Media Voices NI was launched through Queen’s University, Belfast in May 2025. It was conceived and run by a group of dedicated Media students and staff committed to producing quality stories about defining moments in the industry in Northern Ireland. It is as much about preserving the history and memories of those who worked in the field over the last 75 years, as is about looking forward to current and influential media practitioners’ voices discussing the future of the Media industry on these shores.
Our team began by creating a special archive of 30 interviews with UTV staff. These interviews were the brainchild of former UTV staffer Michael McAdam, who worked as a Vision Mixer in UTV in the 1980s and 1990s. This important oral history archive is now securely stored as a research Dataset and as a Special Collection in Queen’s McClay’s Library. Transcripts and videos are open access to the public through our website.
Our TV producers and editors are writing articles from testimonies of these UTV staff, articles that will preserve the legacy of these people’s contribution to the industry. These articles will be posted on our website.
The team will also produce new interviews with influential media figures and current media thinkers. Whether it is about media development, the current state of media, or the future of the craft, we aim to bring you the most influential voices of our generation.
Many of our students involved are part of the Broadcast Production degree that QUB offers, both at Undergraduate and Masters level. This website provides a hub to continue growing the skills we learn, even after graduation.
Our aim is that Media Voices NI will become a prominent site for Media thinkers. We encourage participation and will take pitches and stories offered by both students and industry professionals alike.
Although we received a small private grant to launch the website, we are looking for funding to advance our reporting, so please get in touch if you’d like to support our site