For those who are not a part of DUBES, Trinity’s business and economics society, their “ReelEconomy” series may be unfamiliar. Founded this year by members of the society, “ReelEconomy” is a weekly series of Instagram Reels which takes a deep dive into relevant economic topics and news with the intention of making the content accessible and digestible for viewers.
There are three DUBES committee members involved in ReelEconomy: Malachy McKenna, the head of research, and Amy Coyle and Eli Van Egaart, who are researchers. When asked why ReelEconomy was established, Van Egaart explained, “The reason why I wanted to do it originally was that I saw that, even though DUBES is one of the largest societies in the college, it’s kind of portrayed as a social society, even though we are the business and economics society.”
Coyle added, “By offering students a brief look into current affairs, Reel Economy enables them to see how economic policy directly impacts the world around them. Our goal is to make economics accessible, interesting, and easy to digest, and show people how they can engage with it in their everyday lives.”
Their previous reels have focused on subjects such as CEO pay packages, the Argentinian bailout and Populism, and Chinese EV Battery investment. Moving forward, they are hoping to localise their subject matter.
“We’re hoping to explore more topics that directly impact students, from the housing crisis and the cost of living in Ireland, to the effects of policy decisions on everyday life,” said Coyle. “Besides that, we’ll continue to feature global economic news stories from a student-led perspective, from highlighting fiscal policy measures and the connections between politics and the economy, to showcasing the effects of AI and technological advancements on international markets.”
The ReelEconomy is a chance to stay committed to the society’s original intentions, and mix the business and the fun the society is known for. The founders also took inspiration from multiple sources on the structuring of research reports and video content, including other social media platforms.
“We particularly looked at a lady called Kyla Scanlon, and she was just putting the news in her own words and making it comprehensible for people,” said Van Egaart. Scanlon has recently published a book, “In This Economy: How Money and Markets Really Work”, which is a reflection of her work to increase economic literacy.
The ReelEconomy is an attempt to do this as well, for students by students. They are looking to expand the subject matter of the reels through subject matter, but also by collaborating with other societies and organisations.
“I would like people to know that although we wanted it to start as a DUBES-only thing, I’ve reached out to a few societies to give a different perspective on economic events. Because we consume a lot of American, western media, and if you have someone from a different ethnic background or nationality, they would have a different perspective or provide local news that we aren’t able to access,” said Van Egaart. “It doesn’t mean we can’t do it by ourselves, but it would enhance the standard of content that is available.”
One project they are hoping to finalise is a collaboration with the Student Economic Review. “I’ve reached out to the likes of the student economic review, so when they put out their report next year, we hope to have one of the authors contribute to a video that week to show off their work. Just getting more involvement will only make the project stronger,” said Van Egaart.
For all those looking to improve their understanding of the economy and current events, the ReelEconomy is out every week on the DUBES Instagram and is definitely worth looking into. “Even though we’re only at the beginning, I think it’s worked out really well so far, and I hope it continues,” said Van Egaart.
