates influence public opinion, voter turnout, and the overall electoral process. Media's Role in Shaping Debates: Investigating the role of media in organizing, broadcasting, and moderating debates, including the influence of television, social media, and real-time fact-checking. Debate Strategies and Candidate Performance: Examining how candidates prepare for debates, notable performances, gaffes, and their impact on campaign momentum. Civic Engagement and Public Discourse: Discussing the role of debates in promoting civic engagement, political education, and public discourse on key issues facing the nation. Technological Advancements and Future Trends: Exploring how technology has transformed debates, from live streaming and interactive features to virtual debates and the use of AI in analysis. These angles offer journalists a comprehensive framework to explore the historical significance and ongoing impact of US Presidential debates on American politics and society. Connect with an Expert about the history of Presidential Debates: Jingsi Christina Wu Associate Professor of Journalism, Media Studies, and Public Relations · Hofstra University John Koch Senior Lecturer and Director of Debate · Vanderbilt University Kevin Wagner, Ph.D. Professor and Department Chair · Florida Atlantic University Juliana Fernandes Assistant Professor · University of Florida Sandra Pavelka, Ph.D. Expert in political science and justice · Florida Gulf Coast University To search our full list of experts visit www.expertfile.com Photo credit: Library of Congress

2 min. read
Changes in college football continue to be driven by dollars (and sense?) featured image

Changes in college football continue to be driven by dollars (and sense?)

The landscape of college sports, and particularly that of college football, has changed significantly in recent years. First, we have seen an almost constant realignment of collegiate athletic conferences, resulting in a few major mega-conferences, such as the SEC and ACC, Big  Ten and Big 12, and the disintegration of a former major conference, the Pac 12. Most of the other changes related to the athletes, such as the ease with which student-athletes could transfer from one school to another and the ability for them to be paid for their name, image and likeness. All of these issues were potentially pointing to new business models in college sports, but within the last week, that landscape was shaken even further. Last week, the NCAA and its five major conferences settled multiple lawsuits to pay past and present student-athletes a total of $2.8 billion. The settlement also laid the foundation for the payments of college athletes starting in fall 2025. “The major unresolved questions are who will get paid and how much,” said Rick Franza, PhD, professor in the Hull College of Business at Augusta University. “If we ‘follow the money,’ we see that football and basketball (particularly men’s basketball) generate almost all of the revenues, and most of the revenues comes from major conferences. Therefore, most of the player payments are going to go to football and basketball, and given the size of the relative rosters, football teams will be much more costly.” Franza added that the settlement will further exasperate the revenue and cost differences between major conferences and their smaller conferences as well as between football and the so-called Olympic sports which generate little, if any revenue. It was always clear that from both a revenue and cost perspective, college football is very different from other sports. Revenues are much higher for the major conferences in football, and there is not the same extent of revenue sharing as there is in basketball due to the NCAA Tournament. On the cost side, with the new realignment of the mega conferences and expanded geographic footprints, there is a significant increase in travel costs for the Olympic sports. “While those expanded conferences were mainly driven by football revenues, they are also making all other sports more costly. Therefore, the time has come to separate football from other sports,” said Franza. One solution was first proposed by Chip Kelly, former Oregon and UCLA head football coach and now Ohio State offensive coordinator. He proposed a 64-school football conference in which the members would share all revenues, including television, which would more easily cover the NIL, and player pay costs. In recent months, similar proposals have been made for a college football “Super League,” which would include up to 80 schools. “This makes too much sense not to happen,” Franza said. “It allows the bigger football schools to share the plentiful available revenues while being able to pay the players what they will demand. At the same time, the other college sports would be able to revert to their traditional, geographical conferences and reduce travel costs driven up by the realigned mega- conferences.” He added that two conferences, the SEC and Big Ten, the most successful under the current alignment, could delay the implementation. Franza also predicts that an agreement taking the first steps toward such a structure will be reached sometime in 2024. “While it makes a lot of sense to go in this direction prior to the player settlement, it makes even more dollars and ‘sense’ now given the settlement,” said Franza. “While  the SEC and BigTen currently make more money than any other conference, I think they will see the light for what is best for the future of college football.” Covering the business of sports and looking to know more? Then let us help. Richard Franza, PhD, is available to speak with media about trending issues like inflation, small business and the economy – simply click on his icon now to arrange an interview today.

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3 min. read
Who’s winning the streaming wars?| Media Advisory featured image

Who’s winning the streaming wars?| Media Advisory

Netflix has it's Q1 results out today and all eyes are on the streaming industry. The battle for dominance in the streaming industry continues to intensify, shaping the way audiences consume entertainment and influencing the future of media consumption. As major players vie for subscribers and content rights, the outcome of the streaming wars has significant implications for consumers, content creators, and the broader entertainment landscape. Here are key story angles for journalists to explore: Market analysis of streaming platforms: Examining the strategies and market performance of leading streaming services in terms of subscriber growth, revenue, and content offerings. Impact on traditional media and broadcasting: Investigating how the rise of streaming platforms is reshaping traditional television and movie distribution models, as well as advertising trends. Content wars and original programming: Delving into the competition among streaming services to produce exclusive and original content, including trends in genres, diversity, and production budgets. User experience and interface innovation: Exploring advancements in streaming technology, user interface design, and personalization features aimed at enhancing the viewer experience. Global expansion and regional competition: Analyzing the expansion efforts of streaming giants into international markets and the challenges they face in competing with local and regional players. Regulatory and antitrust implications: Considering the regulatory scrutiny and antitrust concerns surrounding the dominance of certain streaming platforms and their impact on competition and consumer choice. Connect with an Expert about Streaming: For journalists with questions or looking to cover the streaming wars? here is a select list of experts. To search our full list of experts visit www.expertfile.com Rahul Telang Trustees Professor and Program Chair · Carnegie Mellon University Donghee Yvette Wohn Associate Professor · New Jersey Institute of Technology Michael D. Smith Professor · Carnegie Mellon University Karen Shackleford, Ph.D. Doctoral Faculty - Media Psychology · Fielding Graduate University Stephen J. Andriole, PhD Thomas G. Labrecque Professor of Business Technology | Villanova School of Business · Villanova University Photo Credit: Venti Views

2 min. read
In Poland, the Debate Over Solidarity's Legacy Continues featured image

In Poland, the Debate Over Solidarity's Legacy Continues

On November 13, 2023, Poland’s parliament convened for the first time since a centrist-progressive coalition won a legislative majority, ending the eight-year rule of the right-wing Law and Justice party. The recent political shift has been heralded by some as the most significant since 1989, when the then-Soviet-controlled government allowed the country’s first elections in over four decades. That year, an anti-authoritarian movement called “Solidarity” seized all but one seat in the Senate and every contested seat in the Sejm (or lower chamber). A stunning rebuke for the Soviet regime, the landslide victory effectively signaled the end of Communism in Poland—and served as a harbinger of the Eastern Bloc’s collapse. Gerald Beyer, PhD, is a professor of Christian ethics in Villanova University’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the instructor of the class “Solidarity and Peacebuilding in Central and Eastern Europe” and the author of Recovering Solidarity: Lessons from Poland’s Unfinished Revolution. He recently shared his thoughts concerning the parallels being drawn between 1989 and 2023, the complicated legacy of Poland’s anti-Communist struggle and what can be gleaned from studying and reconsidering the Solidarity movement. Q: As a new Polish government takes shape, how would you describe the current political situation in the country? Dr. Beyer: At the present moment, Poland finds itself at a major crossroads. Like the United States, the country is very divided, politically speaking. On the one hand, you have people who believe that Poland has turned away from the European Union (EU) to a troubling extent and backslid into authoritarianism under the Law and Justice party’s rule. So, you have a significant portion of Polish society who believe that this recent election [in October] was about protecting democracy and ensuring the future of democracy in the country. On the other hand, you have an equally significant portion of the population who think democracy has not been in peril—and that, in this year’s election, what’s at stake was a sense of Polish national values and national sovereignty. Q: Is there any credence to the new legislative majority’s claims that the Law and Justice party “overstepped” while in governance? DB: I think there’s reason to ask that question. The EU has sanctioned Poland during the present ruling party’s tenure for weakening the autonomy of the judicial system, and there has been concern over the ruling party exerting undue influence on state-based Television Poland (TVP). Poland, however, has a very vibrant free press—and has since 1989… I would contend that there’s been some backsliding on measures that would not score well on the democracy metrics, but I would not say that Poland has been existing under an authoritarian regime. Q: Do you consider this year’s election comparable to the election of 1989? DB: It’s certainly one of monumental significance. You may have noted the turnout of 74-plus percent. That’s historic for Poland, that massive turnout. At the same time, the overthrow of the Communist system in ’89 stands out as a unique and discrete moment in Polish history. So, there are ways that a comparison can be made, but there are ways in which I don’t believe it’s particularly apt. Q: What makes tying the events of 1989 and 2023 a complicated issue? DB: Whether or not 2023 is directly comparable to 1989 is a matter of perspective, and there are a number of different perspectives that exist in Poland today. Since the fall of Communism, there has been an ongoing conflict over Solidarity, its history and its legacy, and various political actors and parties have claimed their objectives are in concert with the values and principles of the movement. In this year’s election, the Law and Justice party’s candidates presented themselves as guarantors of freedom, which was at the heart of the Solidarity movement, by stressing their opposition to external forces like the EU. In addition, during their time in leadership, the party’s officials worked to institute a number of social welfare programs that were designed to help people economically, providing something akin to what Catholic social teaching calls a “family living wage.” So, they were actively trying to raise the standard of living in a way that was arguably analogous to Solidarity. On the other side of this equation, the election-winning opposition parties emphasized their status as defenders of democracy—once again, a core tenet of Solidarity. As we discussed, many members of that alliance and their supporters felt that the independent judiciary had been stifled by the Law and Justice-run government; they also voiced concerns about the free press. On both sides, there has existed and continues to exist a sense that they are the ones best suited, maybe even solely suited in the current political landscape, to carry on Solidarity’s legacy and to ensure Poland thrives. Herein lies the source of conflict. Q: Despite the ongoing debate over Solidarity’s legacy, are there any lessons from the movement’s history that might prove helpful today? DB: Sadly, much of Poland’s current political acrimony can be traced to the “war at the top” that emerged within Solidarity in the wake of 1989, when longstanding tensions within the movement manifested in political rivalries. Once united, anti-Communist organizers became adversaries in the years after the Soviet regime’s dissolution, laying the groundwork for the divisive rhetoric of the current day. Looking beyond what’s transpired over the past three decades, however, I think much can be learned from Solidarity in its early years and at its core. When the movement first took shape, its central aim was attaining a society characterized by unity among differences. And, to achieve this end, its leaders and supporters recognized the “necessity of dialogue,” a concept frequently invoked in Father Józef Tischner’s The Spirit of Solidarity. Given the stark divides that currently define Polish politics, I think these origins and these concepts should be revisited—and that it’s important to look at Solidarity not just as a political moniker, but as an objective and a virtue. Personally, I believe that people can change. And if they are reacquainted with the principles that inspired and guided their struggle for freedom and democracy, perhaps Poland’s elected officials can change for the better.

5 min. read
'Shake it Off' - Do Grammy-Winning Pop Artists Take More Creative Risks Than Their Runners-Up?  featured image

'Shake it Off' - Do Grammy-Winning Pop Artists Take More Creative Risks Than Their Runners-Up?

Taylor Swift has had a career marked by an evolution in sound and style. Swift emerged into the industry a country star and was later rebranded a pop icon. She’s gone on to explore alternative rock and indie folk sounds. Research by Giacomo Negro, professor of Organization & Management and professor of Sociology (by courtesy), suggests Grammy award wins may be credited as the catalyst for these changes. Swift, who holds 11 Grammy awards, won her first in 2010, taking home Album of the Year for country album “Fearless,” then again for her first exclusively pop album “1989” and again in 2021 for her indie folk album “Folklore.” Each time she earned another Grammy, she tried something new. Swift is not the only one. After winning Album of the Year in 1988 for classic arena rock album “The Joshua Tree,” U2 released “Achtung Baby,” an album that dabbled with kraut rock and electronic music. Similarly, Fleetwood Mac’s “Rumours” won them Album of the Year in 1978, after which, they released their double album “Tusk,” an experimental record that incorporated punk-rock. Does Missing out on a Grammy Win Make Artists Timid? Negro’s research shows Grammy award winners tend to release albums that are more distinct from the work of other artists, whereas Grammy nominees who do not win create music that is more similar to other artists than they had prior to their nomination. Negro co-authored the research with Balázs Kovács from Yale University and Glenn Carroll from Stanford University–a culmination of more than five years of work. Negro says he has always been interested in cultural production, and he set out to study the patterns of differentiation in the music market. He chose the Grammys because these symbolic awards provide a situation similar to a natural experiment that is hard to find in real life or without a controlled environment. The Grammys are also unique because they share the names of both the award winners and the nominees, presenting a comparison among candidates of similar quality. To explore this question, Negro obtained data from four main sources: Grammy Awards Academy, online music database AllMusic, Spotify, and Billboard. From the academy information, he collected data for the Grammy nominated artists and winners from 1959 to 2018 in four “general” categories: Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Song of the Year,and Best New Artist. From AllMusic, they collected data based on the Grammy information that included artist name, recording name, year of release, record labels the artists released the music with, the production team they worked with, and the stylistic tags attached to each recording. Spotify holds a repository of popular songs; from here, they sourced data on the songs’ sonic features, which are the objective parameters of the music that qualify how the music sounds and is measured by algorithms, including tempo, genre, and key. Looking at the Billboard charts for the 2000s, they found the most albums that sold the most copies. “We combined all of this information coming from different sources, which was a challenge and an endeavor by itself, to attach information related to styles, sonic features, performance on the chart, and performance with the awards,” Negro says. They compared albums of Grammy winners with the albums of the nominees, then compared these with albums from a group of artists in the general market matched on a series of characteristics (such as genre and length of recording career). The researchers found that after artists win a Grammy, they become more experimental with their work, whereas the runners-up make music that is stylistically more conventional. This latter result was unexpected. Negro argues that there is value to be seen in the Grammys–even though it may be criticized for being too commercial or questioned for its relevance–because it has an impact on the music market and the careers of artists who are nominated and awarded. “These prizes celebrate creativity and innovation but may have unintended consequences in terms of their artists’ behavior,” he adds. “If more people become more conventional because of not receiving an award, one implication for cultural production is that awards have mixed impact. They benefit winners because they afford them more autonomy and, perhaps, confidence to explore new ideas, but they don’t necessarily benefit innovation in the field overall because more artists are just becoming more conventional.” He offers that, conversely, there may be a positive impact for artists who were not nominated at all. These artists may try to imitate the winners and try different things in the future. From this, it is clear that there is a benefit to mention who wins an award, but he says it is inconclusive whether there is a benefit to sharing the names of shortlisted candidates. What are the Greater Cultural Implications? “It’s interesting to observe how cultural production is sensitive to symbolic awards,” Negro says. “We tend to think that artists mainly follow their muse or their inspiration, but they respond to the stimuli around them.” Negro speculates that the results found in this study might apply to other industries in which producers or artists can combine different elements of styles to create their products, such as book publishing, visual arts, film, or television. He adds, these results may apply more generally to other markets and professional settings, in which employers create programs of rewards for employees. A bestowal of such awards may empower winners to continue with their behaviors, while discouraging those who were not recognized for their efforts, leading them to return to more typical behaviors. Negro is interested in following up this research by looking at the general impact of all Grammy Awards–not just the general ones–to see if specialized awards have a similar impact. He is also curious to investigate the patterns of collaboration between artists, and if stylistic changes are related to changes in the people artists work with. When Business Meets Research, What Can Students Take Away? Negro says this research also yielded findings that his team did not expect, as in the difference between winners and non-winning nominees. Where they thought they may see similarities, they, instead, saw differences, reiterating the importance of questioning how industries operate. To inquisitive students he advises, “Keep your eyes open and be curious about understanding why or how things work the way they do. Then, be persistent because it can take a long time to bring your idea to fruition.” Interested in knowing more or connecting with Giacomo Negro - simply click on his icon now to arrange an interview or time today.

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5 min. read
Expert Insight: When it comes to Taylor Swift's impact on the NFL - media are contacting Emory's experts to know more featured image

Expert Insight: When it comes to Taylor Swift's impact on the NFL - media are contacting Emory's experts to know more

It's as if it has been the biggest love story since Grace Kelley married Prince Rainer or when Harry met Meghan for that matter. But as much as fans, media and even the play-by-play callers are giving an enormous amount of attention to Taylor Swift every time she shows up and cheers on her new beau Travis Kelce, experts wonder...will it have a lasting impact on attracting new fans to the NFL? Recently, Bloomberg News explored if an entertainment powerhouse like Taylor Swift can move the yard-stick of a generation that is seeing a shrinking fanbase and serious decline in viewership.   For expert insight, Bloomberg contacted Goizueta Business School's Mike Lewis to offer his opinion and perspective on the situation. Historically, leagues didn’t worry much about the transmission of passion for a sport and team. Homes typically had one screen — the family television — and if a parent was watching the Chiefs game, so were the kids. Fandom at home drove fandom outside of it. Kids wore NFL merchandise to school and bonded with their classmates. Youth sports participation, partly inspired by what was on TV, amplified the community solidarity and enthusiasm for all levels of a given sport. Those traditional forms of fan development are breaking down. "We've evolved to this situation where kids are getting their content via the smartphone and everyone going off to their corner," explains Michael Lewis, director of the marketing analytics center at Emory University. The consequences are striking. In 2021, Lewis published data on sports fandom among different generations. Millennials overwhelmingly identified themselves as the most avid fans (42%), followed by Gen X and Baby Boomers. Gen Z was a striking outlier. Though 23% identified themselves as passionate spectators, 27% identified themselves as "anti-sports." No other generation came close to that level of sports antipathy. However, Gen Z isn’t uninterested in competition. Rather, its media consumption habits are pushing it to different outlets. Survey data that Lewis published in August reveals that esports (competitive video gaming) is now more popular than traditional sports. Professional sports is a multi-billion dollar business and appealing to multi-generational audiences is no easy task. If you're covering or interested in learning more - we can help. Mike Lewis’s work focuses on the intersection of sports analytics and sports marketing. He studies issues ranging from player performance analytics to brand equity in sports. This approach makes Professor Lewis a unique expert on fandom as his work addresses the complete process from success on the field to success at the box office. Michael is available to speak with media - simply click on his icon now to arrange an interview today.

Michael Lewis profile photo
2 min. read
Murdoch's shocking retirement: Expert predicts minimal change in Fox's stance or approach featured image

Murdoch's shocking retirement: Expert predicts minimal change in Fox's stance or approach

Despite the fact that he was 92, Rupert Murdoch's retirement as chairman of Fox Corp. and News Corp. came as a shock. Many observers see the passing of the torch from right-wing Rupert to more right-wing son Lachlan as a potentially seismic shift in the media landscape. Danilo Yanich, professor of public policy and administration at the University of Delaware, can discuss the changing of the guard at Fox, which he believes won't alter the network's approach all that much. Yanich doesn't think anything will change from the media side of the equation – coverage won't be any more right wing than it was before. "Lachlan has been running the day-to-day activities for some time now." Also, Yanich said, whether Rupert is "retired" or not does not take him out of the picture. "He still owns the company." Yanich noted that there has been commentary regarding the implications his retirement has for the power arrangements within the company. "That is probably true, but I do not see any change in how Fox approaches its media activities." Yanich's research centers on the media and its intersection with citizenship, public policy and crime, as well as media ownership. He directs the Local Television News Media Project, which examines the role of the news media in democracy and public policy. Yanich was awarded presidential fellowships at two Salzberg Seminars (Salzburg, Austria), both focused on ethics and the news media. To set up an interview with Yanich, simply click on this profile below.

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1 min. read
Choreographing Love: Pulling Back the Curtain on Staged Intimacy  featured image

Choreographing Love: Pulling Back the Curtain on Staged Intimacy

Picture this... You're watching your favorite romantic comedy. It's reached the best part; the leads go in for that famous relationship-affirming kiss and bam, happy ending. Everything on screen feels so natural and easy. Well, not quite. The intimate moments we see depicted in movies, on television and in theatre are carefully discussed and staged before and during production, with intimacy professionals leading the way. To unpack all the romantic details, we turned to Bess Rowen, PhD, an assistant professor in the Department of Theatre at Villanova University and trained intimacy choreographer. On set, intimacy choreographers (theatre) and intimacy coordinators (film and television) make sure that the intimate contact viewers see is agreed upon beforehand with actors and the director. "In other words, we don't want to surprise an actor," says Dr. Rowen. The cast and crew work hard to make the romantic moments feel real and spontaneous within the predetermined and agreed-upon guidelines. While intimacy coordination is a relatively new field, it has really grown in the last several years. "In 2020, SAG-AFTRA (the largest professional union for screen actors and radio actors) laid out guidelines for the use of intimacy coordinators for all union productions," says Dr. Rowen. And there are many organizations that train and produce qualified intimacy professionals, ensuring that they are engaging with new practices as the field continues to grow and evolve. And, akin to real-world encounters, consent is the backbone of intimacy on stage and screen. "Instead of feeling forced, possibly by a power imbalance in the room to simply agree to the director's vision, intimacy coordinators empower actors to identify their boundaries," Dr. Rowen says. "Actors can feel pressured to seem 'easy to work with,' thus creating situations where their consent may get lost. To keep everyone accountable, intimacy coordinators will introduce self-care cues, boundary practice and other consent-based practices to create a space that foregrounds an actor's boundaries for any and all physical contact." As an intimacy choreographer, Dr. Rowen understands the importance of the role. "This job is essential because it adds an advocate to set. An actor might hesitate to tell a director they're uncomfortable doing something, but if I'm there and can directly ask an actor about something, then the individual can end up feeling a lot more in control of the situation," she says. "That consent-based, trauma-informed practice leads, in my experience both as a professional and as an audience member, to more fully integrated scenes of intimacy." An actor's comfort translates to the viewer, creating a more enjoyable experience for everyone. This type of oversight is exciting. "For years we have trained actors to expect the unexpected and be ready for anything, so it takes a minute for them to realize that this training is the opposite of that," says Dr. Rowen. "There aren't surprises or jump-scares in this work. It's about transparency. And once that's made clear, you tend to see people relax in their bodies. It's really powerful."

2 min. read
Aston University joins forces with British Menopause Society and ITN Business to make programme for World Menopause Day featured image

Aston University joins forces with British Menopause Society and ITN Business to make programme for World Menopause Day

• Menopause: Continuing the Conversation will premiere at 12 noon on 18 October • The news-style programme features key industry interviews and news-style reports along with sponsored editorial profiles • It includes a film of Aston University staff telling their own stories. Aston University has joined forces with the British Menopause Society and ITN’s bespoke production hub, ITN Business, to contribute to a programme which raises awareness of the menopause for World Menopause Day. Menopause: Continuing the Conversation features key industry interviews and news-style reports, along with sponsored editorial profiles. It is anchored by television presenter and journalist Louise Minchin and will premiere at 12 noon on 18 October 2022 on the British Menopause Society's YouTube channel. The programme takes a holistic look – from lifestyle to changes in workplace policy - to support and empower women embarking on the perimenopause and beyond. Staff from Aston University tell their own stories in a film which forms part of the programme. World Menopause Day is held every year on 18 October. The day was designated by the International Menopause Society (IMS) to raise awareness of the menopause and to support options to improve health and wellbeing for women in mid-life and beyond. The theme for World Menopause Day 2022 is cognition and mood. According to research by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), three out of five working women between the ages of 45 and 55 who are experiencing menopause symptoms say it has a negative impact on them at work, nearly two-thirds of women surveyed said they were less able to concentrate, more than half said they experience more stress, 30 per cent of women said they had taken sick leave because of their symptoms and only a small minority said they told their managers about the real reason for taking sick leave. Beth Lloyd, associate director of organisational development at Aston University, said: “We are excited to announce our involvement in a news-style programme Menopause: Continuing the Conversation in partnership with ITN Business and the British Menopause Society for World Menopause Day. “Menopause is not just a gender or age issue; it is an organisational issue. It can impact on colleagues both directly or indirectly. Awareness on this topic is fundamental to reduce the stigma attached to it so that more people will talk openly about it so it can begin to be normalised and people can get the support they need. “Aston University has taken a proactive approach to raising awareness of the topic including hosting a range of workshops for managers and staff, introducing menopause mentors and creating an informal networking group. Our hope is that these activities will create a truly inclusive workplace and achieve our goal of becoming a recognised menopause friendly employer.”

2 min. read