Executive committee - Student Publication Association

Meet the team

Jack Walsh

Chair

Hailing from Ireland, Jack is a fourth-year Government and Politics student at University College Cork. Previously serving as regional officer for Ireland and Northern Ireland, Jack is currently the SPA’s chair and will lead the charity over the 2024/25 period.

He has been involved in student journalism since secondary school. Most recently he served as Deputy-Editor of Polity, the SPA award nominated societal publication of the UCC Government and Politics Society. He has also been a current affairs reporter for the University Express and hosted a radio show on UCC98.3FM.

His tenure will focus on fostering deeper connections between the SPA’s 200+ member publications, securing the long-term financial position of the charity, and continuing to extend supports to student journalists across the UK and Ireland.

Joe McFadden

Training & Opportunities Officer

Joe is a trainee journalist at BBC News, where he is completing a journalism post-graduate apprenticeship as part of his training.

He was previously The Mancunion's Managing Editor, graduating from the University of Manchester in 2023 with a First Class degree in Politics and Modern History, and was the SPA's Regional Officer for the North in 2023/24. He is passionate about holding institutions to account and breaking down boundaries in journalism. In his spare time, Joe can be found tweeting about pop culture or watching films and TV

Roxy-Moon Dahal Hodson

Conference & Events Officer

Originally from South Wales, Roxy-Moon is an English student at King’s College London. She is currently working as the Essays Editor of Strand Magazine.

A self-professed conversationalist, Roxy enjoys connecting and collaborating with others and believes this is key to navigating networking and events. She is focused on pushing for more working-class representation in the creative industry and is proud of her working life in the hospitality sector. Roxy’s writing is infused with a fascination for people no matter what the section, and it attempts to bring interesting topics to the forefront of journalism.

Matthew Stothard

Communications Officer

Matthew is the former Co-Editor-in-Chief of Concrete and has recently completed an MA in Early Modern History at the University of East Anglia.

He has been involved in student journalism for almost four years, writing across a wide range of sections and holding multiple editorial roles, as well as working closely with UEA’s student radio station. He is keen to promote arts and culture journalism, and is passionate about creating welcoming and supportive environments in student media.

Libby Elliott

Sponsorship Officer

Libby is the Editor-in-Chief of The Mancunion, who also supports Manchester's student radio and television stations in her role. Helping to organise this year's NaSTA conference, she is passionate about making conferences and awards accessible. Formerly, she was the Investigations editor at The Mancunion and Chair of Manchester's Students for Sensible Drug Policy. She has also worked as a freelance journalist, investigating poor hospitality conditions in Manchester and covering local elections.

Rory Buccheri

Membership Officer

Rory is the Membership Officer, former Arts Editor and Head of Food and Drink at The Gaudie. They work as a freelance journalist covering food, entertainment, and travel, and are passionate about non-binary and queer representation in the media. Alongside SPA duties, Rory spends time obsessing over birds, reading, and writing their substack 'Travel Outside the Binary.'