Academics from City's Department of Journalism are appearing at four major international events.

Published (Updated )

The work of 10 Department of Journalism researchers is being showcased in the four largest international conferences in the field of media and communications.

City scholars presented refereed papers at the International Communication Association (ICA) in May 2018 and the International Association for Communication and Media Research (IAMCR) in June, with the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) conference coming up in August and the European Association for Communication and Media Research (ECREA) conference in late October and early November.

Senior lecturer Dr Mel Bunce has had an especially successful conference season, with refereed papers accepted for each of the big four – and a prestigious award for best African Journalism Studies paper from AEJMC. Professor Jane B. Singer’s work is being presented at three of the four: ICA, AEJMC and ECREA.

Also showcasing City’s research this year, both through the presentation of scholarly work and participation on conference panels, are Head of Department Professor Suzanne Franks (AEJMC); academic staff members Dr Abdullahi Tasiu Abubakar (IAMCR), Dr Lindsey Blumell (ICA), Dr Glenda Cooper (ECREA), Jonathan Hewett (ECREA), and Professor Howard Tumber (ECREA); Dr Colin Porlezza, who joins the department in September from the University of Zurich (ICA and ECREA); and PhD student Radwa Mabrook (ICA).

City research 'making a mark'

“The intellectual work done by City journalism scholars is really making a mark this year,” said Professor Singer (right), who serves as the department’s research lead.

“We are sharing unique and important insights in areas ranging from feminist and LGBTQ scholarship to political communication, as well as our ‘home turf’ of journalism studies. It’s fantastic to see everyone’s efforts paying off so brilliantly.”

Below is a full list of City journalism research presentations presented or accepted for presentation at these four international conferences.

International Communication Association (ICA)

Prague, Czech Republic; May 2018

  • Lindsey Blumell (with Jennifer Huemmer, Texas Tech University): ‘She was Warned: Spiral of Silence through News Coverage of Donald Trump’s Access Hollywood Tape’; Feminist Scholarship Division
  • Lindsey Blumell (with Nathian Shae Rodriguez, San Diego State University): ‘Nationalism and Queerness in the UK and US: A Comparative Analysis of Homonationalism in Brexit and Trump’; Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Studies Division
  • Mel Bunce: ‘Local Stringers in Sub Saharan Africa’; Journalism Studies Division
  • Radwa Mabrook and Jane B. Singer: ‘Virtual Reality, 360⁰ Video, and Journalism Studies: Conceptual Approaches to Immersive Technologies’; Journalism Studies Division
  • All three, along with Glenda Cooper and Colin Porlezza, also participated in pre-conference research sessions.

International Association for Communication and Media Research (IAMCR)

Eugene, Oregon, USA; June 2018

  • Abdullahi Tasiu Abubakar: ’Journalism Ethics, News Values and the Coverage of Violent Extremism’; Journalism Research and Education section
  • Mel Bunce: ‘Journalist or Aid Worker? Making News at Specialist Humanitarian News Outlets’; Media Production Analysis Working Group
  • Mel Bunce: ‘Local Stringers in Sub-Saharan Africa’; Media Production Analysis panel

Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC)

Washington, DC, USA; August 2018

  • Mel Bunce: ‘Foreign Correspondents and the International News Coverage of Africa’; International Communication Division, African Journalism Studies Best Paper Award
  • Suzanne Franks (With Hannah Allam, BuzzFeed): ‘Challenges and Threats: Women Reporters on the Frontlines’; Commission on the Status of Women and AEJMC Council of Affiliates panel
  • Jane B. Singer (with Marcel Broersma, University of Groningen): ‘Innovation and Entrepreneurship: International Journalism Students’ Interpretive Repertoires for a Changing Occupation’; International Communication Division. Professor Singer also served as a discussant for a set of Newspaper and Online News Division research papers on fake news.

European Communication Research and Education Association (ECREA)

Lugano, Switzerland; October / November 2018

  • Mel Bunce (with Martin Scott of the University of East Anglia and Kate Wright of the University of Edinburgh): ‘Holding the Humanitarian Sector to Account: Watchdog Journalism and Emergency Relief’; Communication and Democracy track
  • Glenda Cooper and Howard Tumber (with Peter Ayton of City’s Department of Psychology, and Richard Fletcher of the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at Oxford University): ‘#BiasedBBC? Reaction / Interactive between Mainstream and Social Media in Coverage of the Corporation during the 2015 UK General Election’; Political Communication track
  • Jonathan Hewett: ‘Mapping the Peripheries: Boundaries and Meeting Points of Journalism and Commercial Interests’; Journalism Studies track
  • Colin Porlezza (with Adrian Rauchfleisch, National Taiwan University): ‘Data Journalism Networks around the World: Between Central Benchmarks and Peripheral Communities’; Journalism Studies track
  • Colin Porlezza: Are Swiss News Media Losing Their Edge? The Role of Media Policy in Fostering Journalism Innovation; Special Sessions panel
  • Jane B. Singer: ‘Fact-Checkers as Intrapreneurs and Entrepreneurs: Plenty of Passion and a Clear Mission, but a Precarious Existence for Many Independents’; Journalism Studies track.

Related schools, departments and centres