Research Subject Area: Journalism and Professional Writing

REF impact found 31 Case Studies

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2008 Brighton Photo Biennial, Memory of Fire: The War of Images and Images of War, curatorial project by Professor Julian Stallabrass

Summary of the impact

Memory of Fire, the 2008 Brighton Photo Biennial, shown across nine venues, had public impact, as measured by audience figures, audience comment on the website and in gallery comment books, attendance at public events and in education programmes, and the analyses of the event in an independent audit and Audience & Visitor Evaluation Report. Its longer term impact derives from the stimulation of discourse about the role of imagery in the conduct of war, over a period in which the UK has continually been at war, and in which the media's treatment of war has been of pressing public concern.

Submitting Institution

Courtauld Institute of Art

Unit of Assessment

Art and Design: History, Practice and Theory

Summary Impact Type

Cultural

Research Subject Area(s)

Studies In Creative Arts and Writing: Journalism and Professional Writing
History and Archaeology: Historical Studies

Changing global policy to ensure the protection of journalism by means of political and legal safeguards and education

Summary of the impact

The Centre for Freedom of the Media (CFOM) at the University of Sheffield is among a core group of expert organisations helping to shape the work programmes of UN agencies, the Council of Europe and other IGOs, to put in place effective measures to safeguard free and independent media as well as journalists' physical safety against violence and judicial harassment and interference. CFOM research has played a prominent part in consultations leading to the adoption in 2012 of the UN Action Plan on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity, the purpose of which is to ensure better protections for the investigative work of journalists worldwide. As a close partner of UNESCO in the implementation of the UN Action Plan (2013-14), CFOM participates actively in monitoring, evaluation and follow-ups, assists the UN and other authorities to uphold international law, and is pioneering work to promote curriculum development relating to these issues.

Submitting Institution

University of Sheffield

Unit of Assessment

Communication, Cultural and Media Studies, Library and Information Management 

Summary Impact Type

Political

Research Subject Area(s)

Studies In Human Society: Political Science
Law and Legal Studies: Law
Studies In Creative Arts and Writing: Journalism and Professional Writing

Driving change in public relations evaluation

Summary of the impact

Bournemouth University (BU) research has been instrumental in an industry-wide shift in public relations (PR) evaluation practice. Accurate PR evaluation allows organisations to maximise use of resources and target efforts efficiently. The once widely-used Advertising Value Equivalence (AVE) — sometimes referred to as `equivalent' or `equivalency' — measures PR activity in terms of financial equivalence in advertising space. Watson's (BU 2007 to present) research has exposed AVE usage as methodologically faulty. It has been highly influential in a policy change by the UK's Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) in 2010 banning AVE data from its awards. This simultaneously set a standard for industry practice. Watson also shaped international PR sector policy through participation in the development of the `Barcelona Principles', advising against AVE in favour of objective-driven, evidence-based evaluation.

Submitting Institution

Bournemouth University

Unit of Assessment

Communication, Cultural and Media Studies, Library and Information Management 

Summary Impact Type

Societal

Research Subject Area(s)

Studies In Creative Arts and Writing: Journalism and Professional Writing

Engaging with news production and journalism education

Summary of the impact

Underpinned by O'Neill's research on News Values and news selection, and how these favour reporting on a limited range of subjects, this impact encompasses critically contributing to debates on journalist's practices as well as influencing the ethics and methods of journalists. This case study incorporates impact on the design and delivery of Journalism education, across Further and Higher Education, which also influences new entrants into the profession. This further aligns with impact on contributing to debates about press practices and regulation (newspapers). More diffusely this includes impact on wider public discourses, involving the press, journalists, policy makers and regulators, particularly following the Leveson report.

Submitting Institution

Leeds Trinity University

Unit of Assessment

Communication, Cultural and Media Studies, Library and Information Management 

Summary Impact Type

Cultural

Research Subject Area(s)

Studies In Human Society: Sociology
Studies In Creative Arts and Writing: Journalism and Professional Writing
Language, Communication and Culture: Cultural Studies

Impact on strategy and institutional memory at the BBC World Service

Summary of the impact

Since 2007, Open University (OU) researchers have been examining the BBC World Service (BBCWS) from the perspectives of its diaspora broadcasters in London and its diaspora audiences worldwide. Multilingual migrants have always enabled the BBCWS to broadcast in many languages, creating a cultural bridge to global audiences. Increasingly, BBCWS audiences themselves are diasporic: living outside territorial `homelands'. The research made the BBC aware of its diasporas for the first time. By demonstrating their significance, it led to changes in BBCWS strategy, editorial practices, human resources management and institutional memory. The historic collaboration between the BBC and the OU has acquired new dimensions.

Submitting Institution

Open University

Unit of Assessment

Sociology

Summary Impact Type

Cultural

Research Subject Area(s)

Studies In Human Society: Sociology
Studies In Creative Arts and Writing: Journalism and Professional Writing
Language, Communication and Culture: Cultural Studies

1. Improving the quality of news coverage across the BBC in a devolved UK

Summary of the impact

Political power in the UK has been significantly devolved since 1999, transforming the policy landscape. Our research in 2007 found that broadcast news failed to reflect this new landscape, and that citizens were routinely being misinformed about major areas of policy such as health and education — a lack of information and understanding that is a potential barrier to democratic engagement. Our research was used to inform the King Report, as well as being published by the BBC Trust as part of that report, and our recommendations were adopted by the BBC which took action based on our findings to improve news coverage across all its outlets. Our follow-up study, conducted a year after this intervention, found that BBC news coverage had changed to become more accurate, and better reflected post-devolution politics in the UK.

Submitting Institution

Cardiff University

Unit of Assessment

Communication, Cultural and Media Studies, Library and Information Management 

Summary Impact Type

Cultural

Research Subject Area(s)

Studies In Creative Arts and Writing: Journalism and Professional Writing
Language, Communication and Culture: Cultural Studies

Influencing the Media and Youth Policy Agenda

Summary of the impact

  1. This research has informed public debate and influenced public policy in relation to children, young people and the media and has contributed to producer training in Europe.
  2. It has also contributed to a wider debate about public service broadcasting and citizenship.
  3. It has provided:
  4. (a) Factual data, providing a baseline for surveys of media outputs and use by official regulators (BBC, Ofcom);

    (b) It has provided programme makers in the UK and internationally with evidence about children's responses for use in programme making;

    (c) It has contributed to consumer organisations, including the Voice of the Listener and Viewer (VLV), and the Children's Media Foundation in their representations to Government, effecting change in broadcasting regulation and the provision and funding of children's media.

Submitting Institution

University of Ulster

Unit of Assessment

Communication, Cultural and Media Studies, Library and Information Management 

Summary Impact Type

Cultural

Research Subject Area(s)

Studies In Human Society: Sociology
Studies In Creative Arts and Writing: Journalism and Professional Writing
Language, Communication and Culture: Cultural Studies

Media and Communications Policy in Britain

Summary of the impact

This case study focuses on impact by the Media Policy and Industries Group within the Communications and Media Research Institute (CAMRI), specifically the complementary expertise of Jean Seaton and Steven Barnett. It shows how research on policy and historical issues related to public service broadcasting and journalism in the UK has informed and influenced policy debate and practice in respect of Parliament, the Leveson Inquiry, Ofcom and the BBC. Specifically research-based expert advice has improved the quality of evidence on three House of Lords Select Committee Inquiries (Investigative Journalism; British Film and Television Industries; Ownership of News); evidence and policy-making at the BBC; public and stakeholder understanding of key issues addressed by the Leveson Inquiry; and policy-thinking at Ofcom on local media ownership rules.

Submitting Institution

University of Westminster

Unit of Assessment

Communication, Cultural and Media Studies, Library and Information Management 

Summary Impact Type

Cultural

Research Subject Area(s)

Studies In Creative Arts and Writing: Journalism and Professional Writing
Language, Communication and Culture: Cultural Studies

Political Communication in the New Media Ecology

Summary of the impact

Ben O'Loughlin led and participated in a series of grant-funded collaborative projects that explored the nexus between media and security, provided a foundation for innovations in political communication theory and practice, and impacted upon government, business and media organisations. The iteration of projects and outputs integrated qualitative and quantitative, behavioural and interpretive methodologies, which in turn revealed emergent relationships between policy, media and publics in global, multilingual media ecologies. O'Loughlin's collaborations with Linguamatics Ltd, the BBC World Service and the House of Lords have led the application of these new methodologies and created policy debate on the ethics of their use.

Submitting Institution

Royal Holloway, University of London

Unit of Assessment

Politics and International Studies

Summary Impact Type

Societal

Research Subject Area(s)

Studies In Human Society: Policy and Administration, Sociology
Studies In Creative Arts and Writing: Journalism and Professional Writing

Promoting and leading British radio archive policy

Summary of the impact

BU research has demonstrated the benefits of radio archives. Radio recordings are a rich source of social, cultural and political history. Until recently archives have been inaccessible to schools, community organisations, scholars and other users. Research by the Centre for Media History (CMH) at Bournemouth University (BU) was the motivation behind a committee being formed to raise awareness of the problem. The committee strongly supported the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) in making their catalogue available to the public via the British Library (BL). The research itself informed the library's new sound archive policy. Archive access has a wide range of benefits to the production industry, education, culture and the economy.

Submitting Institution

Bournemouth University

Unit of Assessment

Communication, Cultural and Media Studies, Library and Information Management 

Summary Impact Type

Cultural

Research Subject Area(s)

Studies In Human Society: Sociology
Studies In Creative Arts and Writing: Journalism and Professional Writing
Language, Communication and Culture: Cultural Studies

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