2. Getting Started

There is no one-way to set up or hold a media club, the great thing about it is that it can be anything you want it to be. However to help you along the way here is our handy 8 point plan to getting started with a Media Club.

For more information on How to start a media club download our Total Guide to Media Clubs PDF here or head over to the hints and tips section

If you are running your media club as part of our pilot programme please make sure you have registered with us.

1. Who is in the group?

I meet a lot of parents who either haven't gone back to work after having kids or can't get anything because of where they live... their confidence and self-worth has really plummeted, so anything that can improve that and help their social skills through being able to have an opinion, and being able to feel that your opinion is valid is worthwhile.

AimHigher tutor

There are many ways of forming a media club. The obvious starting place is setting up a club with your friends, family, colleagues or fellow learners. Chances are you can all easily get together regularly to talk about what you've all been watching. See if one already exists in your area - try your local library, college, UK Online centre or local bookshop first, or if you work and have a Union Learning Rep, ask him or her. However the group is formed, the important thing is that the group members feel comfortable with one another rather than inhibited and embarrassed. You can always start with a few friends, co-workers or course mates and invite others to join you later.

2. How big?

That is completely up to you, however successful groups generally have between six and ten members - small enough for everyone to get a word in, yet big enough to cope with a few absentees per meeting.

3. Where and when to meet?

You can meet in each other's houses, in your local library, in a recreation space at work, or even ask your local college. Think about which will suit your members best. Location is important and will set the tone for the atmosphere of the group, however consideration should be given to how all members would get to it - somewhere accessible by public transport and in central location for the community would probably be best.

Choose whether your club wants to meet monthly, fortnightly or weekly and at what time of day. Crucially, whatever the timing is, try and meet on the same day each time. This will give the group continuity, the meeting priority and make it easier for people to keep it free and attend regularly. Decide how long you want your meetings to last (most groups will meet for between one and two hours) but be flexible in the course of each meeting. Let people finish their point before rounding up the event.

4. Organising your club

I use television as a tool to engage the children in discussion and we talk about what we see on TV, which I feel gives them a sense of perspective about the wider world and their place in it. It's also a good way to spend time together, and there's nothing better than sharing laughter with my kids over something we're watching together.

Meera Syal, actress (quoted from Viewtrition report published by Freeview and Mumsnet)

Often one person is the driving force in getting the club off the ground - taking responsibility for organising everyone, arranging the venue, sorting out the content to watch, checking the next meeting is arranged and sorting out any food and drink. This might be your learning rep, librarian, or learning centre manager. If you are planning a more informal group, it is fairest for everyone to take turns at organising the meetings. Either the person who has chosen the programme/ theme at that particular meeting could take charge, or decide at the meeting who is going to organise the next session. What is important is that the burden does not fall on the same person each time. Remember that groups are a great excuse for social interaction, fostering friendships and community, so make sure there is time and space for conversation - and you should never underestimate the importance of tea and biscuits!

5. What kind of structure should the meetings have?

Again that's entirely up to you. Some groups will just meet up and talk about whatever comes to mind; others are more formal, with an introduction to the meeting by one member. Some groups might like to keep journals of their meetings with notes on the discussion. Others might like to play games, try out activities around the content / theme watched. Meetings could be themed around a certain type of content or a specific programme, or be used to highlight current issues. There is, of course, no right or wrong way to run a Media Club.

Taking part in a Media Club should be fun and relaxing, but your group needs to spend some time focused on the content under discussion. You could set aside say 15 minutes at the start of each meeting to allow your members to get settled, catch up with gossip and so on. Then you can turn your attention to the programmes you want to talk about.

6. What should we watch and how?

Most groups will choose to watch the programmes(s) together, either in total or as clips. You can decide what works best for you; watching and then talking, or pausing along the way to chat about what's going on. During your meeting you may want to watch many different programme clips to compare and contrast, or just focus on one programme with regular pauses. When watching together we would recommend content in shorter clips to keep the group engaged and not lose their attention. You might also choose to watch the whole programme at home, or if it's a film, at the cinema, and get together after to discuss it.

When it comes to choosing what programmes to watch, remember to take into consideration the feelings, backgrounds and preferences of your members. Concerning contentious topics, tread carefully at first - as a suggestion, try to avoid conversations about religion, politics or sex on a first outing. These could prove embarrassing or inflammatory among a newly formed group. Remember that not everyone will like the chosen content, but a range of opinions will make for an interesting conversation.

7. How to facilitate the meeting?

It is important to think about group interaction, and a good idea would be to start the first meeting with ice-breakers so people feel more comfortable. As the facilitator you should introduce the content/ theme of the evening and have some discussion points ready to get things going. Often discussion can take a little time to get warmed up so a little structure at the start can be beneficial. Once everyone's into the swing of things the discussion can go off at all kinds of angles. Another idea is to allot a certain number of questions for each member to ask, this ensures everybody has input and that there is a diversity of perspective and opinion. Remember, try to encourage open-ended questions. Be aware as to when the discussion is getting bogged down and needs to be moved on. You can also help generate new discussion points if you have reached a bit of a trough in the proceedings.

8. Keep an eye on group dynamics

There are some common pitfalls you need to watch out for. For example, one member can dominate discussion so much that no-one else can get a word in edgeways. Or someone else may lack the confidence to say anything at all. So how can you avoid these problems? You could create a plan that every meeting follows to make sure you have a balanced group where everyone contributes. For example, the person who nominated this month's programme might introduce it by saying why s/he chose it. That same person might lead the discussion, perhaps by having prepared five or six points to kick start the conversation. Why that programme? What did they love about the characters or the storyline? Then just go around the group in turn - at this point with no interruptions - until everyone has had a chance to say what they think of the programme. Then you can throw open the discussion. Remember everyone's opinions matter and the point is not to reach a consensus decision on whether the programme was good or not but to get the chance to discuss, debate, learn and enjoy.

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