Coral James O'Connor

Overview

As an academic and trained journalist, Coral James O'Connor, has turned her interest in political journalism into the focus of her research. Coral's PhD study looks at how social media has altered the communication strategies of political parties. Her research investigates the use and impact of social media on party political communications and the changes that have occurred, looking specifically at the use of social media in general election campaigns, with the focus being on the UK 2019 general election. Using agenda setting and salience theory at the centre of her research, she looks at how the use of social media communications has altered the relationship between the leadership of political parties (Labour and Conservative) and their back bench MPs.

Coral's work specialises in broadcast (audio and video) and digital journalism, having produced news content for interactive TV and web channels. Her first online multimedia experience was working for IMG’s NOW channel in 2000, producing interactive digital environmental news programmes. Coral has worked for many years in radio, television and online journalism. It was working for the former U.S. Vice President, Al Gore at his TV channel, Current TV, at the time of President Barack Obama's election win in 2008, that Coral really developed her interest in how social media is used in political campaigning. Current TV won the Emmy for Best Interactive Television Service, in 2007, when Coral worked as a writer/producer for Google Current News and later becoming a managing producer for Current TV's/Guardian newspaper's vlogs. She later became Manager of UK Production for Current TV in 2008, before deciding on an academic career.

Starting as a lecturer at the University of Brighton (2010), Coral was instrumental in developing the Broadcast Journalism degree from its inception, turning it into the multimedia broadcast journalism course. Coral also developed and forged links with an American university in Atlanta to deliver a study abroad exchange programme between the UK and US journalism schools and was central in working to secure the BJTC accreditation for the BA journalism course in the first year that the course was established.

Coral taught at the University of Brighton for four years before going on to work for the University of Sussex (2014), module leading on UG and PG courses and taking on the senior lead role of course leader of the BA Journalism course that she also helped to establish and develop. Since September 2017, Coral has been working for City, University of London on the UG and PG journalism courses.

Across her academic career and since her first academic role, Coral has taught and module led on a variety of subjects related to her interest including British Media, Politics and Current Affairs, Digital Storytelling, Digital Journalism, Print and Online Journalism, Magazine Journalism, Television Journalism, Broadcast Journalism and Broadcast News Live.

Coral's research interests include: political communications - specifically the use of social media in political campaigning - the internet's development and impact on news journalism, and the representation of black communities in news and in the media more broadly.

Qualifications

• R Data Analysis (certificate), City, University of London, United Kingdom
• Masters in Journalism Studies, University of Westminster, United Kingdom
• Post-graduate Diploma in Radio Journalism, University of the Arts London, United Kingdom
• Post-graduate Certificate in Education, University of Westminster, United Kingdom
• BA Honours in Modern Studies (Law and Politics), London Metropolitan University, United Kingdom

Administrative roles

• Co-Chair Student Attainment Working Group (SAWG), City, University of London, Sep 2020 – Aug 2022
• Learning and Teaching Committee - SAWG member, City, University of London, Sep 2020 – Sep 2021
• EDI Lead (and co-lead) - Journalism Department, City, Univesity of London, Sep 2019 – Aug 2022
• Head of Second Year, BA Journalism, City, University of London, Sep 2018 – Aug 2020
• Course Leader, BA Journalism, University of Sussex, Sep 2016 – Sep 2017
• Teaching and Learning Committee - Journalism member, University of Sussex, Sep 2015 – Aug 2017
• Head of Admissions - BA Journalism, University of Sussex, Sep 2014 – Aug 2016
• Digital Transformation Champion - Media Department, University of Brighton, Aug 2012 – Sep 2014

Employment

• Senior Lecturer in Journalism, City, University of London, Sep 2017 – present
• Lecturer, University of Sussex, Sep 2014 – Sep 2017
• Senior Lecturer, University of Brighton, Sep 2010 – Aug 2014

Memberships of professional organisations

• Fellow (FHEA), Advance HE, Jul 2022 – present