Former Presidents

Matt Kenyon (Michaelmas Term 2019)

Matt is a 3rd year English student at the University of Oxford. In his term, he launched the society's free membership system, growing to over 1,000 members. Under his presidency, we secured partnerships with Oxfordshire-based radio station Jack FM and The Economist. Matt welcomed the likes of former BBC Political Editor Nick Robinson, CEO of Tortoise Media James Harding and former Director of BBC News Helen Boaden.

Matt is currently pursuing interests in comedy and television production. He is a member of the Oxford Revue comedy group and is Broadcast Director for The Oxford Student. He graduates in 2020.

Finlay Field (Trinity Term 2019)

Finlay Field is a 2nd year English Literature student at the University of Oxford. In his three terms on committee, Finlay led structural and graphical redesigns of the Society, formalised our free-for-all access policy, and developed our relationships with the Reuters Institute and financial newswire Bloomberg. His presidency welcomed the likes of John Micklethwait, editor-in-chief of Bloomberg News, Nicholas Coleridge, Chairman of Condé Nast Britain, and award-winning Guardian journalist Amelia Gentleman.

Finlay is currently pursuing interests in academia, focusing on digital media platform technologies and sustainable funding models in journalism. He is a former committee member of Oxford-based charitable start-up What’s A Pound? and the Oxford Foundry’s Student Advisory Board. He graduates in 2020.

Julia Pamilih (Hilary Term 2019)

Julia Pamilih is a 2nd year PPE student at the University of Oxford. During her three terms on committee, Julia managed the Society’s growth to over 350 members and built partnerships with The Oxford Foundry and PR giant Weber Shandwick. Her presidency welcomed figures including BBC News anchor Clive Myrie, award-winning economic journalist Tim Harford, and leading feminist journalist Scarlett Curtis.

Julia is currently pursuing interests in journalism and strategy consultancy, and remains involved in championing industry diversity as a committee member of Oxford Women in Business. She graduates in 2020.

Theo Davies-Lewis (Trinity Term 2018 - Michaelmas 2018)

Theo Davies-Lewis is a 3rd year Archeology and Anthropology student at the University of Oxford. As founder of the reformed Media Society, Theo led our accreditation by the University, recruited our first committee and patrons, and invited two terms of industry-leading speakers. His presidency welcomed the likes of broadcasting veterans Jon Snow and John Humphrys, Twitter UK CEO Dara Nasr, and Cosmopolitan Editor Farah Storr.

Theo continues to pursue his interest in journalism and communications as founder of Between The Spires, and as a frequent guest on BBC Radio Cymru. A proud Welshman, Theo is also co-chair of the Darogan Network. He graduates in 2019.

Our History

This Michaelmas, we’re celebrating our first birthday.

Oxford University Media Society began to take shape in late 2017. Our predecessor is Oxford Media Society, a student initiative that welcomed speakers from print media, broadcasting, marketing and film between 2004 and 2014. 

In its first ten years, the Society welcomed speakers including Amanda Berry OBE, Jeremy Paxman, John Witherow, Libby Purves, and Sir Martin Sorrell. In 2018, 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, and Nima Elbgair. 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 and digital media in the post-truth era.

Oxford University Media Society is an officially accredited society of the University of Oxford. We are a committee of 12 students (click here to meet us!), with a common interest in the ways that people create and communicate in the 21st century.