Our History

In its first ten years, the Society welcomed speakers including Amanda Berry OBE, Jeremy Paxman, John Witherow, Libby Purves and Sir Martin Sorrell. In late 2017, the Society returned with a new slate of speakers – and has since hosted the likes of John Humphrys, Krishnan Guru-Murthy, Scarlett Curtis, John Micklethwait, Nima Elbagir, Jameela Jamil and Julia Chatterley. We have welcomed executives from Twitter, Facebook and Spotify, representatives of the world’s largest advertising and public relations firms, and hosted discussions on the Leveson Inquiry, the Greensill Scandal and digital media in the post-truth era.

The Society is an officially accredited society of the University of Oxford, is run by a committee of ten to fifteen students and represents over 800 members and 26 patrons, all with a common interest in the ways that people create and communicate in the 21st century.

In 2018, the following video was produced under the presidency of Theo Davies-Lewis as an explanation and introduction into the Society, its aims, future plans and impact. It was under Theo’s presidency that the Society was ultimately reborn, following its brief haitus.

Our Sponsors

Our speaker events are free for everyone. We sincerely believe that it is the Society’s duty and role to open up the media industry to everyone, regardless of connections or background. As such, our events can only happen with the generous support of our partners and sponsors.

If you would like to join in supporting the Society, drop us an email at president@oxfordmediasociety.com.

Our Patrons

The Oxford Media Society is supported in its mission of opening up the media landscape to all by a number of distinguished patrons – whose support we cherish and value.

Alan Rusbridger
Andrew Graham
Dame Hilary Boulding
Dame Lynne Brindley
David Levy
Jane Thynne
Roger Mosey
Sir Ivor Crewe
Richard Sambrook
Sir Nigel Shadbolt
Suzy Klein
The Lord Smith of Finsbury
The Lord Evans of Watford
The Lord Grade of Yarmouth
The Lord Patten of Barnes
The Lord Wood of Anfield
Zeinab Badawi