Executive committee - Student Publication Association

Meet the team

Matthew Stothard

Chair

Matthew is currently working in content marketing at the University of East Anglia, where he previously studied a BA and MA in History and was Co-Editor-in-Chief of the student newspaper Concrete. Last year he was the SPA's Communications Officer, when he developed the SPA Spotlight podcast.

Having written his first article in his first few weeks at university, between Concrete and the SPA Matthew has now been involved in student media for five years. At Concrete he wrote across a wide range of sections and held multiple editorial roles, as well as working closely with UEA's student radio station Livewire1350. He quickly made an unofficial role for himself as Concrete's resident archivist. He is keen to promote arts and culture journalism and is passionate about creating welcoming and supportive environments in student media. In his spare time you'll find him visiting museums and heritage sites.

Rosie Peters-McDonald

Communications Officer

Rosie is a former Deputy Editor of Exeposé and studied English at the University of Exeter (2025). She’s originally from London.

Rosie has been involved in student journalism since 2023. She founded & produced Exeposé’s podcast, Off the Page, in 2024, and previously edited the Satire page. She has written for every section of her student publication and was a regular on her student radio station’s music show in 2024/25. She enjoys reporting on cultural stories, especially with a political and/or financial edge. She aims to use her voice in journalism to unearth stories from diverse backgrounds and represent working class realities.

Joe McFadden

Conference & Events 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. He was the SPA's Regional Officer for the North in 2023/24 and Training and Opportunities Officer in 2024/25. 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.

Oisín McGilloway

Training & Opportunities Officer

Oisín is studying MA Contemporary Art and the Moving Image at The Courtauld Institute of Art. He was the Editor-in-Chief of STRAND Magazine, the arts and culture magazine at King’s College London, during the 2024/25 academic year, and has written for culture publications such as Little White Lies and i-D. In the coming academic year, he hopes to start his own publication, providing a space for writing about activist filmmaking from around the world.

Isabella Ankerson

Sponsorship Officer

Isabella is a reporter for Latin Lawyer, where she covers deal-making and legal news in Latin America. She holds a BA in English and an MA in International Relations from the University of Exeter, from which she graduated in 2023. Isabella wrote for student publications RAZZ and Exeposé during her time at Exeter - fulfilling the roles of Online News Editor and later Deputy Online Editor of Exeposé during her Masters year. She was also the SPA's Advocacy Officer last year and the South East Regional Officer from 2023-24.

Heather Gosling

Membership Officer

Heather is originally from Brighton and completed a BA in English Literature at the University of York. She is planning on studying for an MA in Magazine Journalism at City St George’s University of London. While at university in York, Heather worked as Deputy Muse Editor for Muse, the arts and culture supplement of Nouse, and Editor-in-Chief of Circulation Magazine. She is passionate about supporting student media and arts and culture journalism. In her free time, she enjoys attending music concerts and festivals.