Our Version Media® CIC

Announcing the launch of Our Version Media’s new Masterclass Series - created just for you! 💛 Running monthly, just pick whichever masterclass you want. Whether you want to learn how to edit videos for social media, get confident at public speaking, or use AI tools to make your content stand out, this series is the perfect chance for you to grow! You don’t need any fancy equipment or experience. Just a willingness to level up! 📅Masterclass dates and booking details will be announced soon 🙌🏾 Each masterclass is just £49. Book on as many or as few as you like. 👉🏾 Swipe to see which masterclasses are coming up #OurVersionMedia #OVMMasterclassSeries #EmpoweringCommunities #DigitalMedia

Say hi to our talented new intern! It has been over a month since Netal Samdani joined Our Version Media as a Content Development Assistant, and she’s had a great start. From day 1, she jumped right into working in a fast-paced community media enterprise, creating content, learning new things, sharing her skills, and bringing fresh ideas! She’s the person behind some of the content you’re seeing lately! What makes Netal a great new addition to our team? She believes that “no one can tell my story better than I can,” which aligns with our mission of empowering people to tell their own stories in their own words. Let’s create more stories and impact. Welcome to the team, Netal!👏🏾

Our new Masterclass Series starts tomorrow with a free Mobile Video masterclass, and we are so excited to welcome you! 🎬📱 Masterclasses will cover skills like: 1) Using AI tools for video editing 2) Gaining confidence in public speaking 3) Getting media coverage and making your story the next headline. And more! So, whether you’re just starting out or want to improve your skills, these bite-sized masterclasses are for you. Dates and full details of upcoming masterclasses coming soon… #OurVersionMedia #OVMMasterclassSeries #EmpoweringCommunities #DigitalMedia

Our Mobile Storytelling Course empowers everyone to tell their stories through digital media. What you will learn: 1) Craft compelling stories to captivate your audience. 2) Identify the best shot to bring your story to life. 3) Film, edit, script, add captions, and voiceovers. 4) Share your videos online for a wider reach. It is a 2-part workshop conducted over 2 half days, delivered in-person or online. One of the best things about this course is that no filming or editing experience is needed, and it is a hands-on learning experience! You also get to create a video as a part of the course! 👏🏾 New dates will be announced soon! #OurVersionMedia #EmpoweringCommunities #MobileStorytelling

"This excellent training was delivered with passion and clear direction. I now have the confidence for the first time to create my own visual stories for work and home life, and share them on suitable platforms." This is why we do, what we do!🎉 A massive thank you to our incredible participant for this heartwarming feedback! #OurVersionMedia #MobileStorytelling #OurVoicesOurStories #EmpoweringCommunities #Feedback

How can the media rebuild marginalised communities’ trust in journalism? That was the key question behind Media Cymru’s major News For All Participatory Research Project. Over six months, a team including BBC R&D, Cardiff University, and community experts collaborated with marginalised groups to co-create a new vision for journalism—one built on trust, equity, and collaboration. And we love to see it! Key Takeaways: 1️⃣Journalism as Oppression: The report highlights widespread frustration with mainstream media, particularly the BBC. Many feel excluded and misrepresented, leading to deep distrust in the news. 2️⃣Demanding Fundamental Change: Communities reject traditional “top-down” journalism, calling for a model that prioritises actionable, community-driven insights over conventional news narratives. They want journalism that shares, not tells. 3️⃣Participatory Solutions: The project puts community voices first, advocating for more local journalism and measuring success by its impact on the community. 4️⃣Equity in Action: True inclusivity means recognising marginalised communities as experts, valuing their high news literacy, and rejecting content that distorts their lived experiences. At a time of growing distrust in the media, this research proves that working with communities is essential to creating journalism that fosters healthier, more informed societies. Our Version Media was founded to empower communities through people-powered media. To equip people with the skills and tools to amplify their own voices and stories to create positive change. This research, particularly its recommendations, aligns with our core mission to create a more equitable media landscape. 🔗 Read the full report here - A huge well done to the project team and community participants who made this happen! 🎉 #NewsForAll #MediaCymru #OurVersionMedia #MarginalisedCommunities

We've got news 🙌🏾 Introducing our new AI-powered Media Bias Checker: Helping You Consume and Create Better Stories! We’re excited to introduce our Media Bias Checker - an AI-powered tool to challenge harmful media narratives about Black people and empower others to do the same! Building on the success of our 2020 Media Reporting Tool, this innovation uses AI to detect anti-Black bias and negative tropes in articles. Simply input an article and the tool will analyse it in seconds, making it easier to hold publishers to account. This groundbreaking tool also enables users to review their own writing to avoid unintentionally using negative stereotypes or unconscious bias. By acting as both a detection and learning resource, it will help us all create fairer stories and more empowering narratives. The tool is currently only available to a select group of users. Please get in touch if you’d like to be among the first to know when it’s released more widely.

Wow, wow, wow! What a night! ✨ Thank you so much to everyone who came to our “Reclaiming Narratives” Black Stories Screening! The hugest well done to our ten awesome mobile storytellers Abs, Bukola, Judith, Mary, Omowumi, Stevina, Kerwin, Precious, Verona, and Vilma. Massive thanks to our incredible partner MAST Mayflower Studios. Thank you so much to our keynote speaker, Cherron Inko-Tariah MBE, Editor of Black History Month UK magazine. And well done to our founder, Veronica Gordon for being a fabulous host. Here’s a recap of the evening in four minutes. Thanks so much to Siontai G. for interviewing our audience. Enjoy! Follow Our Version Media CIC to support our work amplifying Black voices and changing the narrative. #mobilestorytelling #communitymedia #empoweringcommunities #ourvoicesourstories #smartphonefilmmaking Music: Travelling Backsound by Satarabasna

If you haven’t met Wumi yet, she’s our awesome new Business Development Assistant intern! She joined us in September from the University of Southampton and is a great addition to the team. Last week she did her first ever radio interview and, in true Wumi style, she was brilliant! She and our founder, Veronica, went to BBC Radio Solent to chat about our upcoming “Reclaiming Narratives” Black Stories Screening. Wumi is one of the local people taking part, whose story will be shared on the big screen. It’s THIS Thursday btw - at MAST Mayflower Studios so we hope you’ve got your ticket! Get it here if you haven’t: https://lnkd.in/eva_5kQf Then, join us on Thursday to find out more about Wumi. Watch her’s and other real-life stories, that will each tackle a negative Black narrative. Thanks BBC Radio Solent for having us! #EmpoweringCommunities #OurVoicesOurStories #BlackHistoryMonth #MobileStorytelling #ReclaimingNarratives

They’re here! 100 copies of the official Black History Month UK magazine! 📦 📦 Get your complimentary copy if you're coming to our “Reclaiming Narratives” Black Stories Screening at MAST Mayflower Studios on Thursday (31st October). It's our special gift to our guests. It’s packed with articles to educate and inspire, that’ll last long beyond BHM 2024. Not got your ticket yet? Book now https://lnkd.in/eva_5kQf