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Research by members of the Department of Media and Communications on news and journalism in the digital age has been critical in three main areas of impact. Most importantly, it has been used to develop civil society engagement and high-level recommendations to media policy-makers and politicians, on media reform and the Leveson Inquiry. Secondly, this research has been used by the news industry itself in developing its practice for the digital age. Thirdly, recommendations made in the research on collaborative relationships between news organizations and civil society associations have been implemented across the country by the Media Trust.
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.
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.
Research by Popple has focused on the potential for public collaboration and democratic engagement with digital archives. The main impacts have been to:
The research also served to demonstrate to cultural heritage organisations like the BBC the strength of public commitment to, and the benefits of moving towards, more collaborative partnerships with audiences in order to establish open and democratic digital spaces.
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.
The Loughborough Communication Research Centre at Loughborough University has been instrumental in improving the impartiality of BBC news and current affairs coverage of events in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). The Centre was commissioned by the BBC Board of Governors (and its successor body, the BBC Trust) to assess its coverage of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict (in 2006) and of the Arab Spring (in 2011). The analyses of BBC output led to demonstrable, on-going and significant changes in the BBC's way of providing impartial coverage of these conflicts. The reports have also precipitated considerable media debate in the UK and internationally indicating the significance and reach of our research.
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.
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.