There was a phenomenal response to Women in Journalism Scotland’s initiative with STV to help equip expert women for broadcast media interviews.

More than 200 women who work across healthcare and science applied to take part, demonstrating the range of female expertise in Scotland and the appetite to be heard in broadcast media.

To accommodate everyone, there were two separate sessions. The first of these - for more than 80 healthcare specialists - took place on Zoom on April 1.

STV news editor Nichola Kane, who chaired the event, began by outlining STV’s drive to improve gender equality in the news output. It’s working - in February there was a 53/47% split of women to men across contributors on the news.  

She accepted that a broadcast news interview can be daunting and brought in senior staff from STV News, and women healthcare experts who have been put through their paces in news media, to help demystify the process.

Linda Bauld, professor of public health at the University of Edinburgh, has become a familiar face since the emergence of COVID-19. She stressed that news media want healthcare experts to convey important health information, so they are unlikely to get the grilling that other contributors might expect.

She added that healthcare experts are good at interpreting complex data to make it meaningful. She suggests using this skill in the TV studio, and having three key points you really want to convey. 

Sharon Frew, STV’s chief reporter, emphasised that you don’t need reams of facts and figures. Instead she is looking for people to be clear, concise and confident and tries to put them at ease over the phone or before the cameras roll.

Lesley Colquhoun Banks, a newsgathering producer, underlined the importance of press officers as gatekeepers in fielding expert opinion. STV has been working to highlight the need for a variety of voices to corporate communications teams and some organisations have been making a conscious effort to field spokespeople from diverse backgrounds. 

Zoom was also cited as a positive development. It allows experts to be interviewed in an environment they are comfortable in and can help overcome logistical challenges. But, coming out of COVID, STV remains keen to capture images that support a story, for example, having interviews take place in hospitals.   

Much of the discussion until this point was about pre-recorded interviews where there is the opportunity to say you’re not happy with a take, or that you don’t want to stray into controversial territory. 

Kelly-Ann Woodland and Andrea Brymer joined the session to give the live TV perspective, reinforcing that their job is to make an expert feel comfortable and convey key points that will bring a story to life. Kelly-Ann asked people to try to relax and focus on having a conversation with the presenter and Andrea pointed out it’s useful if you can provide human interest to tell a story. 

A key takeaway from the session was that people could make direct contact with the team if they had a story. “The worst that could happen is we have to pass on that occasion and keep you in mind for future reports.”  

And a speech impediment is not a barrier to being on air. Nichola stressed that STV is really keen to reflect a diverse society and had recently supported a woman with hearing loss to make herself heard in a news report. Lesley Colquhoun Banks added that the planning stage would allow you to raise any concerns about impediments that might affect audience comprehension and for both parties to explore what steps to take to support a successful interview.     

The session was brought to a close by WIJS co-chair and STV producer, Catriona MacPhee, who said: "WIJS members want to have better representation of society in their work and it’s clear from this session that there are a lot of expert women who want to have a voice in the media.”

The second workshop, which will take place on May 19, is for experts who work in other areas of science. STV hopes to run similar sessions for other sectors in the future to help promote gender equality in broadcast news.   

Report by Nancy McLardie. Nancy is an award-winning communications professional with more than 25 years’ experience working in the public and third sectors, most recently in public health and procurement. 

WIJ Scotland’s most recent book salon featured Vicky Allan in conversation with Anna Burnside discussing how to get started on, pitch and complete non-fiction book projects. 

Here she shares what she has learned through writing three books - Taking the Plunge, For the Love of Trees and Still Hot! -  as well as some top tips gathered from other leading writers. 

Sometimes the process of preparing for a talk is as useful for the person doing it as it is for the audience. This WIJ Scotland book salon made me think about what I’d learned about writing non-fiction so far - and what I still wanted to learn.

In preparation, I chatted to friends and fellow authors. Taking The Plunge, Still Hot! and For The Love Of Trees all follow a fairly similar formula and are quite journalistic. I was interested to see what tips writers had for other types of non-fiction. This is the jist:

• Some kind of story-telling should be at the heart of it;

• If you’ve already done a lot of research, focus on what’s really interesting and get rid of the rest;

• Break it down into parts to make it more manageable;

• Be willing to throw things out. Margaret Atwood says the wastebin is your friend, invented for you by God;

• Find a writing buddy who is also working on a book or is into your subject and workshop together;

• Make sure your subject is something you really feel driven to research, think about and communicate – you are going to be with this subject for a while.

I had some really interesting chats along the way.

My friend Chitra Ramaswamy wrote Expecting, a memoir of her pregnancy. Its structure was almost like nine essays. Her next book, to be published by Canongate, is about Kindertransport refugee Henry Wuga. She describes it as: “a hybrid of biography and memoir about Henry Wuga, whom I’ve been writing about for almost 10 years, our friendship, and search for belonging over a century of history.”

At the end of our conversation that we started to talk about something we both felt was key, this idea of permission. Women, particularly women who have children and a busy family life, need to give themselves permission to take the time required to write a book. 

For me that meant marking it in the diary. My first book commission, for Taking The Plunge, came with the extraordinarily terrifying deadline of 10 weeks. After a fortnight with my head in the sand, a friend who was training to be a life coach made me think realistically about the amount of time I needed. I blocked it off in my calendar.

I also went away for a few overnighters in order to write. But that might not work for your life. I found Cal Newport’s Deep Work helpful on the subject of finding time for longer writing, although it’s disappointing that his examples are mainly men.  

Chitra also gave these tips:

“Don’t expect to find a way of doing things or a formula that you just use again and again because books can be very different. Each book is a different process. Each one is its own thing with its own objectives, its own mode of craft. That’s similar to feature writing – it’s about finding the right universe for each project.” 

“Every time you return to your manuscript there’s a temptation to go back and read it through – but writing a book is an act of confidence and you don’t want to flag or lose momentum by going back over the old stuff. You can find that by the time you’ve reworked it that you’re in a slump. In order to keep moving forwards don’t reread.”

And …

“Chances are you are going to become a better writer of the book than you are at the start of it. So keep going – you can come back and rewrite the start at the end.”

But central for me was this idea of permission – not just to take the time, but to own your subject in some way. 

Another key thing about the transition from journalism to non-fiction book-writing may be finding a new voice, one that works for the book you are writing. Sue Armstrong has written several looks of science narrative non-fiction, including Borrowed Time: The Science of How And Why We Age and P53: The Gene That Cracked The Cancer Code.

She told me this: “My big story for the previous two decades or so had been the AIDS pandemic, which I had followed and reported on from the frontline of many countries. I'd done articles for journals and newspapers, lots of radio stuff and latterly got very involved in  writing longer-form reports for UNAIDS on various aspects of the  pandemic.

“I had loved it, but was finally royally burnt out and keen to turn to new pastures. But in changing direction, I needed to find a new voice – my own personal voice. I was inhibited by my long adherence to the rules and style of report writing for the UN. There I, as the writer, had studiously to be outside the picture, just looking in. 

“I wanted a new standpoint.  So I enrolled on a course in writing from life with the Arvon Foundation. It was terrific. Five days holed up in an ancient old farmhouse in Devon with a bunch of  fellow writers and our mentors, talking and talking about writing, doing very instructive and imaginative exercises and getting feedback. It was very intense and hugely liberating. I felt free to become part of the stories I was telling, where it was appropriate. Free to make the narrative more intimate.”

More great advice from other writers came in via Twitter.

Ian Fraser, author of Shredded: “Interviewing a wide range of people from all levels inside RBS/NatWest was key. That gave me a feel for the group's internal culture and its consequences. There was also a greater chance of picking up amusing and/or telling anecdotes.”

David Pratt, author of Intifada: The Long Day Of Rage : “It’s not journalism so you can slow down and explore tangents. Also, it’s vital to make it accessible. Too many non-fiction efforts fall somewhere between journalism and academic writing that can be rather uninspiring. As ever it’s about telling a good yarn.”

Jemma Neville, author of Constitution Street: “I make different narrative pathways to help readers navigate volume of factual info – timelines, maps, character list, inventories –then mostly remove them in final drafts when the flow and pace in place.”

Nick Booth, author of The Thieves of Threadneedle Street, ZigZag, and The Search For Life On Mars: “A book is a marathon. It isn’t about doing five sprints (as journalism is on a daily). It’s about getting it all on the page. It is about usable wordage. The key is what I call carpentry – chop, move change. Then you have to keep going. By the end it’s like driving through fog. You wonder if you will get there, but you will. It all comes together. It has a different rhythm to journalism but you finish, you leave, you shape and then get into shape.”

Isabel Hardman, author of The Natural Health Service: “Best advice I was given when I signed for book one was from Nick Cohen. He said, don’t try to get it perfect, just bloody get it done. The perfect stuff comes later (hopefully). Also use Scrivener.”

Lesley Riddoch, author of Blossom and Huts: A Place Beyond: “Tell stories. Not fictitious ones, real stories that illustrate the point. This is even more important when the comforts of easier-to-digest fiction are missing.”

Peter Ross, author of Daunderlust and A Tomb With A View: “When I wrote Tomb With A View, I sometimes had to remind myself that it wasn’t journalism and that I didn’t have to tell readers everything all at once; I could afford to slow down the flow of information. The other thing is that while the idea of writing a book can feel overwhelming, I found it helpful to think of it as a dozen or so long-reads.”

Sara Sheridan, author of Where are the Women? An Imagined Female Atlas of Scotland and many works of fiction: “It's easy to get overwhelmed with research material so I try to focus on which bits of information I'd most like to read if I knew nothing at all. What really excites me? Then I build the narrative round those high points and the key facts.”

You might also be interested in the following resources:

Storycraft: The Complete Guide to Writing Narrative Nonfiction by Jack Hart. I actually read this when I wasn’t even thinking about writing non-fiction and found it useful in terms of thinking about story in journalism.

Malcolm Gladwell’s talk on the Masterclass app. It’s worth subscribing for a month and listening to a few of the other talks, including Margaret Atwood on writing fiction.

Scotland has a long and proud tradition of journalism - but like in so many other areas of life, the role and achievements of women have often gone unrecognised. 

To mark International Women’s Day, Women in Journalism Scotland has put together a snapshot ‘Hall of Fame’ of some of the pioneering women of the industry. 

Of course, there’s many more who deserve a place and we would love to hear ideas for additions - follow us on Twitter @WIJScotland or on Facebook - Women in Journalism Scotland.

Jessie M King, born Bankfoot, Perthshire, 1862 

Jessie was Dundee’s first female professional journalist, who wrote under the pen name of Marguerite and achieved wide recognition in the late 19th century. The publishers John Leng & Co Ltd claimed the honour of having produced the first woman journalist in Scotland, and described her as “a brilliant descriptive writer, an authority on household matters, and a poetess.“

As part of Dundee Women’s Festival, Angela Gilchrist, editor of the People’s Friend, and Charlotte Lauder are hosting a  free talk today at 3pm on the story of Jessie. 

Bessie Maxwell, born Dundee 1871, and Isabella Imandt, born Dundee 1860 

The careers of Bessie Maxwell and Isabella Imandt provoke serious journalism envy  - they were sent off to visit 10 countries over nine months, covering everything from religion and industry to a visit to an Asian opium den and a dinner party in Tokyo. The women were both journalists with DC Thomson and their globetrotting trip took place in 1894. They take their place in history both as among the first female journalists and foreign correspondents.

Ethel MacDonald, born Belshill, Lanarkshire 1909  

At the age of 27, Glasgow-based anarchist and activist Ethel went to help fight General Franco's Fascist rebellion in 1936. She became a correspondent writing and producing broadcasts for the CNT Radio station of Barcelona, which was run by the National Confederation of Labour and she was heard across Europe and America. She filed some of the first reports of the 1937 May riots, when 400 people were killed in street fighting in Barcelona and was captured and imprisoned by communist rivals.

She was eventually deported to France and returned to Glasgow, where she continued to work in politics and be a feminist campaigner until she died of multiple sclerosis in 1960.

Molly Kelly, born Glasgow, 1926 

One of the star journalists of the Scottish Daily Express, Molly King was known for her ability to cover everything from interviewing the famous to doorstepping difficult and tragic stories. She joined the Herald in the mid-1970s, at a time when women’s journalism was beginning tackle previously taboo subjects such as sex discrimination and domestic violence. She won a national award for consumer journalism in 1978 and one of her most popular contributions was The Herald’s Great Afternoon Teas guide, but she also continued to land exclusives ahead of her rivals, such as a much-sought after interview with Perry Como in London - after telling him she had “come all the way from Glasgow”. 

Ethel Simpson, born Banff, 1926 

It’s difficult to imagine now, but a news editor’s horror at a young female reporter turning up for a shift in a newspaper wearing a trouser suit resulted in her being ordered to go home and change into a skirt. That’s when suitably outraged Ethel Simpson, chief reporter of the Press and Journal in Aberdeen, stepped in to complain to management and make sure it never happened again.

She was known for fighting for equal rights for women employed on the newspaper in a career spanning more than 40 years, which started at the age of 17. Together with Pearl Murray, the P&J’s feature editor, she was a pioneer of women in the media in Scotland. One tale goes that when they were drinking in the pub which was the main haunt of Aberdeen journalists, they had to use the only lavatory, which had a Men Only sign on the door. When someone dared to point this out the proprietor retorted: "Ethel and Pearl don't count as women - they are reporters!" 

Nicola Barry, born Edinburgh, 1950 

No roll of honour would be complete without Nicola Barry, who is remembered with an annual prize given in her name at the Scottish Press Awards, supported by WIJ Scotland. Her memorable writing spanned almost all of Scotland’s main publications including the Edinburgh Evening News, Daily Express, the Daily Record, Press and Journal and The Big Issue and she won an incredible 27 press awards, including Columnist of the Year three years in a row at the Scottish and UK press awards.

She was driven by a passion to help the underdog and to give a voice to those who had none, but her career also included gems such as interviewing comedienne Joan Rivers in the latter's bathroom in her New York apartment - with the pair reported to have got on like a house on fire. In 2007 she moved into new territory when she published Mother's Ruin, a devastating account of a childhood lost to her mother's drinking. Nicola died in 2017 at the age of 66.

More reading/sources:

Dundee’s Two Intrepid Ladies: A Tour Round the World by D. C. Thomson’s Female Journalists in 1894 by Susan Keracher 

An Anarchist’s Story: The Life of Ethel MacDonald by Chris Dolan

Ethel: the Scottish voice of Spain’s struggle - Activist’s story to be retold: The Herald 20 January 2007

Molly Kelly; Writer who was ‘in with the stars’ in the glory days of journalism: The Herald 6 February 2004

Ethel Simpson: Pioneering Scottish female reporter who inspired generations of journalists: The Scotsman 19 Dec 2017

Nicola Barry: No-nonsense journalist, author and social commentator who combined fearlessness with an earthly sense of humour: The Times 23 January 2017

Nicola Barry obituary: The Herald 25 Jan 2017

*NEW - SUPPORT TO ENTER PRESS AWARDS*

We are pleased to announce WIJ Scotland will support 20 paid entry fees for members who want to enter this year’s Scottish Press Awards. These will be allocated on a lottery basis. To apply, please send an email with a note of your entries to wijscotland@gmail.com and we will respond to successful applicants with details for payment.

Women in Journalism Scotland is once again encouraging as many women journalists to enter the Scottish Press Awards.

In past years, there have been many more men shortlisted than women. Hundreds of talented women journalists working across Scotland should be recognised for their work but often don’t put themselves forward for these types of awards.

This year’s awards includes several new categories: Specialist Reporter, Student Journalist, Food and Drink Writer, Travel Writer, Best Coverage of a Live Event, News Website, Daily Newspaper of the Year, Sunday Newspaper of the Year and Chairman’s Award.

There is also the Nicola Barry Award, which is open to all women journalists of any age working in print and online media in Scotland deserving of recognition for their work in issue-led reportage or commentary. 

The Nicola Barry Award was launched by Women in Journalism in Scotland in 2017 with the twin aims of encouraging and emulating the campaigning journalism in which the late Nicola Barry specialised.

Nicola Barry was one of Scotland’s most successful and best known journalists and authors, driven by a passion to help the underdog and to give a voice to those who had none. She died in January 2017 at the age of 66.

The first winner of the award was Dani Garavelli in 2018, followed by Karin Goodwin in 2019 and Gina Davidson in 2020.

Women in Journalism Scotland co-chair, Jan Patience said: "We started up this award to recognise the incredible campaigning work carried out by many women journalists, often in their own time as editorial budgets grow every smaller.

"Nicola Barry was a giant of Scottish journalism who was always very encouraging to young women entering the business. I feel pretty sure that she would be telling women journalists across Scotland to buckle up and enter the Scottish Press Awards in whichever category they feel is right for their own work, including the one named after her!"

The Scottish Press Awards are open for entries now and with the deadline of 12 noon on Wednesday 3rd March fast approaching, we asked former judge Janette Harkess to share some of her top tips:

1. Substance trumps style every time

Choose your strongest stories.  It’s an unwritten law of the universe that what you consider to be your best work in any given year may not have the layout or the projection you’d hoped for. That doesn’t matter and the judges will look beyond that. Powerful story-telling, incisive comment or game-changing investigation will impress, however presented on the page or online.

2. Tell it/sell it your way

Use the opportunity available to you to add your own short explanation of the content you’ve submitted. It’s often really helpful for the judges to understand a little more of the background or context to a piece of work and why they should consider it distinctive or exceptional. It can be particularly useful, for example, with regard to local stories, timelines or specialists areas where you can really help the judges understand why your work had impact when it did and how important that was. And don’t think because your work is local that it won’t stand up against the national stories. Strong impactful journalism is strong impactful journalism on whatever landscape or platform it’s published.

3. Just do it

Enter. I know that’s probably the least rocket science aspect of all so far but there is no point in simply muttering about the same old people winning if you don’t take part. Have confidence in your own work and get it out there. And good luck!  

Full details of the Scottish Press Awards can be found on the website at http://www.scotns.org.uk/awards/

The shortlist will be announced at the end of May and the winners and runners up will be revealed a ceremony at the Doubletree by Hilton Hotel in Glasgow on Wednesday, 22nd September 2021, subject to Covid restrictions.

The world's only Menopause Festival to help “break the taboo and have some fun” will take place online on April 30th and May 1st. 

Organiser and WIJ Scotland member Rachel Weiss would appreciate your help in spreading the word about the event. 

Glasgow-based Newsnight anchor, Kirsty Wark, who fronted a documentary called The Menopause and Me in 2017, will open the festival. 

The two-day festival will feature talks by medics, stand-up comedy, creative workshops, theatre and cabaret - all raising awareness of the impact of the menopause on those experiencing it and their friends, families and colleagues.

One of the questions explored reflects a question raised in WiJ Scotland’s recent Snapshot Survey was; how should employers treat menopausal women in the workplace?

In our survey, 90% of respondents said their employer was not flexible or accommodating when it came to the effects of the menopause on their ability to do their job.

The ‘Menopause at Work’ seminar on afternoon of April 30th is aimed at employers, Trustees, Board members, line managers, trade unions and employment lawyers. It will look at the rights of women and their employers’ obligations, menopause policies and how the menopause impacts on women’s economic participation at a national level.

Speakers include Kate Wyatt, Employment law Partner with law firm, Lindsays.

Kate said: “Many of us are accustomed to reading or hearing about the menopause in women’s magazines, health supplements and lifestyle programmes but there’s very little talk of it in business circles. 

“In years gone by, it’s not a subject which people have been comfortable speaking about but that is changing, so that mindset shift has to filter through to the workplace too.

“I will be highlighting best practice, explaining what employers need to be doing and highlighting the huge strides which society has made in terms of women’s participation in the workplace. 

“It’s not just about supporting women while they bring up their children anymore, but also supporting them in the later stages, ensuring that steps are in place to retain women at work to the mutual benefit of both the employer and employee.”

Kate will be joined by fellow speakers Professor Jo Brewis of the Open University, who is author of the Government report on how menopause impacts on women’s economic participation; Darron Dupre, Regional Organiser UNISON Cymru Wales and Kelly Innes from CIPD. There will also be group discussions, sharing of good practice, and a panel discussion relating to issues raised.  

The following day will welcome members of the public, both men and women, to celebrate menopause. 

Keynote speaker Sam Bunch, author of ‘Menopause: a hot topic’, will talk about her story, followed by Dr Heather Currie, ex-chair of the British Menopause Society, who will speak on medical aspects of the menopause. 

There will also be a number of workshops on poetry, speaking out, belly-dancing, nutrition and yoga. Evening entertainment is on offer, with comedy on the Friday night and cabaret on the Saturday night.

Menopause Cafe charity founder Rachel Weiss said: ”Before I had my period, I knew what to expect; before I had sex, I had some idea; before I gave birth, I had a plan, but before menopause - zilch!  Nobody talked about it, apart from jokes about hot flushes.

“I had no idea of the range of ways it can impact our mental and physical wellbeing.”  

The charity organises pop-up events worldwide, year round, where people drink tea, eat cake and talk menopause.  

Rachel added: ”We held the first #FlushFest in Perth in 2018, to celebrate different aspects of menopause, to let people learn, talk and laugh together, to explore it through facts and the arts.  

“This year we are moving online, opening the Festival up to a worldwide audience.”

For detailed programme and to book tickets, visit https://www.menopausecafe.net/menopause-festival-2021-flushfest2021/  

Early Bird tickets costs £45 if booked before 28th February, the standard price is £60.

All are welcome, regardless of age or gender and the event is being promoted with the hashtag #FlushFest2021. 

Twitter and Instagram: @Menopause_Cafe

Facebook: www.facebook.com/menocafe17

Email: menopausecafe@outlook.com

Our panel has spent the past two weeks reading and re-reading applications to our inaugural mentorship scheme.

The response significantly exceeded our expectations - so we decided to find more matches where possible. 

Unsuccessful applicants have been sent tailored feedback, which we hope will help shape their goals. 

Eight mentees have been selected to pair with our original group of mentors. A further seven mentors have come on board, including some from our own committee, who will mentor additional mentees whose applications they felt an affinity with. They are Anna Burnside, Natasha Radmehr, Margot McCuaig, Fiona Russell, Catriona MacPhee, Jan Patience and Gabriella Bennett. 

Jan Patience, Co-Chair of Women in Journalism Scotland, said: "This year has been an exceptionally difficult one for everyone and women working in the media have been battling through it like everyone else. This is reflected in many of the applications we received for our pilot mentoring scheme. 

"Sadly there are still many examples of inequality in the media and this scheme is part of wider efforts by Women in Journalism Scotland to try to tackle the imbalance. A recent survey shows that equality in the media has suffered as a result of the events of 2020 and several respondents cited mentoring as an important way to support women.

“We are really pleased to have matched our original eight mentors with eight fantastic women in journalism – and then added in seven additional mentors for good measure. We wish them all well.

Congratulations to the class of 2021.

We look forward to seeing how the pairings lead to a more diverse and dynamic future for women in the Scottish journalism scene. 

Taken at our broadcast training event in pre-pandemic times

During November and December of 2020, Women in Journalism Scotand ran an online survey, collecting 92 responses from women working in media from right across Scotland. The results show that:

• 18% of women have lost their jobs and a further 29% fear losing their jobs within a year

• 38.5% of women freelancers have lost more than half of their commissions

• 61% said abuse directed at journalists had increased in the past year and 36% were abused while doing their jobs this year

• 56% have taken on extra workload and responsibilities as a result of the pandemic with no compensation

• 78% of women working in the media with children under 16 saw childcare responsibilities fall to them during the pandemic

• 50.5% said their mental health deteriorated during 2020 to the point it impacted their ability to do their job

Gender equality in the media has regressed in 2020

Gender equality in the media industry has taken a serious hit as a result of the 2020 pandemic, as the results of a survey run by Women in Journalism Scotland, supported by Gender Equal Media Scotland, show. The figures reveal significant job losses, overwhelming workloads and unmanageable caring commitments that have pushed some to cut their hours or give up work altogether.

With the majority reporting that the level of abuse directed at female journalists has increased this year, the net result is that more than half of women working in the media have seen a serious deterioration in mental health over the pandemic.

And, 50 years after the Equal Pay Act came into force, equal pay is still overwhelmingly the issue that women feel needs addressing most urgently, followed by online abuse. 

Catriona MacPhee, Co-chair of Women in Journalism Scotland, said: “It has been quite heartbreaking to go through the results of this survey and read of the experiences of not just a few, but dozens upon dozens of women, who say they are barely coping.

“This has undoubtedly been a terrible year for everyone, but it’s clear that women have been disproportionately affected by cuts in the industry and by the regression of equality in the workplace and at home. This has serious implications when media reporting has never been more important.

“At the same time, while it’s extremely worrying to see an increase in hostility towards all journalists in 2020, women are being targeted more, particularly with sexist and personal abuse. We are deeply worried by this trend and believe that, as an industry, it’s time we joined forces across the board to not only stamp out unacceptable attacks, but to ensure proper support and protection is given to those being abused.

Alys Mumford, chair of the Gender Equal Media Scotland Coalition, said: “These stark survey results show that the challenges already facing women in the media in Scotland have been exacerbated by the disproportionate impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on women.

“Already more likely to be in precarious employment, on part-time hours, or undertaking freelance work, this year has seen women in the media facing further job uncertainty, increased unpaid care work, and deteriorating mental health. 

“Black and minoritised women, disabled women, and women from other under-represented groups will be at even greater risk from the combined threats of the Covid-19 pandemic, and institutional sexism in the media.

“2020 has highlighted, perhaps more than ever, the necessity of good journalism. Unless media institutions change their structures to better support women – tackling sexism, examining workplace cultures, ensuring that childcare isn’t a barrier to employment, and taking action against online abuse – Scotland will not have the media that women need. 

“We are grateful to organisations like Women in Journalism Scotland who are working to highlight these issues, and look forward to working with them for a gender-equal media in the coming year.”

Job security and Commissions

Just under half (47.5%) of those in contracted employment have either already lost their job (18%) during the pandemic or fear losing it within the next year (29%). Some 59% of freelancers have lost commissions, and of these, two thirds have lost more than half their expected commissions as a result of the pandemic.This means that 38.5% of freelance women working in the media have lost more than half of their work in 2020. Several respondents also highlighted their observations that women from minority backgrounds had been particularly sidelined and marginalised during the past year. 

Given that the impact of these contract losses is likely to linger, this speaks to a longer-term issue of losing diverse voices in Scottish journalism. It also shows how precarious jobs in the media industry are just now, which adds an additional burden of stress to those still in the industry and a major disincentive for those seeking careers in the media.

The following quotes are extracts from the survey respondents: 

“I live alone, my income has collapsed, I've burned through all my savings and I'm not sure I'll have enough work after Christmas. I'm finding it exceptionally hard to cope or to see anything positive in the future.”

“I am not optimistic for the future as I feel there will be many more journalists chasing much fewer jobs and as a freelance, I will be at the end of a very long line with no real support to find paid employment...If I was a single-parent family I would seriously consider retraining as things are so precarious.”

“The number of job losses is worrying, especially cuts to part time positions which are predominantly held by women.”

Workload

Exactly 56% of respondents reported having been given an increased workload and additional responsibilities at work without being compensated in any way. Given the additional stressors and pressures on women journalists – such as childcare responsibilities and level of abuse, as detailed below – this is cause for concern.

“The workload has been absolutely immense, and we've been given hardly any support to work so hard while not seeing family or friends for months.”

“Before the pandemic, we were already stretched. I've lost a lot of colleagues in the past two years. We lost more to furlough and, eventually, redundancy. Trying to keep the production of a newspaper going when everybody is working at home is a lot more exhausting than I expected...I also think that we've seen the effects of trying to run publications on skeleton staff ... there's just no respite.”

Childcare

Of those respondents with children under 16, 78% reported that childcare and home-schooling responsibilities had fallen to them, which reflects wider societal gender norms. A third of respondents (31%) stated that their employer had been unaccommodating of these additional caring responsibilities. 

Equally damaging is the finding that 11% of respondents with children had to cut back on work or give it up entirely in order to fulfil their family responsibilities. Three quarters (79%) of those caring for children while working during the pandemic described this as difficult, but as having no other choice.

Women journalists are therefore not only managing multiple roles to a greater extent than their male counterparts, but are also often being forced to negotiate the rigidity of their employers’ demands.

“Being the main childcare provider, I feel having to take time off to care for my children during lockdown impacted on how I was viewed in the newsroom. Instead of doing news when I came back I was pushed into features and those who had not taken time off were given bigger stories.”

“I felt isolated and scared. As a single parent, I also had to do all the homeschooling. I felt a heavy burden on me and felt very fearful about the future.”

“I have had to homeschool my children and work at the same time, sometimes doing the First Minister briefings. The news has changed throughout the day, and pages had to be re-written. I felt overwhelmed at times with no respite.”

Public Perceptions of Journalists

Nearly 60% agreed that people are more likely to rely on journalists to inform them of public health messages, contributing to a culture in which journalists are crucial to the dissemination of accurate, accessible information and advice. However at the same time, 43% of respondents believe that people think journalists are less trustworthy as a result of the events of 2020. 

“So many people despise you and what you do. Even family members talk about lying media, biased BBC. It's exhausting, dispiriting.”

“People accusing me of spreading misinformation, people being incredibly nasty in terms of the political stories I write.”

Abuse

Around 61% of respondents said that levels of abuse towards journalists had increased as a result of the events of 2020. In the context of greater societal reliance on journalists for public health guidance this figure is troubling, and prompts questions about what measures are in place to protect journalists, particularly women journalists who tend to receive more extreme abuse. 

Approximately 36% of women journalists responding to the WIJS questionnaire stated that they had received abuse of some kind this year whilst doing their job, either on social media, on the phone – and for nine women even in person. Our survey was open to all women working in the media, including in communications and in non-public facing media roles, but we believe that if that question was applied solely to public facing reporters the number would be significantly higher. 

When asked to detail the abuse they had received, many respondents cited sexist abuse, several reported racist abuse, and several said that members of the public had sought out private information about them or obtained their email address in order to send targeted abuse and to encourage others to do the same. 

A worrying trend within the responses was the repeated assertion of this abuse as “just the normal”,”Just trolling…from regular trolls”, “taking abusive calls ends up being par for the course”, “I have learned to manage abuse…”, “The usual ‘lying BBC reporter’ stuff.”, 

This shows that abuse has become normalised - viewed as inevitable even - and sadly, as an accepted downside of the job. Online abuse was repeatedly referred to as a factor in mental ill health. With active social media presences now seen as prerequisite for many public-facing journalists, it highlights the anomaly that while employers expect staff to maintain online presences, very few provide support in dealing with abuse or are actively tackling it. 

When respondents were asked what issues they wanted WIJS to campaign on their behalf about, online abuse was the second most popular topic cited.

“I had to completely delete my social media because of burnout.”

“I think the main challenge is in the online abuse women are subject to in the toxic environment of social media - and how that can lead to self-censorship and people leaving the profession (not to mention the impact on mental health).”

“The online abuse of women, particularly women from marginalised groups, is horrific. I don't know a single woman journalist who hasn't experienced it.”

“Armchair misogynists emboldened by world events.”

“Journalists shouldn’t be scared out of writing things but the culture of social media can create a situation where this is a factor in decision making. Even in editorial decisions I’ve witnessed this being a factor and it absolutely shouldn’t be.”

Mental Health

Given the pressures outlined above such as lack of employer support, loss of jobs, increased workload and increased abuse in the workplace, it is unfortunately not surprising that half (50.5%) of respondents described their mental health as having been impacted to the extent that they were unable to do their job to their usual standard. This is significant and deeply worrying, particularly in light of the fact that just under half of respondents are working freelance, and therefore are unable to access any kind of employee mental health benefits.

“Feel burnt out constantly writing and reading Covid-19 related content.”

“Overall my mental health has been affected as I work entirely from home and one bleeds into the other and into my free time...There’s been times I’ve been writing till 3am when that never used to be the case. It’s not good for me but I seem unable to manage my time or keep within sensible hours when I’m spending my entire life in one room.”

“Really struggling to focus on work/getting work when I am just trying to survive.”

Menopause

40% of affected women said that the symptoms of the menopause impacted their ability to do their jobs, with 91% of those saying that their employer had not been flexible or accommodating of this. 

This indicates that employers’ understanding of menopause and support for women going through the menopause is a critical factor in women’s ability to perform their work to the highest standard.

Equality as a casualty of 2020, in the words of women in the media: 

“Equality being one of the first things to regress as a result of the stresses of 2020, particularly with regard to domestic responsibilities.”

“Sadly it is still difficult to progress your career as a female within journalism. When I started out there were hardly any women involved, it became better over the years but sadly we are back at almost square one. I'm still the only female in conferences more often than not. Despite award-winning female voices, positions of power are held by far more males. Childcare, maternity, part time working are all still huge issues. Countless examples of downsizing newsrooms where women part time workers are adversely hit. I question whether this will ever be resolved.”

“Having to deal with the same nonsense I was dealing with in 1995.”

“Sexual equality you think would have been addressed in the 80s but we are struggling with the equality even today in 2020. There is more conversation but less change. It’s not enough to talk about what needs to change and attitudes towards the change more actions.”

For more information contact Women in Journalism Scotland Co-Chairs Catriona MacPhee on 07768103643 or Jan Patience on 07802427207 or at wijscotland@gmail.com.

The full results can be viewed here: PDF Summary, Excel sheet showing full responses

(Top Row L-R) Heather Kane-Darling, Kirsty Wark, Catherine Coyle, Gina Davidson

(Bottom Row L-R) Halla Mohieddeen, Sally Hampton, Melanie Reid, Donalda MacKinnon

One of the subjects we are asked most about at Women in Journalism Scotland is mentoring.

That’s why we’ve decided to launch an inaugural mentoring scheme, building on the success of a similar initiative run by our partner organisation Women in Journalism UK.

Our aim is to link up emerging Scotland-based journalists with some of the most successful women in the industry.

Eight influential mentors have agreed to share their knowledge and experience with the next generation of journalists. They span print, broadcast and radio, and are on hand to provide guidance and advice.

We’re thrilled that the mentors for our inaugural year are:

Donalda MacKinnon, former director of BBC Scotland

Donalda has recently retired from her post as director of BBC Scotland. She was responsible for 13 BBC centres, with more than 1,000 staff. She sponsored work-to-advance career progression for women and improve workplace culture. A graduate of the University of Edinburgh, Donalda began her career as a teacher. She has held various board-level roles, is a certified executive coach.

Melanie Reid, columnist, The Times

Melanie Reid began as a graduate trainee on The Scotsman in 1980 and held senior positions at the Sunday Mail and The Herald. In 2007 she joined The Times and since 2010 has written Spinal Column in The Times Saturday magazine. She’s been columnist and journalist of the year at Scottish and UK Press Awards. In 2014 she co-wrote, with Gregor Fisher, his memoir The Boy from Nowhere. Her own best-selling memoir The World I Fell Out Of was published in 2019 and won the Saltire Prize for non-fiction.

Sally Hampton, consumer magazines publisher, DC Thomson Media

Sally Hampton oversees a diverse portfolio of UK and Scottish interest magazine brands. Her role involves identifying opportunities to grow existing DC Thomson Media titles through innovation and expansion – and launching new products across a variety of platforms. Most recently, she was a key member of the team that delivered Platinum magazine, one of the biggest launches in consumer magazines in recent times. Sally is currently chair of PPA Scotland.

Halla Mohieddeen, principal presenter, Al Jazeera 

Halla Mohieddeen is a principal presenter with Al Jazeera in Doha. Before moving back into 24-hour international news, she launched STV News Tonight, bringing local, national and international news to a Scottish audience. She has a wealth of international experience, working as a journalist and presenter in Asia, the Middle East, mainland Europe and Scotland. 

Heather Kane-Darling, lead editor, speech and topical programmes, BBC Scotland

Heather’s been in Scottish radio for 20 years; starting out as a trainee broadcast journalist rising to group head of news before moving into programming. Currently she is a lead editor at BBC Scotland overseeing speech and topical programmes for BBC Radio Scotland as well as working across multi-platform productions. She previously worked in the commercial sector, running radio stations across the UK as group programmer for Communicorp UK for brands including Capital, Smooth and Heart. 

Kirsty Wark, Newsnight anchor, BBC

Kirsty Wark has built up a reputation as one of the UK’s most formidable and versatile television journalists. She is best known as an anchor on the BBC’s flagship news and current affairs show Newsnight. Kirsty has several major accolades to her name including BAFTA Awards for Outstanding Contribution to Broadcasting, Journalist of the Year and Best Television Presenter.

Catherine Coyle, assistant editor, Homes & Interiors Scotland magazine

Catherine Coyle graduated in law before deciding to write. She combined the two, editing FIRM magazine (a lifestyle mag for lawyers), got a grounding in grassroots journalism at The Big Issue in Scotland magazine, and freelanced along the way before finding her natural home at Homes & Interiors Scotland magazine where she is assistant editor. 

Gina Davidson, deputy political editor, The Scotsman

Gina Davidson has been a journalist for more than 25 years, working across newspapers and television, and after a brief sojourn in Scottish politics, she is back in news as deputy political editor at the Scotsman. She was named Journalist of the Year in the 2013 Scottish Press Awards and was last year the recipient of the Nicola Barry Award. 

We believe mentoring has the ability to change the future of journalism. That future features a more confident, diverse workforce, a greater prevalence of female voices and more women in senior positions.

Eight early-to-mid career journalists will be chosen to take part in a year-long programme, which will include at least an hour a month of their mentor’s time, most likely on Zoom or by email. WiJ Scotland defines a mid career journalist as someone who feels they still have space to grow in their career and has specific goals they feel a mentor would help with.

To apply to have your media career shaped by this opportunity, fill in the below application form by 4 December 2020. Applicants must be a member of Women in Journalism Scotland.

If you are not yet a member, join here. We are sorry but in this first year, we are not able to accept applications from students. However, we hope to be bringing more career focused events to student members in the coming year. We hope to be able to expand this mentorship in future years to be able to accept more people onto the scheme.

Speaking about the scheme, Women in Journalism Scotland chairs, Catriona MacPhee and Jan Patience, said:

"We hope this scheme will help to level the playing field for eight up and coming women journalists, who, evidence shows, sadly still face discrimination in terms of pay and promotions.

"There are many hugely talented women journalists working in Scotland and it's really encouraging to see how readily those in senior positions are willing to give those who are starting out a hand up.

"We hope these pairings will prove fruitful to both sides and help the mentees reach their full potential, whether that be in securing the job they've always wanted or achieving a happy work life balance."

Applicants to the pilot mentoring programme will be selected by a panel led by WiJ Scotland co-chairs, Jan Patience and Catriona MacPhee. The panel will closely study all the answers to the questions posed in each application and base its final decision on the journalists proving how much they would benefit from the programme. An additional factor will be which applicant best fits the skills and experience of the eight mentors currently lined up.

On 17 November, WIJ Scotland will host an online event with Audrey Gillan. The award-winning journalist will discuss a career that's taken her from the East end of Glasgow to London, Iraq and Washington, covering some of the biggest news stories of the last 20 years.

As a multiplatform journalist covering major court cases and conflicts, Audrey has witnessed some of the darkest, and most resilient, sides of human behaviour. What makes her work so compelling is that she's also an expert in picking out the humanity, the glimmers of hope and the black comedy in her subjects.

Her ground-breaking study of homelessness, told through lives and voices of errant couple Tara and George, is a masterclass in interviewing as well as how to tackle a hugely complex and age-old subject in fresh way that really connects.

The six-part series won Radio Programme of the Year at the 2019 Broadcasting Press Guild Awards.

Audrey's most recent podcast, On the Ground, retells the story of her time as an embedded journalist in Iraq when her squadron was attacked in a fatal friendly fire incident.

She returns to the traumatic incident and applies forensic investigative journalism to find out what really happened and what impact it had, not just on the soldiers she bonded with, but on herself.

Audrey will be interviewed on her career, her podcasts and what makes compelling audio journalism by WiJ Scotland Co-Chair Catriona MacPhee.

There will be an opportunity to ask questions at the end.

Sign up here

In February, 27 members of Women in Journalism Scotland took part in our second ‘Branch Into Broadcasting’ training day. Below one of the participants, WiJ Scotland committee member, Hannah Baird shares her experience and the tips she learned.

WiJ Scotland is committed to improving female representation as commentators and experts, as well as supporting members with their careers in media.

WiJ Scotland Branch into Broadcasting training at BBC and STV studios in Glasgow came about after a previous session had been a roaring success, with many of the women emerging as a ‘voice’. Some of these women, now prominent commentators, had previously always refused requests to go on air due to lack of confidence.

At the training, STV Chairman, Baroness Margaret Ford, addressed the group to share some useful advice:

“In a world of fake news, it has never been more important for public broadcasting to step up.

“Form opinion based on fact and in context as this allows balance and proportionality. In that regard, the voice of women is critical – we have different experiences to men.

“Diversity of thought and experience is so important in public policy and news.”

I work in communications. I need to be able to give feedback and advice on broadcast interviews and to really understand something, you need to experience it. So, over the course of the day, I took part in three interviews – radio, television and a panel discussion.

I watched my interviews back which was incredibly helpful. I recognised what I did wrong, and how to correct my mistakes, as well as what I did right. Watching my body language was interesting – I didn’t realise how seemingly insignificant things, such as looking up when I’m thinking, look so exaggerated. These insights are invaluable for presenting at work too.

Being surrounded by clever, charismatic women gives you a sense that you can achieve anything. Taking part in the training in a supportive group with a common goal felt empowering.

You have to fake it ‘til you make it – you don’t grow in your comfort zone. Volunteering to be interviewed in a studio by journalists I hear on the radio and see on television was a massive confidence boost. I’d even thought about not going, and other women told me they were thinking the same that morning.

Top Tips from the Training

• First things first, don’t be afraid to ask questions about the show you will be on. Before an interview you can predict, or even ask, what will be covered. Ask who you will be interviewed by, ask who you will be on with and please ask about the fee.

• Don’t be afraid to cast some hooks. To get interviewed, contact producers and bookers and use your contacts.

• Watch and listen to shows you may be asked to appear on so you know the format.

• You might want to get a system in place at work to avoid going to HR every time you are asked on a show as you may not always have time.

• When preparing what you are going to say, consider who is listening and what you want to say to them.

• When you are being interviewed, remember people want to relate to you. Humanise it.

• Prepare and practise your key messages. Have a goal.

• In addition to having in-depth knowledge on what you’re speaking about, be aware of current stories and breaking news in case the interviewer asks for your opinion.

• You may want to prepare a sound bite for a pre-recorded interview. A sound bite should be short. It’s killed if it’s overloaded. Think of when you’re eating. One bite. It’s small. Sound bites can be akin to advertising slogans. For example, Boris Johnson’s ‘let’s get Brexit done’.

• Remember, silence is better than ‘um’ and ‘em’. Don’t be afraid to say you have to think about it if you’re not live.

• You want to have a strong eye line to camera. Don’t look up, down or away if you’re unsure. This can make the audience think you’re avoiding the question.

Breathe Deeply and Stop Apologising

At the latest broadcasting training, Professor Ros Steen led a voice workshop. Ros believes “the voice is deeply connected to who we are.”

It was remarkable to listen to our voices at the beginning and end of Ros’s workshop. We all did a short speech at the start. Almost all of us apologised at some point. Apologising for imperfection is totally unhelpful when we are trying to present ourselves confidently. We need to stop apologising.

Ros said: “Other people can’t give you confidence, it’s an inner thing. People can compliment you and encourage you, but you need to conquer confidence yourself.”

She went on to explain: “Real confidence comes from the inside and the ability to stand in yourself and transmit who you are and what you have to say from there. Some of your transmission will be conscious but some will be unconscious, and we need to become aware of those aspects by working on ourselves, our body and our voice.”

She also talked about how the voice works; the voice comes from the whole body, not simply the throat.

Voice is part of the muscular system of the body. How the voice is held and used automatically affects how it sounds. How we breathe is crucial. It is the support for our vocal tone – what our voice is carrying as opposed to what our voice is saying.

Clearly, there is so much more to a great media interview than words. As well as impacting our speech, body language speaks volumes. For example, when you’re slouched and sitting making yourself look small, your body language is effectively telling people you’re not important. Instead, sit up straight and uncross your legs.

With pointers and practise you can master media interviews.

Catriona MacPhee has a list of women in the WIJ network who are available for media interviews as commentators and experts that we give to producers. Please get in touch with her if you would like added to the list. WiJ Scotland members are also able to add themselves to the online WiJ Scotland Members Directory. Get in touch with Wij Scotland to find out how: wijscotland@gmail.com

In February, Tasnim Nazeer attended our ‘Branch Into Broadcasting’ training day held in the BBC and STV studios in Glasgow. Just five months later she made history as the first hijab-wearing woman to anchor a Scottish news report. Below she explains how it came to be and why she’s launched a petition calling for better representation in the UK media.

I have been a freelance journalist for over 10 years working across print, radio and online, and have always wanted to transition into TV broadcasting. However, I knew from the onset that this is generally a competitive sector of journalism to get into and one that would require a lot of hard work and dedication.  In addition, my lived experiences of facing discrimination made things even more challenging. Hearing stories of other freelancers who had felt that they simply couldn’t progress due to issues such as identity and race was very disheartening.

I was starting to wonder whether I would ever be able to break through the ‘glass ceiling’ that I felt I had been under for so long, but continued to persevere. Over the years I had built up a portfolio of multi-platform journalism work and despite having opportunities to guest commentate on TV I was considering how best to transition into an actual reporting role.

I decided to attend the Women in Journalism ‘Branch into Broadcasting’ day which I think was a fantastic experience to learn, network, meet other fellow journalists and Heads of News. It was there that I made a point to introduce myself, which I think is important when wanting to pitch stories and connect. It was also invaluable to get experience in the studio at BBC Scotland and STV. I would highly recommend the WiJ Scotland event to others looking to branch into the sector as it gives a good feel as to what broadcasting entails.

Following the broadcast training day, I then used the time I had during the lockdown to seek out stories, contacts and access and to see whether there would be any potential in covering those stories and pitching to contacts who I had met on the day. Once the lockdown had been lifted and restrictions were eased  I approached STV News with one of my stories and the rest is ‘history’ (quite literally).

July 2020 was the month I did my first TV report for STV News at Six. It was said to have been the first time a hijab-wearing TV reporter anchored a news report in the history of Scottish TV. It was a real personal achievement for me,  because I was uncertain whether it would ever happen prior to this opportunity. I still remember how happy my family were watching the report back as they know how much I have longed to see this day.

I was grateful that STV took me on purely for the story and the potential to do the job rather than see identity as a barrier and the fact that they are committed to supporting any freelancer the same way. In addition, talking about my experience saw my inbox inundated with messages from people all over the UK sharing their own challenges of trying to break through the ‘glass ceiling’.

I decided to start a campaign  to help others by calling for better representation in the media so that it more accurately reflects the national portrait of this country. I want everyone to feel that they can succeed and not be held back because of issues to do with  race, faith, gender, disability or any other factor. I know there are a lot of broadcasters who are investing in diversity and inclusion initiatives and have already taken action to facilitate better representation but there is still a lot more work that needs to be done. I hope that this campaign will ensure that broadcasters reflect on its talent and further see  actionable change.

One thing I have learnt from this experience is that as journalists there may be times when we have to create opportunities for ourselves, take risks and persevere in order to progress. I wish all the members of WiJ Scotland success in progressing in their respective sectors of journalism and hope that together we can see better representation and diversity in the newsroom. 

Please do sign the petition  and share the hashtag #betterrepresentation to show your support - hopefully more journalists will achieve equal opportunities in the media.

I first heard about Ajay Close's new novel, What We Did in the Dark, from the author herself when she came to Anna Burnside's home Salon a couple of years ago. The novel under discussion that night was Ajay's 2017 novel, The Daughter of Lady Macbeth but at the time, Ajay was deep into her research for what became What We Did in the Dark.

After we had discussed The Daughter of Lady Macbeth, Ajay told us the story of Scottish journalist, Catherine Carswell and her tumultuous – and doomed – first marriage to artist Herbert Jackson. I had heard about Carswell and had even read her novel, Open The Door, years ago but it was obvious as Ajay spoke that the story of this doyenne of what was then called The Glasgow Herald was the stuff of fiction. I itched to know more.

I used to read Ajay's pristine features in Scotland on Sunday in awe. Now I read her novels in awe. She was the obvious choice as a guest for the inaugural WiJ Scotland Salon now that Anna's home Salon has flitted to a new home.

Unfortunately Covid-19 has put paid to this Salon. For now. Watch this space for a new date in the autumn. In the meantime, Ajay has written about the writing of What We Did in the Dark for your delectation...

Jan Patience, co-chair Women in Journalism Scotland

Ajay Close on how she wrote What We Did in the Dark

It began with a passing mention in Wikipedia. Catherine Carswell’s first marriage ended in a landmark divorce case. Her husband, Herbert Jackson, spent the rest of his life in a lunatic asylum.

I knew there and then I had the makings of a novel, a fact-based fiction like my suffragette novel A Petrol Scented Spring. It would mean interviewing descendants of the main characters, research in libraries and archives, foreign travel. Almost like being a journalist again (in the good old days), only without deadlines – and with licence to invent what I couldn’t find out.

Carswell was a successful 20th century writer. Three of her six books are Scottish classics. A New Zealand academic has written a critical biography and edited two volumes of her letters. It’s easy to get a sense of her: self-doubting, charismatic, intellectually curious, strikingly goodlooking all her life.

Putting fictional flesh on the bones of an obscure portrait painter like Herbert Jackson was always going to be more of a challenge.

He died in 1929 and was buried in an unmarked grave in Dumfries, but the process of erasing him from the record began much earlier. No one wanted to be reminded of him, not his mother and sister, and certainly not his wife. He can be glimpsed in the distorting mirror of Carswell’s first novel, Open The Door, as the pathologically jealous Mario Rasponi, killed off in a motorbike accident shortly after marrying the author’s alter ego Joanna. There are 12 lines (out of 245 pages!) about Carswell’s first marriage in her autobiography Lying Awake. Neither book tells us much about Herbert.

I knew why. The life-changing Bad Relationship. The one you analyse endlessly – he was this or that kind of nightmare, but how much was I to blame? – until your friends are sick of hearing about it. I have one of those in my past (many women have) and I can’t write coherently about it any more than Cathie could. But I was perfectly placed to tackle her story.

Journalism was a big part of both Herbert’s and Cathie’s lives. In 1905, with a husband in the madhouse and a young child to support, she started working for the Glasgow Herald (the paper I wrote for 90 years later). Herbert’s father, Mason Jackson, was art editor of the Illustrated London News. Thanks to him, several of Herbert’s paintings were reproduced in early 20th century periodicals. This was a massive stroke of luck for me, and not the only one.

Sifting through a bulky folder in Liverpool University Special Collections, I came across a snapshot from 1903. Four art teachers sitting on some steps. One was dark-haired, saturnine, smartly dressed but tough looking, with a broken nose and narrowed stare. Suddenly Cathie’s whirlwind marriage made more sense.

I have a long-dead journalist to thank for my biggest lucky break. Three years after Herbert was taken away to an asylum, Cathie went to court to get the marriage annulled on the grounds that he had been mad on their wedding day. The Times court reporter was a commendably thorough chap. I owe more than half my 300-page novel to his coverage of the three-day case.

Their courtship was romantic but very short. On honeymoon, Cathie found out who she had married. He slept with a pistol under his pillow, convinced his former friends were plotting against him. He believed he was followed by spies and informers, the newspapers defamed him, the American multimillionaire J Pierpont Morgan was his enemy, his food was poisoned… Strangest of all, he was sure he was impotent, despite what he and Cathie were doing night after night. When she told him she was pregnant, he accused her of adultery with the Prince of Wales and tried to strangle her.

You couldn’t make it up! Or rather, I didn’t have to – and, knowing how bizarre the facts were, I really had to raise my game when making up the rest.

What We Did in the Dark is published by Sandstone Press, £8.99.