In Focus: Appearing at a Select Committee
In our first article on Select Committee’s we explored how to prepare for an appearance at one of these committees and what to expect when you attend one. In this article we’ll look at a real-life example of an academic from York who was invited to give evidence at the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee.
Dr Hyojung Sun, Lecturer in the Business of Creative and Cultural Industries at York, was invited to attend the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee in December 2023. Hyojung shared her experience of preparing for, and attending the committee:
"I, along with three other researchers, had the privilege of conducting research about how musicians make a living in the streaming age, a project commissioned by the UK Intellectual Property Office (IPO). When it was launched, it coincided with the Covid-19 pandemic, which amplified the concerns of musicians’ earnings, as live music became impossible, leaving the small income from streaming as the only income.
"The issue of musicians livelihood has rarely been an issue of political debate. Yet in the UK, a Parliamentary Select Committee launched an inquiry into the Economics of Music Streaming in 2020. Given my work on music creators earnings in the digital era, and other evidence I wrote to the Parliament on this issue, I, along with my co-author, Prof. David Hesmondhalgh from the University of Leeds, was invited to speak before the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee in December 2023, to discuss the progress that has been made since the inquiry began.
"Preparing for the committee appearance seemed daunting, given the high-profile nature of the event, it being televised and with many of the major music industry stakeholders present at the hearing. However, plenty of support was provided at the University level, including from TYPE, who supplied the relevant materials and who connected me with Prof. Tony Heron, who previously worked as an advisor to Select Committees.
"Based on the helpful advice, I revisited the recent Select Committee session as well as my own reports and evidence. I focused on what message I should deliver to the Parliament so my evidence could make a meaningful contribution to the debate around the welfare of musicians. Overall, it felt like going back to my student revision period, but mostly it was reminding myself of my own work, so it probably wasn’t as intense as it was during my student time.
"I arrived at Westminster early, so I had enough time to settle in. Soon other members on the same panel arrived and this included Prof. David Hesmondhalgh, multiple Grammy Award winning musician Nile Rogers, and music industry executive Merck Mercuriadis. It was surreal to be in the same place as those who had much more experiences and insights into the music industry. It is the pinnacle of my research career so far, to have had the opportunity to speak before the Parliament and share my thoughts. To my surprise, the experience was great fun.
"The actual session was like a PhD viva where you get the chance to share what you think is important in your area of expertise. This is your chance to shine and potentially have a positive impact in your area of research."
Thanks to Dr Hyojung Sun for sharing her experiences. To learn more read our first article on Preparing for a Select Committee or visit Parliament.UK's guide to Select Committees