Annual Report 2009 - 2010
Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism
Annual Report 2009 - 2010
Contents
Preface 05
Director’s Report 06
RISJ and the Future of Journalism 08
RISJ: Impact and Influence 10
The Journalism Fellowship Programme 13
Events 15
Research 23
Visiting Fellows 27
Research Publications 35
Staff 38
Governance 41
Benefactors 43
Journalist Fellows 2009–10 44
RISJ Publications 55
Preface
The Reuters Institute for the Study of of the trustees of the Thomson Reuters Journalism has, in the course of 2009–10, Foundation to increase significantly its come of age. The close working relationship core funding of the Institute. We are deeply between the Thomson Reuters Foundation grateful for the Foundation’s confidence in and Oxford University has, over the past five our work and for the advice and supportive years, built an Institute that offers timely and partnership offered by its Chief Executive, influential interventions in the worldwide Monique Villa, and Reuters’ Editor-in- debate over the future of journalism – its Chief, David Schlesinger. The Institute ethics, practices and business models. has also been successful in winning a number of significant project grants and The combination of our seminar series we would like to thank the following for in Oxford, London and overseas, the their support: Mr Edward and Mrs Celia Institute led to its being incorporated into research agenda of our publications Atkin, Ax:son Johnson Foundation, BBC the Department of Politics, leaves office and the contributions of the Visiting World Service, British Council, Carnegie after his five-year term. Dr Colin Bundy, Fellows are together creating in Oxford Foundation, France 24, Green Templeton Principal of Green Templeton College, an internationally recognised centre for College and the Open Society Institute. which has been the home of the Journalist the study of journalism, one that links Fellowship programme since its inception, the rigorous analysis of the academic This summer, two of the figures most retires as Head of House. Their good mind to the experienced perspectives influential in the establishment and judgement and energetic support for the of working journalists across different direction of the Reuters Institute retire Institute has been essential to its success. cultures and media platforms. from its Steering Committee. Professor Neil MacFarlane, Head of the Department Tim Gardam, Chair of the In the past year, the Institute has been of Politics and International Relations at Steering Committee greatly strengthened by the decisions Oxford University, whose support for the
The partnership between Thomson by the new technologies, the social and Reuters Foundation and the University digital media, and the economic crisis. of Oxford has produced a remarkable In 2010, and under the direction of David amount of excellent analysis on the Levy, the RISJ led the way in media research main trends in journalism in the last and challenged international debate year. The Reuters Institute for the Study through the release of eight publications of Journalism is firmly at the centre of throughout the academic year: from a the debate on the future of journalism very topical analysis on the role of social and has strengthened its reputation media in the UK election, published a few not only in the UK but globally. weeks after the election, to a working paper on ‘Investigative Journalism and Political By renewing our funding for the next Power in China’ and many others. At the Reuters Foundation that considers three years, and increasing it by 19 end of the year, the important analysis of information to be a form of aid and per cent to help the Institute develop ‘The Future of Foreign Correspondents’ is committed to empowering people even further, the TR Foundation has by Richard Sambrook – who took a through trusted information and legal clearly shown how much we believe in visiting fellowship at the Institute after assistance, I am particularly proud that the importance of an open debate on leaving the helm at BBC World Service – is the Institute has been core to our mission the challenges facing the whole media expected with the greatest of interest. by promoting journalistic excellence. industry. This has never been more crucial than today in the face of the speed of With the transformation of the former Monique Villa, CEO of the change and the uncertainties provoked Reuters Foundation into a global Thomson Thomson Reuters Foundation Preface
5 Director’s Report
The foremost piece of very welcome news has presented preliminary findings at an this year has been the decision by the international workshop in Oxford and Thomson Reuters Foundation to renew at the ICA and IAMCR international and enhance our funding for the period academic conferences with a book due until the end of 2013. This will allow us in the course of 2011. RISJ has secured to invest in the Fellowship Programme, funding for three new research projects. in research through the creation of The first, on‘Changing Provision, a new post as Director of Research, Consumption and Trust in International and in our website and events. We are Broadcasting’, was launched with core delighted at this vote of confidence in funding from the Carnegie Corporation of the Institute and in our mission to focus New York, with further support funding on the key challenges facing journalism from the BBC World Service and France has allowed a former Reuters Journalist from a global comparative perspective 24. A second project on ‘The Changing Fellow from Ethiopia, Abiye Megenta, that links journalism research to Business of Journalism and its Impact to conduct research on the topic of the practice and the wider policy debate. on Democracy’ examines the impact of impact of social media on authoritarian the internet on news organisations and regimes in Africa, an issue which is In the past year we’ve engaged in that policy in several countries, building on both highly topical and one on which he debate through our publications, events our earlier pioneering analysis of these is personally all too qualified to write. in Oxford, London and New York, and issues in the UK published in January through engagement with policy-makers 2009. This project received initial funding Our Fellowship Programme remains such as Ofcom, with our contributions from Green Templeton College which at the centre of our work. This year it to their review of local news in the UK, allowed us to convene an international has offered sabbaticals to twenty-two and with the OECD on their report on lecture and workshop in February and working journalists from around the the future of news and the internet. will lead to an edited book on this issue world. Journalists who otherwise would later in 2010. A further grant of $200,000 have been unlikely ever to have met come We have developed the international focus from the Open Society Institute received together to understand the diversity of of our research and publications. The in July 2010 will allow us to extend and their experiences and what they hold three-year Axess project on comparative deepen research on this important issue professionally in common. We have European journalism concluded in 2010 over the next two years. Finally, a further been fortunate in the past year to have and the researcher Henrik Örnebring grant from the Open Society Institute an exceptional group of fellows from nineteen different countries and are very q David Butler’s final Media and Politics seminar grateful to the range of sponsors who have supported their time in Oxford. The Fellowship Programme has long been recognised as delivering a great experience to the journalist fellows who come here (there is a flavour of that on pp. 28–29). However, in the past two years, under James Painter’s expert guidance, the fellows’ own work and experience has started to fuel the wider work of the Institute. The quality of the fellows’ research has been extremely high; work by current or former journalist fellows has led to four RISJ publications this year. Detailed work by journalist fellows this year analysing coverage of the Copenhagen Climate Change Summit, as well as several fellows’ research papers on climate change, Director’s Report Director’s
6 will all inform an RISJ Challenge on this topic that we will produce in late 2010. This is just one example of the multiple forms of cross-fertilisation between the fellowship programme and our research and publications.
One of the remarkable features of the Fellowship Programme has long been the Friday evening seminar on Media and Politics chaired by David Butler, together with John Lloyd, at Nuffield College. David’s ability to persuade very senior politicians, civil servants, journalists and newspaper editors to come to Oxford to share their thoughts about their trade has given a rare insight into the interactions between media and politics. p This year marked David’s last chairing of Fellows’ seminar these seminars which he has convened to Oxford this year. We also welcomed support over the years to RISJ. I look in various forms over more than half a the chairman and entire board of the forward to working with their successors, century. An exceptionally high calibre Helsingin Sanomat Foundation, the Professor Stephen Whitefield as Chair of speakers joined David in his final director of the Gerda Henkel Foundation of the DPIR and Sir David Watson as seminar year, including Alan Rusbridger and the head and several other members Principal of Green Templeton College. of the Guardian, Patience Wheatcroft of the Open Society Media Program. We of the Wall Street Journal Europe and depend on the talent we can attract to Finally, RISJ would not be what it is Mark Thompson, Director General of Oxford, whether as speakers or visiting without the huge commitment and the BBC, as David’s last guest. A week fellows and on the partnerships we can work of my colleagues here, notably later David was the guest, in discussion build with other centres internationally. John Lloyd, James Painter, Sara Kalim, with John Lloyd and Baroness Jay, at a This year we have been particularly Kate Hanneford-Smith, Alex Reid and seminar about his life and times. We were grateful to the warm welcome from Amanda Armstrong, and researchers delighted that the BBC has announced Dean Nicholas Lemann and his staff Anne Geniets, Abiye Megenta and that it will support an Annual Reuters at the Columbia Graduate School of Rasmus Kleis Nielsen. Together they Institute David Butler Lecture on Media Journalism, with whom we organised contribute to creating an environment and Elections to start in early 2011. successful events in Oxford and New that somehow combines being very It is a fitting tribute to David’s role in York, and we have attracted several welcoming, intellectually rigorous and bringing politicians, senior journalists and renowned visiting fellows to contribute highly efficient, as we increase the range academics together over the last fifty- to our work. We also benefit from those of our events, the quality of our research three years. We intend to continue that who give their time to advising us and and publications, and, we hope, our tradition at Nuffield over the coming year. supporting us in our work, from the international reach and reputation. Department of Politics and International RISJ’s size is small but our ambitions are Relations (DPIR), Green Templeton David Levy, Director, RISJ large. The only way we can square that College, and through our Committees circle is through the support we receive and our Advisory Board, chaired by the from others in many different forms. Chancellor, Lord Patten. I personally Our sponsors are crucial to our success. will be very sorry to see Neil Macfarlane We have close links with Monique Villa and Colin Bundy step down from RISJ and her team at the Thomson Reuters in their roles respectively as Chair of the Foundation and were delighted the DPIR and Principal of Green Templeton Foundation’s new chair, David Binet, came College. Both have offered invaluable Director’s Report Director’s
7 RISJ and the Future of Journalism
At the core of the many intriguing nearly all self-generated foreign news. issues with which the Institute deals, TheWashington Post no longer has any in its research, in its seminars and in US bureaux outside of its host city area. the projects of its fellows, is the push In France, three businessmen – Pierre and pull of belief and sentiment among Bergé, Xavier Niel and Matthieu Pigasse journalists as to the future of their – successfully took over Le Monde, a few trade. Much of our work in all of these weeks before the paper had to default forums is about a future shaped by the on its debts, ending a more than six- new medium of media, the net – and decade period since the war in which the picture, fragmentary as it is, can the paper’s staff effectively controlled it. be of a media ecology much richer in information and connections than any In Sweden, the two papers of record – had a pay wall for years) readers must which has existed before, one which Dagens Nyheter and Svenska Dagbladet pay a subscription to access all or most brings in the citizen as an actor in – have shrunk back their distribution to of the content. The exercise is in its early ways not previously experienced. the heavily populated south, and cut half stages, so as this is written we don’t their staffs. In the UK, some 200 local know how it is going: many observers The work of Nic Newman, a Reuters and regional newspapers have died in the are pessimistic, following the lines of Institute Visiting Fellow and a former past five years, and many more cling to the report earlier this year from the US Controller of Future Media at the BBC, tenuous life. Everywhere in the West, TV Pew research centre, which forecast a which focussed on the rise of social news and current affairs shrink in favour widespread flight from pay-for-reading media and its impact on mainstream of entertainment programming: or, as websites, and arguing that ‘for online media as well as (in a report earlier this at CNN – once the greatest medium of news to become a profitable enterprise, year) on the part social media played record of major events, such as the first either consumer attitudes need to change in the British 2010 general election, Gulf War and the crises in Moscow in or the industry must do more; that more has shown how much and how rapidly 1993 – news is becoming entertainment. could be developing new better-targeted media, originally created to allow friends Still one of the best chronicles of these products that people are willing to pay for; to exchange news and photographs, trends is Andrew Currah’s report for the new forms of advertising that work better, has become influential in the public Institute, What’s Happening to Our News. including local search; or new forms of life of the UK (and elsewhere). revenue other than display advertising, It is part of the condition of our existence, including perhaps online retailing’. At the same time, much of our discussion and its excitement, that we live between Allied to this is the growth of niche and findings show that the mainstream these two media poles. Our mission is or even ‘private’ news. In a July media continue to decline, that no the study and the encouragement of issue of the Columbia Journalism business model has been found which journalism, irrespective of its carrier. Review, the Thomson Reuters can guarantee their survival in either From that perspective, there are clearly global editor-at-large argued: present or net-based form and that some new developments likely to events, processes and institutions which contribute to journalism’s prolonged life. “Some of the companies faring best in the had received at least routine journalistic First, pay walls have gone up in the News news business today have built . . . what we coverage no longer do. In the United International titles, and will at the New might call private news . . . Their challenge States, major newspapers – as the Boston York Times and other titles soon. Pay is to determine the right mix of focused, Globe, the San Francisco Chronicle and walls mean that, for papers as diverse professional content – sold to a relatively the Los Angeles Times – have cut back to as the Sun and the Wall Street Journal small client base, usually bundled with much more basic coverage, eschewing (which, like the Financial Times, has data, for extremely high rates – with consumer content, which brings in less money but reaches a bigger audience “Some of the companies faring best in . . . [for example], in 2009, The Wall Street Journal introduced The Wall Street the news business today have built . . . Journal Professional Edition, which for extra money offers search and organizing what we might call private news . . .” capabilities of both Journal articles and RISJ and the Future of Journalism of the Future and RISJ
8 other material that is not available free on “Thus it is becoming clearer that the Web . . . and in CJR’s July/August 2009 issue, Michael Shapiro argued in ‘Open the problem isn’t journalism, or for Business’ that many daily newspapers could identify specific subjects for indeed, long-form, analytical, expert which readers would pay, and thus support their free general news. Think journalism: it is mass journalism.” the Detroit Free Press on automobiles.”
There is an increasing view, especially net, from sources as different as people in the magazine world, that upmarket is - institutions, supported by not-for-profit caught up in natural disasters and high- the place to go. While the general mass or public funds (through universities powered public relations people putting magazines like Time and Newsweek or other means) which do journalism; out high-quality images of their clients. have declined dramatically, more niche publications, including highly specialist - citizens’ journalism: pictures, copy, Second, a project on business journalism journals, do well. Thus it is becoming comment transmitted by citizens follows the widespread view that it clearer that the problem isn’t journalism, who observe, or are caught up in, has failed to adequately cover issues as or indeed, long-form, analytical, expert significant events, as natural disasters, diverse as the coming crash of Enron journalism: it is mass journalism. The conflict and demonstrations; nearly ten years ago and the causes of old institutions aren’t cutting it. the financial crisis of 2008. Business and - the product of a range of institutions financial news falls into the category of ‘Old institutions’ doesn’t just mean (governments, local governments, journalism from which money can be specific newspapers or TV channels: it universities, corporations, NGOs of and is being made: among other issues, means whole genres of journalism, such various kinds) which are journalistic in we will ask how far business journalists as investigative reporting. This, one of their approach, even where they more or see their job as holding the corporate the most prestigious genres in the trade, less clearly also convey the point of view and financial structures they cover to is now very substantially supported and values of the originating institution. account, as political reporters claim to by not-for-profit organisations – Pro do for governments and politicians. Publica and others in the US, and the All of these now find a home on the Bureau of Investigative Reporting (BIR) net: and since the preferred method of John Lloyd, Director of Journalism in the UK. Often – as with the BIR – accessing information is through a search these are affiliated with universities. engine (‘googling it’), they will come up in different patterns and implicitly This affiliation shines some light on a present themselves as competent to separate development, now more clearly answer the question posed to the visible. It is that journalism is becoming search engine (‘What is the Alternative much less definable than it has been. Vote?’). Some of the answers to the For much of the century and a half search engine questions will be provided of its organised and professionalised by journalistic sources: some by the existence, journalism has been more or other sources listed above. In this way, less coterminous with the institutions journalism loses its privileged position. created to carry it – newspapers above all, magazines, newsletters, radio and Two of the research projects now under TV news and current affairs. Now, way address some of these issues. One, journalism can be defined much on photojournalism, will inquire as to more commodiously. It includes: the health and possibilities of a staple of the journalists’ trade for a century – now - books, often written by seen as in crisis because of the decline of journalists, on issues of current newspapers and the availability of cheap affairs and public concern; or free images, distributed through the RISJ and the Future of Journalism of the Future and RISJ
9 RISJ: Impact and Influence
The purpose of all RISJ output (research, RISJ events have included Ron Neumann, event drew key industry figures and top events and publications) is to influence former US Ambassador to Afghanistan; academics from the US, Western Europe and inform the worlds of journalism, Giovanni Brauzzi, Deputy Head of and the UK, and representatives from government and the academy on media Mission, Italian Embassy in London; Dr the OECD and European Commission. practice and policy-making decisions Jef McAllister, former London Bureau relating to media. It is therefore extremely Chief of Time Magazine; John Witherow, The Annual Memorial Lecture, satisfying to see the positive impact on Editor of The Sunday Times;and Julian ‘Newspapers and Democracy in the the wider world of work generated from Coman, Foreign Editor of the Observer. Internet Era: The Italian Case’, was given the Institute. The RISJ is increasingly by Carlo de Benedetti, President of recognised around the world as a provider This year the Reuters Institute hosted Gruppo Editoriale Espresso, publisher of reliable research and original analysis. its first international event. A panel of the daily La Repubblica. Introduced The academic year 2009–10 has seen discussion and debate on ‘The Future by the Chancellor of Oxford University, our reach extend further than ever, with of News: Perspectives from the US, this important lecture was attended by the RISJ website recording 58,700 visits Europe and Emerging Economies’ was over 170 people and covered extensively from 188 countries and territories. held in New York on 16 April 2010 at the in the international press, including Thomson Reuters Headquarters. Despite every major Italian newspaper. In this academic year the Institute created coinciding with the Icelandic volcanic ash fifty-seven events that attracted nearly cloud, the event brought speakers together We were delighted that Google sponsored 3,000 attendees overall. These organised from Thomson Reuters, Columbia the launch of Nic Newman’s rapid events include launches of our various Journalism School and Oxford; it was but thoughtful analysis of the impact publications, individually themed well attended by representatives from the of social media in the UK election at seminars and debates, workshops and the international media, from academia and their London HQ. The very topical Annual Memorial Lecture. Among the from the Ford Foundation, the Carnegie combination of social media, Google many distinguished speakers have been Corporation and the Markle Foundation. and the UK election just two months Alan Rusbridger, Editor-in-Chief of the Columbia, America’s foremost School after the ballot boxes had closed meant Guardian, and the prominent broadcasters of Journalism, also partnered with the that the launch had the fastest sign-up Jon Snow, David Dimbleby and Michael RISJ for the European launch of their of any event held to date by RISJ. Crick, Political Editor, Newsnight (BBC), report on The Reconstruction of American as well as the current UK Cabinet Journalism, with a lecture by Michael For the first time the Institute has played a Secretary, Sir Gus O’Donnell. Guests at Schudson, co-author of the report. The part in hosting three major international media conferences in Oxford. In q David Levy and David Dimbleby November 2009 a three-day international seminar on global security, in collaboration with the Thomson Reuters Foundation, was hosted at the Institute. The Organization of News Ombudsmen held their annual international conference in association with the RISJ in May 2010. In the same month we helped to organise a one-day summit on Tablets and iPads with Visiting Fellow Juan Señor and his company Innovation Media Consulting.
RISJ takes pride in the ongoing work of its alumni and associates. In March 2010 former Visiting Fellows Tran le Thuy and Stephen Whittle organised a high-profile international conference in Hanoi which focused on discussing defamation issues in Vietnam, introducing RISJ: Impact and Influence and Impact RISJ:
10 q The launch of Nic Newman’s election Working Paper at Google HQ TheNieman Journalism Lab, in an article about NGOs and the internet, published in February 2010, made extensive reference to Andrew Currah’s What’s Happening to Our News. The OECD published their study on News and the Internet on 14 June 2010. The report contains recognition of the advisory role of the RISJ’s Director, David Levy, and RISJ academic researcher, Rasmus Kleis Nielsen, was interviewed in connection with this on Danish television’s second channel in the same month. David Levy was interviewed by Rajan Datar about the future of international broadcasting for the BBC World Service programme Over to You in July 2010. In a keynote Justice conference, speaking on ‘Privacy and the Press: Where Are We Now?’ in December 2009, Mr Justice British law concepts of privilege and Hidden Gold, on citizen journalism, was Eady quoted from the RISJ Challenge how law and regulation can support cited in articles in the UK’s Guardian Privacy, Probity and Public Interest by public interest and ‘responsible newspaper (www.guardian.co.uk/ Stephen Whittle and Glenda Cooper. journalism’. In April 2010 RISJ research media/pda/2009/sep/18/oxford-social- fellow, Abiye Megenta, was invited to media-convention-2009-journalism- Nik Gowing’s 2009 publication, ‘Skyful of Washington, DC, to present at a joint blogs) as well as in the US newswire Lies’ and Black Swans: The New Tyranny conference by the Council on Foreign States News Service (18 Sept. 2009). of Shifting Information Power in Crises, Relations and the Center for Strategic continues to have significant impact and International Studies on elections Three RISJ working papers were produced in political, government, security and and democracy in Ethiopia. Abiye was in conjunction with Ofcom as part of its corporate circles at the highest levels also interviewed by the BBC World review of local media, demonstrating the around the world. Alistair Campbell, Service on this same subject in May. Institute’s close links with the world of former Communications Director in policy. Navigating the Crisis in Local and 10 Downing Street, told a strategic The Institute has brought out eight new Regional News, by Dr Andrew Currah, publications this year. Hard copies were examines the current crisis and new q Carlo de Benedetti presenting the Reuters Memorial lecture disseminated to over 1,400 people, with systems of support, including charitable many thousands more downloaded and other forms of organisation, for from the RISJ website. One of our most local news. Journalism, Democracy and cited publications was Nic Newman’s the Public Interest, by Steven Barnett, #UKelection2010, Mainstream Media looks at regulatory approaches to local and the Role of the Internet: How Social media ownership and their role in and Digital Media Affected the Business achieving public interest objectives. of Politics and Journalism. This study Press Subsidies and Local News: the has led to articles in the Guardian Swedish Case, by Karl-Erik Gustafsson, (‘How the Internet Really Affected the Henrik Örnebring and David A. L. Levy, Election’), the Press Gazette (‘How 2010 examines the current system of press was the Social Media General Election’) subsidies, underwriting the plurality of and The Economic Times of India news supply, which characterises the (‘Political Face of Twitter, Facebook’). Swedish local newspaper industry. John Kelly’s Challenge, Red Kayaks and RISJ: Impact and Influence and Impact RISJ:
11 q RISJ event at the Saïd Business School q Jon Snow and David Butler
communications conference: ‘Nik is for my Admirals and General Officers findings. BBC News commissioned definitely onto something’. Before being in both my NATO and US commands.’ a thirty-minute documentary on the named new Head of the British Armed One senior Whitehall figure commented: findings and evidence which enjoyed Forces, General Sir David Richards ‘spot on, I am sorry to say’. Another multiple transmissions worldwide. frequently cited ‘Skyful of Lies’ and Black confirmed the study’s findings that the Swans to highlight the change in thinking new media environment is leading to Building on the success of our recent the military must make. Quoting the a weakening of public confidence in events and activities, in the coming work three times in one keynote policy public institutions. The British Cabinet academic year the Reuters Institute speech, he said: ‘We are way behind Office has used theSkyful analysis will begin regular podcasting of its our opponents in understanding and and conclusions as the basis of new major events, seminars and lectures exploiting this aspect of the battle for recommendations for government to ensure they reach the widest people’s minds. I commend Nik Gowing’s crisis management and resilience possible international audience. excellent book Skyful of Lies for those that procedures. The head of the Foreign want to understand this better.’ Before Office, Sir Peter Ricketts, requested a Sara Kalim, Institute Administrator being appointed to oversee both the lunchtime presentation for 150 senior US Iraq and Afghan operations, 4-Star diplomatic staff. Even a delegation General Jim Mattis wrote to Gowing: from China’s People’s Liberation Army ‘It is eye-opening . . . required reading asked to be briefed on the study’s
q Panel at the ‘Reconstruction of American Journalism’ lecture RISJ: Impact and Influence and Impact RISJ:
12 q RISJ Fellows’ seminar
The Journalism Fellowship Programme Now in its twenty-seventh year, the their countries, comparing their own the fellows have to write as part of Journalism Fellowship Programme experience with the main findings of the programme. Most of these are enjoyed a richly diverse selection of reports from organisations like Freedom supervised by academics working at twenty-two mid-career journalists from House and Reporters without Borders. Oxford University or by visiting academic nineteen different countries. They came Fellows at the Institute. Many reached a from the developed world (Australia, Greater emphasis is now being placed high standard and some were turned into Austria, Finland, Italy, Japan, Singapore, on the quality of the research papers RISJ working papers. They are all now South Korea and the UK), the former q Soviet Union (Russia and Romania) Fellows’ visit to Thomson Reuters and from the developing world (Brazil, Egypt, India, Peru, Vietnam). Africa was well-represented (Egypt, Ethiopia and Nigeria) and we were particularly delighted to welcome our first ever fellow from the Pacific Island of Samoa.
This diversity of experience of different media landscapes remains one of the core successes of the programme. Each fellow is asked to give an internal seminar on some aspect of the media scene in their home countries, which prompts a rich debate on the similarities and differences of their experiences. We have begun to capture this in a series of short reports for our website which the fellows write on the media situation in The Journalism Fellowship Programme Fellowship Journalism The
13 q Abdalla Hassan’s presentation q Fellows at Thomson Reuters
published and highlighted on the RISJ can be found at http://reutersinstitute. ever, as can be seen from the selection of website. Some were immensely topical, politics.ox.ac.uk/fellowships/ photos throughout this Report. Finally, we like Leticia Sorg’s analysis of the future of journalist-fellows/journalist.html. were particularly grateful to our sponsors newsmagazines or Emma Jane Kirby’s very who continued to support the programme, readable account of President Sarkozy’s The fellows took part as usual in a wide and pleased to be able to add a new one, attempts to use the media to further his range of seminars and activities both the King Edward VII Foundation, and image. The papers showed a remarkable in and outside of Oxford. The seminar to announce a three-year commitment range of topics, but many focused on the programme included the chance for them from the Gerda Henkel Foundation. way new media are changing the nature to engage with leading academics and of journalism, the challenges facing journalists about the current trends in James Painter, Head of the traditional print business models and the journalism and the relationship between Fellowship Programme obstacles to more, or better, reporting of politics and the media. The social events climate change in the media. A full list and visits were more extensive than The Journalism Fellowship Programme Fellowship Journalism The
14 Events Events in Oxford
Red Kayaks and Hidden Gold: The Rise, Challenges and Value of Citizen Journalism 18 September 2009, Oxford Social Media Convention, Saïd Business School
Washington Post columnist and former of citizen journalism as proof that it is future. With ever-intensifying information RISJ Visiting Fellow John Kelly launched now an established field – sometimes flows, having trusted organisations staffed his report Red Kayaks and Hidden Gold: a complement to existing journalism by trained people making decisions The Rise, Challenges and Value of Citizen provision, but also sometimes an outright about relevance and importance will Journalism at the 2009 Oxford Social Media replacement. All speakers seemed to agree be more important than ever. Convention. The launch was accompanied that the gatekeeping role of (mainstream) by a debate featuring John Kelly, Richard journalism would be increasing rather Sambrook, Director BBC Global News than decreasing in importance in the Division and Jonathan Ford, then Reuters q q Commentary Editor, moderated by Dr David Levy and Richard Sambrook Red Kayaks and Hidden Gold launch seminar David Levy, Director of the Reuters Institute.
All speakers agreed on one thing: citizen journalism is here to stay. Ford predicted that citizen journalism would play a role in the ‘return of the portal’ – sites to help users navigate the information flow are becoming more and more essential. Kelly pointed to the wide range and diversity
Facing the Challenge of the Internet: Policy and Press Responses in Britain and France 16 October 2009, Maison Française d’Oxford
This one-day conference was organised 2009, and whose innovative suggestion press and internet group of the EGP; by the Reuters Institute with the that 18 year olds be given a year’s Stewart Purvis, Partner for Content and support of Cultural Service of the subscription to the newspaper of their Standards, Ofcom; Gabriel Tar, Direction French Embassy and Maison Française choice attracted particular international du développement des médias, French d’Oxford. The conference examined interest. On the UK side the focus was Prime Minister’s Office; Steven Barnett, the policy and press responses to the on the follow-up to the Digital Britain University of Westminster; George new challenges faced by the press. White Paper published in June, together Brock, City University; Raymond Kuhn, Analysts and policy-makers from with Ofcom’s review of local news. Queen Mary University of London. both countries compared the differing Speakers included: Fabrice Rousselot, economic challenges, policy responses Managing Editor, Libération; Dominic and policy styles in the two countries. Morris, Strategic Director, Digital Britain, Dept for Business Innovation The policy focus on the French side was and Skills; Bruno Patino, Director France on the follow-up to the États Généraux de Culture, Dean of the Journalism School la Presse (EGP), which reported in early at Sciences Po in Paris and chair of the Events
15 Global Security seminar 16–18 November 2009, Reuters Institute, Oxford
The RISJ hosted a three-day international handle their reporting of terrorism al Qaeda/Taliban monitoring team and seminar on global security in was moderated by Dr David Levy, with a dinner addressed by Ambassador Ron collaboration with the Thomson Reuters lead addresses from Abdel Bari Atwan, Neumann, President of the American Foundation. ‘Reporting on Terrorism’ Editor-in-Chief of al-Quds al-Arabi Academy of Diplomacy and former looked at many aspects of global security, newspaper, and Dr Peter Neumann US Ambassador to Afghanistan. and its ramifications for the media. of the International Centre for the Sessions opened with a discussion on the Study of Radicalisation and Political Joint sponsors of the seminar were ‘Modern Age of Terrorism’, moderated Violence, Kings College, London. the Gerda Henkel Foundation, by Mark Trevelyan of Reuters, with Stanley Foundation and Thomson lead contributions from Dr Sajjan The second day looked at the role Reuters Foundation. Gohel of the Asia-Pacific Foundation G-summits can play in global security, use and Nigel Inkster of the International of the internet for militant propaganda, Institute for Strategic Studies. the role of intelligence agencies and The second session centred on the whether loose nuclear material can be question of whether terrorists and the secured. This second day ended with media are in a symbiotic relationship. an ‘On the record Q&A’ with Richard The exploration of how journalists should Barrett, coordinator of the United Nations
Reuters Memorial Lecture: ‘Newspapers and Democracy in the Internet Era: The Italian Case’ 23 November 2009, St Anne’s College, Oxford
This year’s Reuters Memorial Lecturer to destroy opponents’ reputation. discussion with Timothy Garton Ash, was Carlo de Benedetti, President of Calling into question Silvio Berlusconi’s Professor of European Studies, St Gruppo Editoriale Espresso and publisher attachment to democratic norms, he Antony’s College; Paolo Mancini, of the of the daily La Repubblica. He argued charged him with a series of ‘firsts’ University of Perugia and Monte dei that the Italian Prime Minister’s use which damage the country’s democratic Paschi Visiting Fellow at St Antony’s of the country’s television channels, structure and abuse his duty of trust. College, and chaired by David Levy. which he either owns or controls politically, breaches privacy, damages De Benedetti’s lecture was introduced citizens’ right to information and reveals by the Chancellor, Lord Patten of information held by the secret services Barnes and was followed by a panel
q Carlo de Benedetti, Monique Villa, q Carlo de Benedetti, David Levy, Prof. Paolo q The Reuters Memorial Lecture Lord Patten of Barnes Mancini, Prof. Timothy Garton Ash Events
16 q Prof. Michael Schudson q Prof. Paul Starr q Dean Nicholas Lemann
The Reconstruction of American Journalism 4 February 2010, St Antony’s College, Oxford
Professor Michael Schudson (Graduate capacity and outlined the six key policy with Professor Paul Starr, Professor of School of Journalism, Columbia proposals put forward by himself and Sociology and Public Affairs at Princeton University) launched the report co-author Leonard Downie Jr. He reflected University, Nicholas Lemann, Dean, The Reconstruction of American on the extent to which their proposal that Graduate School of Journalism, Columbia Journalism, which he co-authored with the federal government instigate a fund University, and John Lloyd, Director Leonard Downie Jr, Vice President for local news innovation had caused of Journalism, Reuters Institute. at Large, Washington Post. controversy in the US. In conclusion he forecast that the journalism of the future Speaking at the Nissan Lecture Theatre, would blur across economic sources, St Antony’s College, in a public lecture across styles of work, across the divide sponsored by Green Templeton College, between professional and amateur. Professor Schudson argued that the shrinking of the commercial press had The lecture was followed by a panel created a need to fill the gap in democratic discussion chaired by David Levy
The Changing Business of Journalism and its Impact on Democracy 5 February 2010, St Anne’s College, Oxford
Organised by RISJ and supported by these trends and responses for the Paul Starr (Princeton University), Prof Green Templeton College, this one- role of journalism in democracy. Frank Esser (University of Zurich) and day workshop aimed to identify the Sacha Wunsch-Vincent (OECD). key pressures and opportunities facing Speakers included Professor Daya news organisations and journalism Thussu (University of Westminster), A publication edited by David Levy in four European countries, USA, Bruno Patino (Journalism School, and Rasmus Kleis Nielsen based on Brazil and India. It assessed how well Sciences Po) Dr Mauro Porto (Tulane some of the work presented at the news organisations and policy-makers University), Prof Hannu Nieminen workshop is scheduled for late 2010. are responding to these pressures (University of Helsinki), Prof Paolo and reviewed the implications of Mancini (University of Perugia), Prof Events
17 What Next for Climate Change Reporting? 25 February 2010, School of Geography, Oxford
The Reuters Institute and the of East Anglia), how scientists should who included some top climate scientists Environmental Change Institute jointly engage with the media in countering from Oxford University keen to know organised a panel debate in which sceptics, and the reasons for the public’s what they had to do to get their message four of the UK’s leading environment declining trust in climate science. across that none of the basic science was correspondents answered questions altered by Climategate or the questioning from Fiona Fox, Director of the Science Richard Black from the BBC, David Adam of some of the science in the IPCC reports. Media Centre, on the responsibility of from the Guardian, the FT’s Fiona Harvey the media in ‘Climategate’ (the apparent and Ben Jackson from the Sun then tinkering with emails at the University answered questions from the audience,
Media and the Environment Workshop: Reporting Climate Change 26 February 2010, Reuters Institute, Oxford
A workshop was organised by the Reuters more than twenty countries was examined Senior journalists, researchers and Institute and the Environmental Change for how much science they covered, even scientists joined the workshop, including Institute in which the Reuters Journalist though of course the main ‘story’ was the former BBC Environment Correspondent Fellows and students on the ECI’s MSc negotiations. One of the many interesting Alex Kirby, David Frame, deputy director courses discussed how the science did preliminary findings was that NGOs at the Smith School of Enterprise and – or more appropriately did not – get often get just as much coverage on the Environment, Phil Bloomer, head of reported during the Copenhagen summit science as scientists from top universities. Oxfam Campaigns and Policy, and Mike in December 2009. The print media in Shanahan, press officer at the IIED.
Expanding the Influence of the Organization for News Ombudsmen in a Digital Age 12–15 May 2010, St Anne’s College/Reuters Institute
A three-day conference for the - ‘Using Social Media to Report Attendees at the conference came from Organisation of News Ombudsmen, on Iran’, Blogger ‘Oxfordgirl’ thirteen different countries and included co-organised by RISJ and hosted at representatives from: Perfil, Argentina; 13 Norham Gardens and St Anne’s - ‘Networked Journalism’, Charlie ABC, Australia; De Standaard, Belgium; College, Oxford. Presentations Beckett, Director, POLIS, London Folha de Sao Paulo, Brazil; Société Radio, and speakers included: School of Economics Canada; Caracol Television, Colombia; TV2, Denmark; Estonian Public - ‘Mutualized Media’, Chris Elliot, - ‘Press Councils and Ombudsmen: A New Broadcasting, Estonia; Le Monde, France; Managing Editor, Guardian News Media Partnership?’, John Hamer, Washington De Volkskrant, the Netherlands; (State) Press Council, John Horgan, Press Complaints Commission and - ‘The Digital Revolution and the Irish Press Ombudsman, William Gore, Guardian, UK; PBS and Washington Future of Public Interest Journalism’, Press Complaints Commission, UK State Press Council, USA. Dr David Levy, Director, RISJ Events
18 Tablets: A Second Life for Newspapers? 18 May 2010, St Anne’s College, Oxford
RISJ hosted a one-day summit on Tablets content works best in tablets and how informed comment, analytical opinion, and iPads with RISJ Visiting Fellow Juan to design it, present it and position it. exclusive information and ‘curated’ editing. Señor and his company Innovation Media In order to give audiences new content Consulting. Attended by 134 people from Conclusions drawn from the many that is different to that already available twenty-seven countries, as well as all the discussions and presentations were that online or in print, this content should be journalist fellows, the summit focused on journalism needs to be reinvented for the presented as news that audiences can ‘read, how to approach the problems of falling digital age. The market for scarce news watch and touch’, with long narrative texts, circulation and declining revenue, what commodities includes original storytelling, unique video and world-class infographics.
Photojournalism Workshop 28 May 2010, Reuters Institute, Oxford
A one-day, round-table workshop attended editors be wary of pictures supplied by of photojournalism are more critical. by local and national photojournalists, interested parties such as political parties, photography critics, professors of business organisations and PR firms? The workshop aimed to examine the role photojournalism and the Vice President The public is also increasingly aware pictures play in setting today’s news agenda of Pictures and Graphics at Reuters. The of the ease with which pictures can be and how the selection and presentation of photo-opportunity is now considered as manipulated, and while an assertion of pictures affects the public’s understanding vital a part of the spin doctor’s armoury photography’s early years was that ‘the of issues. RISJ plans to develop these as the sound bite. Should picture camera never lies’, today’s consumers discussions into a full research project.
Events outside Oxford
The Future of News: Perspectives from the US, Europe and Emerging Economies 16 April 2010, Thomson Reuters Headquarters, Times Square, New York
The RISJ held its first international event at Nicholas Lemann spoke about the crisis q The Future of News Panel: Ngaire Thomson Reuters in New York. Nicholas in the United States and argued that, Woods, Brian Rhoads, Tim Gardam, Nicholas Lemann, David Levy Lemann (Dean of the Graduate School of while new technologies and new business Journalism, Columbia University), Tim models for media might offer substitutes Gardam (Principal of St Anne’s College, for much of what newspapers have and non-Executive Director of Ofcom), historically provided, it remains unclear Brian Rhoads (Managing Editor for the whether they will support newsgathering Americas, Thomson Reuters) and Ngaire and investigative reporting. Tim Gardam Woods (Director of the Global Economic argued that in the UK the newspaper Governance Programme, University of industry remains competitive and relatively Oxford) gathered at Thomson Reuters’ successful and that the central question Manhattan headquarters to offer their confronting British journalism is what he perspectives on the different crises faced called the ‘public interest question’. He by journalism in different countries. pointed out that the traditional role of Events
19 the BBC has been to provide a broadcast of journalism is still doing well even if distinct problems that may accompany platform for a shared national identity the practice of journalism faces many the current transformations in different and the preconditions for collective other obstacles. He argued that the main countries – the fears that we will get worse decision-making, while print media problem facing media organisations today quality information, that governments will catered to separate and often ideological is the commoditisation of news and that be less accountable to the people and that or regional audiences. Brian Rhoads a main strategic aim for companies like societies will be more fragmented – and offered an overview of what the future Thomson Reuters is to be indispensable pointed out that it is by no means clear of news looks like for a company like to their customers and thus retain the that the business problems in which many Thomson Reuters, pointing out that in ability to charge for content. Ngaire news organisations find themselves have many markets, such as China, the business Woods closed the panel by outlining three direct bearing on all of these issues.
#UKelection2010, Mainstream Media and the Role of the Internet: How Social and Digital Media
Affected the Business of Politics and Journalism q #UKelection2010 launch at Google HQ 13 July 2010, Google Headquarters, London
RISJ Visiting Fellow Nic Newman with Emily Bell, Director of Digital presented the findings of his Working Content for Guardian News and Media, Paper on the use of social media and Peter Barron, Google’s Head of during the UK elections at Google’s Communications and Public Affairs for UK Headquarters in London. His the UK, Ireland and Benelux regions. presentation was followed by a panel See the publications section for more discussion, chaired by David Levy, information about this Working Paper.
Seminars
Wednesday Seminar Series Michaelmas term 2009 (Human Sciences Research Council, 25 Nov. ‘Comparing Media Systems’: South Africa and Visiting Fellow RISJ) Professor Paolo Mancini (University of 14 Oct. ‘What’s Happening to Our Perugia and Visiting Fellow, St Antony’s) News?’: Dr Andrew Currah (former 4 Nov. ‘The Rights and Responsibilities RISJ Visiting Fellow, author of of Journalists’: Dr Damian Tambini 2 Dec. ‘Using the BBC College of What’s Happening to Our News) (LSE and Visiting Fellow RISJ) Journalism Website’: Kevin Marsh (BBC College of Journalism) 21 Oct. ‘Why it’s So Hard for Media 11 Nov. ‘Science and Health in the Companies to Change’: Professor Robert Media’: Ben Goldacre (Guardian Hilary term 2010 Picard (Jönköping International Business columnist and Nuffield College School and Visiting Fellow RISJ) Guardian Research Fellow) 20 Jan. ‘Comparing French and British Press Policy’: Professor 28 Oct. ‘Press Councils and the 18 Nov. ‘Broadcasting and the Internet’: Raymond Kuhn (Queen Mary, Regulation of the Print Media in Sub- Zoe Smith (Freelance broadcaster, former London and Visiting Fellow, RISJ) Saharan Africa’: Dr Adrian Hadland online broadcast journalist at ITN News) Events
20 27 Jan. ‘Journalism in the Middle East 10 March ‘Crime Reporting: The First Protesters: Telling the Story, Setting in General and in Jordan in Particular’: and Purest Form of Journalism and Why the Context and Staying Safe’: David Manar al-Rashwani (Senior Editor it is Under Threat’: Duncan Campbell Schlesinger (Editor-in-Chief, Reuters) at the Jordan paper al-Ghad) (former Guardian Crime Correspondent) 26 May ‘Reporting Iran’: Lindsey Hilsum 3 Feb. ‘New Media and Mainstream Trinity term 2010 (International Editor, Channel 4 News) Media’: Richard Sambrook (former head of BBC’s Global News Division, 28 April ‘The UK Elections and 2 June ‘Tell it to the Birds . . . Why the and Visiting Fellow RISJ) Beyond: The Challenges of the Digital Twitter Revolution is Falling on Deaf Revolution for Media Companies’: Ears’: Joy Lodico (freelance writer 10 Feb. ‘Photojournalism: Its Nic Newman (former Future Media on books, the media and culture and Relevance in Today’s Media’: Robin Controller, Journalism, at the BBC) contributing editor to Prospect magazine) Laurance (photojournalist) 5 May ‘The Decline of International 9 June ‘Power without Responsibility’: 17 Feb. ‘Running the BBC’: Caroline Coverage in the UK and US Media’: Jean Seaton (Professor of Media Thomson (Chief Operating Officer, BBC) Dr Martin Moore (Media Standards History, University of Westminster) Trust and Visiting Fellow RISJ) 24 Feb. ‘Novaya Gazeta: Journalism, 16 June ‘How to Make Money in Murder and Reporting the Truth 12 May ‘The Watchdog’s New Bark: News and Current Affairs TV’: Alex on Russia’s Bravest Newspaper’: The Changing Face of Investigative Connock (Chief Executive, Ten Alps) Luke Harding (Guardian Moscow Journalism’: Donald Matheson correspondent and former RISJ fellow) (University of Canterbury, New Zealand, and Visiting Fellow RISJ) 3 March ‘Room for Debate: Running an Op-Ed Page’: Caroline Daniel 19 May ‘Professional Journalists, (Op-ed Editor, Financial Times) Citizen Journalists, Militaries and
‘Journalism and Public Responsibility’ seminar series at Christ Church College Convened by John Lloyd, RISJ and Professor Nigel Biggar, the McDonald Centre for Theology, Ethics & Public Life, Christ Church
3 Feb. ‘Journalism and Extremism: 24 Feb. ‘Appearance and reality: what 10 March ‘”We don’t do God”: how to report on terror’: James Plato can teach journalists and the journalism and the coverage of Brandon (Senior Research Fellow, media’: David Oderberg (Professor of faith’: Brian Moynahan (Author of A The Quilliam Foundation) Philosophy, University of Reading) History of Christianity; former Foreign Correspondent, Sunday Times) 10 Feb. ‘Journalism and trust: eight 3 March ‘What ethic should years after the Reith Lectures’: Onora journalism have?’: John Cornwell 26 May ‘Trust, responsibility and the O’Neill (Professor of Philosophy, (Journalist, and Director of the internet’: Professor Raphael Cohen- University of Cambridge; former Science and Human Dimension Almagore (Head, Department of President, British Academy) Project, University of Cambridge) Politics, University of Hull) Events
21 ‘Media and Politics’ Seminar Series at Nuffield College
Michaelmas term 2009 Hilary term 2010 5 March ‘Being an Editor’: Alan 16 Oct. ‘Muckraking?’: Michael Crick 22 Jan. ‘Politics and the Popular Press’: Rusbridger (Editor, Guardian) (Political Editor, BBC Newsnight and author) Trevor Kavanagh (Associate Editor, Sun) Trinity term 2010 23 Oct. ‘Polls and the Media’: Peter 29 Jan. ‘Reporting and Anchoring’: Kellner (President, YouGov) David Dimbleby (BBC) 30 April ‘The Best Trade? Academic, Journalist or Politician’: David 6 Nov. ‘Managing Newspapers in UK and 5 Feb. ‘The Influence of the Press in Marquand (University of Oxford) USA’: George Brock (Head of Department Westminster and Washington’: Peter of Journalism, City University; formerly Riddell (Political Commentator and 14 May ‘The Impact of 24/7 on Broadcast International Editor, The Times) Assistant Editor, The Times) Reporting’: Adam Boulton (Political Editor, Sky News) 13 Nov. ‘BBC and the World’: Chris 12 Feb. ‘Getting TV News Right?’: Westcott (Director of BBC Monitoring) Jon Snow (Channel 4 News) 21 May ‘The Coverage of Politics in the UK and USA’: Baroness Williams of Crosby 27 Nov. ‘The Media and the Public Service’: 19 Feb. ‘Financial Reporting’: Sir Gus O’Donnell (Cabinet Secretary Patience Wheatcroft (Editor-in- 28 May ‘The BBC and the Future of and Head of the Home Civil Service) Chief, Wall Street Journal Europe) Public Service Broadcasting’: Mark Thompson (Director General, BBC) 2 Dec. ‘The Media and Political Reality’: 26 Feb. ‘The Internet and the Media’: Tony Benn (MP 1950–2001; Cabinet Stephen Coleman (Professor of Political Minister 1965–70, 1974–9; and diarist) Communication, University of Leeds)
Fifty-Three Years of Media and Politics 4 June 2010, Nuffield College, Oxford q David Butler A special seminar to mark Dr David Butler’s Many of the guest speakers of the series retirement – after fifty-three years – from have been towering figures of both British his legendary Media and Politics seminar public life and media; over the years the series at Nuffield College, Oxford. David seminar has played host to the former Butler brought his seminar series to a Prime Ministers Winston Churchill, final conclusion by answering questions Harold Wilson, Jim Callaghan, Edward instead of asking them. John Lloyd (Reuters Heath, John Major and Tony Blair. Institute) and Baroness Margaret Jay (a former student of Dr Butler) shared the Butler is one of Britain’s first and still most role of chair. Butler reminisced about renowned psephologists. British television q his encounters with Winston Churchill audiences know him best as a commentator David Butler’s swingometer cake and explained why he introduced the on the BBC’s election night programmes off-the-record rule for the seminars – so from the early 1950s until 1979. He that the civil service mandarins, leading launched the concept of “swing” in elections politicians and journalists could speak and pioneered the swingometer, first used freely and share their real-life experiences on screen in 1959. Butler was involved in and anecdotes with the audience. This authoring or co-authoring every edition of created an extraordinarily intimate the Nuffield studies on British elections from ambience in the seminar room. 1945 to 2005 and completed his final edition of British Political Facts in August 2010. Events
22 Research
The Axess Programme on Comparative European Journalism
This research programme entered its 2010). These conferences are all highly third and final year in 2009–10. With competitive and the fact that the Axess data-gathering finished (the project data programme has a presence at all of are made up of a cross-national email them will contribute significantly to the survey with around 2,200 respondents visibility and impact of the programme as well as sixty-two interviews with within academia. Dr Örnebring has also journalists across the six nations presented the programme results at an studied), the final year of the project invitation-only conference on comparative has been taken with writing up the journalism research in Eichstätt, Germany results of the project, preparing a book (9–12 July 2010), and participated in manuscript and presenting the results panels and delivered keynote addresses at leading international conferences. based on the programme research at Research Fellow at the European Studies international conferences in Wroclaw, Centre, St Antony’s College, Oxford, The main results of the programme were Poland, and Ottawa, Canada, in 2011. working on the ERC-funded project presented in draft form at a workshop in ‘Media and Democracy in Central and January at the Institute where feedback In 2009–10 two pieces of work from Eastern Europe’ (see http://mde.politics. was sought from top researchers in the the programme have been published: ox.ac.uk/). He has published numerous field. Attendees included Professors Philip the article ‘Technology and Journalism- articles and book chapters on journalism, Schlesinger (University of Glasgow), as-Labour: Historical Perspectives’, particularly on comparative journalism Wolfgang Donsbach (Technische Journalism: Theory, Practice, Criticism, research, the relationship between Universität Dresden), Paolo Mancini 11(1) (Feb. 2010), and the book chapter journalism and new technology, as well (University of Perugia), Epp Lauk ‘Reassessing Journalism as a Profession’, as the history of journalism, and was (University of Jyväskylä/University of in Stuart Allan (ed.), The Routledge guest editor of an issue of Journalism Tartu), Terhi Rantanen (LSE), Stuart Companion to News and Journalism Studies (‘Questioning European Allan (Bournemouth University), (2010). Another article, co-authored with Journalism’, vol. 10(1), Feb. 2009). George Brock (City University) and Dr Anna Maria Jönsson at Södertörn others. The feedback received at this University College, Sweden, ‘User- workshop has been immensely useful in Generated Content and the News: preparing the final book manuscript (to Empowerment of Citizens or Interactive be finished later this year and published Illusion?’ (drawing upon programme some time in 2011). In conjunction research for a comparison of online with the workshop Dr Örnebring also newspapers in the UK and Sweden) presented some of the key results of has been accepted for publication the programme in a public lecture. in Journalism Practice and will be published during 2011. As noted, the Dr Örnebring has also presented results book summarising the programme from the programme at several leading research will be published in 2011. international conferences, including Future of Journalism (Cardiff, 9–10 Dr Henrik Örnebring was Axess Sept. 2009), ICA (Singapore, 21–26 Research Fellow in Comparative European June 2010), IAMCR (Braga, Portugal, Journalism at the Reuters Institute, 18–22 July 2010), with plans to present Oxford (2007–10), and is now a Research at ECREA (Hamburg, 12–15 Oct. Associate at RISJ. He is currently Senior Research
23 International News in Africa, India and Pakistan: Provision, Consumption and Trust in a Rapidly Changing Broadcasting Environment
Sponsored by the Carnegie Corporation of quantitative data analysis of media New York, BBC World Service and France consumption patterns in those countries, 24, this ambitious one-year project focuses and focus group and immersion on three core areas: (1) the changing interviews with consumers in Kenya, provision, (2) the changing consumption Egypt, Senegal, India and Pakistan. patterns and (3) the changing trust in international providers of news in six The UK-based project team comprises African countries (Senegal, Cameroon, Dr David Levy, Dr Brian Rotheray (first Algeria, Egypt, Kenya and Nigeria), India phase of research) and Dr Anne Geniets. and Pakistan. The main focus of the study is the role of international media and Dr Brian Rotheray worked as a news flows in globalisation, mapping postdoctoral research fellow from the changing provision of international January to May 2010 on the project. news, assessing the evidence for changing He holds a BA and Ph.D. in Modern patterns of consumption and reviewing Languages (Leeds University) and an how attitudes to trust in global media MBA (Bradford University), with periods sources may be changing. Against the of study in Russia, Germany and the background of decreased investment USA. He worked for BBC Monitoring as in global reporting and the increasing a monitor and senior editor, as well as attractiveness of international news with on the development of the organisation’s a different view – whether from avowedly online services on the media worldwide. ‘counter-hegemonic’ providers such as His research interests are in the impact Al Jazeera, or other state-backed foreign of international broadcasters on public broadcasters such as Russia Today, perceptions and public policy. Recent and investigated the political online Chinese CCTV or Telesur – the project publications include The History of participation of young women in investigates whether more traditional BBC Monitoring (BBC, 2009). Britain. Dr Geniets’s research interests broadcast TV and radio news providers include: uses of media in developing (state or commercially funded) find Dr Anne Geniets holds an MA in countries; media, social innovation themselves confronted by audiences Developmental Psychology and and change (including microfinance, who may respond to increased choice Psychology of Developmental Disorders, microjustice and microdemocracy by seeking out news that reinforces with minors in Media Psychology and projects); communicative competencies their own worldview or news from Psychopathology (University of Bern, and civic engagement amongst young sources closer to home. The research is Switzerland), and an M.Sc. in Research people; trust and political efficacy; based on the content analysis of both Methods in Psychology (Oxon). Her political performance and rhetoric; national and international broadcasts D.Phil. was completed at the Department and media and popular culture. in the eight countries investigated, the of Education, University of Oxford, Research
24 The Business of Journalism and its Role in Democracy
Sponsored by the Green Templeton democracies like Finland, France, College, College Based Academic Germany, the United Kingdom, the Initiatives Fund, this first phase of this United States and emerging economies project examines current developments like Brazil, and India. Rasmus will be in the business of journalism and its working in Oxford on analysing the role in democracy in a range of different impact of the internet and the recession developed and developing countries. on commercially supported journalism Across the world, the combination of across the world, differing policy the rise of the internet and the global responses and the implications of these recession of 2008–9 has seriously for democracy and accountability in challenged the news industry and its the target countries. The initial aim of capacity to hold power to account. But the project is to produce a publication of Essex, and a Ph.D. (with distinction) despite increasingly widespread fatalism late in 2010 that presents an overview of in Communications from Columbia in much of the English-speaking world, the issues facing journalism in different University. His dissertation dealt with the business of journalism remains robust countries, and highlights options for a political campaigns in the United States. in several developed democracies, and way forward. We are fortunate to have continues to experience rapid growth in secured funding from the Open Society Most of his research concerns political some emerging economies. To capture Institute to develop this important communication, campaign practices, and characterise the complex situation project over the next two years. and media institutions and their ongoing contemporary commercial journalism transformations, especially at the confronts, our postdoctoral research Dr Rasmus Kleis Nielsen is a intersection between old organisations fellow, Rasmus Kleis Nielsen, will work postdoctoral research fellow doing and new technologies. His broader with RISJ Director David Levy and a cross-national comparative research on interests include media participation, network of leading international experts the business of journalism and its role in civic engagement and social theory. on a comparative project identifying the democracy. He holds a BA and an MA in His research has appeared in several main challenges and opportunities for Political Science from the University of journals, including New Media and the business of news in seven countries, Copenhagen, an MA (with distinction) Society, Journalism, and the Journal of including both developed Western in Political Theory from the University Information Technology and Politics.
Can it Tweet its Way to Democracy? The Promise of Participatory Media in Africa
Sponsored by the Open Society Institute West, ICT development models, internet this study aims to show how the internet is diffusion and media control approaches. democratising public spheres and political Given that all these factors affect the cultures in authoritarian regimes without nature and extent of online participation, necessarily threatening the regimes’ power a bigger sample of country-specific in the short term. The project seeks to studies will provide a more authoritative cover developments in Ethiopia, Egypt, account of the democratization effects Uganda, Zimbabwe, Tunisia, Eritrea and of participatory media in Africa. Rwanda. Each of these countries shows authoritarian characteristics and has African online media remains largely increasingly active online communities. unmapped. This study will provide a But they also differ in the extent of their picture of participatory media in the it is hoped that it will contribute to the authoritarianism, political stability, history sample countries. As one of the very few understanding of the new media in Africa of press freedom, relationships with the studies on African participatory media, and their links to democratisation. It is Research
25 also intended that the study will be used newspaper until it announced its closure as a source material for future research. in December 2009, citing persecution Abiye Megenta also taught Business of its editors. From 2006 to 2007 he Law at Addis Ababa Commercial Abiye Megenta is an Ethiopian wrote for seminawork.blogspot.com, College which is now part of Addis journalist and political commentator. a popular political blog, under the Ababa University. His research interest Trained in law, he started writing for alias Ethio-Zagol. His research on the is the intersection of political theory, Ethiopian newspapers in 1999 on democratisation impact of the internet law and the media. His book The issues of politics, law and economics. in authoritarian countries mixes his in- Possibility of Democracy in Ethiopia He is a founding editor of Addis Neger depth observation of the online media will be published in September 2010. which was Ethiopia’s leading dissident ecosystem with surveys and interviews.
Research Associates
Dr Galina Miazhevich has a Ph.D. in post-communist societies and (iii) issues Development Studies from Manchester of press freedom in the post-Soviet media University. Currently, she is the Gorbachev (using the treatment of inter-ethnic Media Research Fellow at Christ Church, cohesion as a case study). In particular Oxford. She is also an associate of the Galina’s postdoctoral research focuses Rothermere American Institute and of on the dramatic rise in post-communist the RISJ. Galina is working on several xenophobia and explores the state media’s projects dealing with (i) mass-media treatment of extremisms in the hitherto representations of terrorism and discourse under-researched Republic of Belarus. of ‘security threat’, (ii) the interaction between the ‘new’ and ‘old’ media in
Dr Henrik Örnebring is currently a Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia), and his Senior Research Fellow at St Antony’s particular area of research is journalism College and a Research Associate at and journalistic professionalism in a the RISJ. He is working on a four-year comparative perspective. He also has project funded by the European Research a particular responsibility for data- Council on Media and Democracy gathering in the Baltic countries. in Central and Eastern Europe. This project studies the media–democracy Previous to this appointment, Dr relationship in the ten post-communist Örnebring was Axess Research nations that have joined the EU since Fellow in Comparative European 2004 (Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Journalism at the RISJ (see above). Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Research
26 Visiting Fellows
The Institute was delighted to welcome a number of distinguished senior journalists and academics from Britain and abroad who contributed their expertise and knowledge to the Institute’s portfolio of research and activities.
Dr Adrian Hadland spent the first Programme. He achieved his Ph.D. in fifteen years of his career as a journalist 2007 and has since joined the University covering South Africa’s transition from of Nottingham Ningbo in China as apartheid to democracy for a range of Associate Professor of Journalism. local and international publications, broadcast outlets and wire services. While a Visiting Fellow at the Reuters He was parliamentary correspondent Institute, Adrian worked on a book, for Business Day newspaper and then based on his Ph.D., which examined Political Editor of the Cape Argus. the relationship between the media Adrian completed a Masters degree and the state in emerging democracies. at the University of Oxford in 1991 to In particular, Adrian focused on the add to his BA from the University of literature concerning the formation and Cape Town and an Honours degree in delineation of the state, an area he hadn’t comparative and African literature from dealt with in any detail for the Ph.D. As a the University of the Witwatersrand. result of this research, he has developed a Adrian joined South Africa’s statutory new hypothesis of media–state relations research agency, the Human Sciences based on the notion of an ‘acquisitive Research Council (HSRC), in 2002 and state’. Adrian also presented a number went on to become director of the HSRC’s of papers and seminars at Oxford and at Democracy and Governance Research various other UK universities on his work.
Professor Raymond Kuhn is Professor 2007), will be published in 2011. of Politics at Queen Mary, University of Raymond is also one of the leading UK London, where he has been a teacher authorities on the French media. His book and researcher for over thirty years. He Media in France (London: Routledge, has twice been Head of the Department 1995) has established itself as the key of Politics (1992–6 and 2004–8) and English-language work on this topic. was also Dean of the Faculty of Arts (1996–9). He has published several pieces During the period of his Fellowship on political communication in Britain, at the Institute Raymond completed including chapters in Blair’s Britain, the writing of a book, The Media in 1997–2007 (Cambridge: CUP, 2007), The Contemporary France, to be published Blair Effect 2001–5 (Cambridge: CUP, by Open University Press in 2011. He 2005), Developments in British Politics presented a paper on the newspaper press 7 (Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, in Britain and France to the Institute’s 2003) and Political Journalism: New weekly seminar series. He also supervised Challenges, New Practices (London: the projects of two of the Institute’s Routledge, 2002), of which he was also Journalist Fellows: the first on French one of the editors. A second edition of newspaper coverage of the burqa affair his single-authored book, Politics and the and the second on Sarkozy and the media. Media in Britain (Palgrave Macmillan, Visiting Fellows Visiting
27 Fellows’ Quotes q Fellows at Christ Church
RISJ isn’t only about influence on governments and think tanks, about notable work leading to significant publications and about newsworthy events. It is also about the impact on individuals of experiencing the Journalism Fellowship Programme and of the time spent in Oxford. Several of our alumni from this year have expressed how they have benefited personally and professionally from their time at RISJ. q q Leticia, Cherelle, Jenny Abdalla filming ‘It has expanded my horizons in ways I didn’t expect it would.’ (Abdalla)
‘I’ve learned more from the rich experiences of the other journalist fellows rather than from lectures, seminars and forums. I’ve been thrilled and excited by the different backgrounds, angles and filters.’(Ichiro)
q Presentation day at GTC
q Johanna punting Gabriela q
‘This experience enriched me in many ways that go beyond the academic. I’m now an “almost-expert” on climate- change, Berlusconi, women in Italian media . . . the best gift of the Reuters experience is: I’ve made friends for a lifetime.’ (Jenny) Fellows in London q
‘The most important thing I’ve learned came from my fellow fellows. They have told me what it’s like to work in conflict ‘I’ve learned that areas or under authoritarian regimes without real freedom the way is as important of speech. The fellowship has given me many great as the end and that the friends. These friendships may well last longer than beauty of knowledge is many British newspapers’ (Johanna) exchange.’ (Leticia) Fellows’ Quotes Fellows’
28 q q Fellows at Christ Church Miruna dining at GTC Fellows outside 13 Norham Gardens
q ‘Before arriving, I mentally prepared for the challenge and rigour expected from the Institute and demanded of my research, but it was a surprise to discover that my fellow fellows insisted on the ‘From my time same whether debating working practices, cultural differences here I’ve met courageous or which pub to go to – it was a wonderful, thought- people . . . some of the most provoking and exciting experience’ (Michelle) courageous journalists I have ever met.’ (Liisa) q Fellows after the Reuters Memorial Lecture
q Oksana at Channel 4 q Emma-Jane’s presentation
‘What I’ve learnt: that what you really need in Oxford in winter apart from a bit of enthusiasm and a tad of knowledge is a really warm q Eva, Jussi, Sang-Kil jacket. What I will take back with me: an experience of a lifetime’ (Cherelle) q Ichiro
‘When I left Milan most of my colleagues questioned my motivations for temporarily leaving my job for ‘I’ve learned that idea Oxford, warning – curiosity kills the cat. But it doesn’t and passion to be a journalist kill the cat, in fact the cat’s life becomes funnier and is the same among all of the fellows more enriched from meeting other cats and being here but the obstacles we face are challenged by them both academically and totally different’ (Sampo) professionally and even becoming q Fellows at Nuffield friends’ (Gabriela) q Punting Fellows’ Quotes Fellows’
29 Geert Linnebank was Editor-in-Chief at Independent Television News (ITN) of Reuters from 2000 to 2006. He started and at CO2benchmark.com, and he his career as a reporter in Brussels with is a Trustee of the Thomson Reuters Agence Europe and AP-Dow Jones Foundation, which he chaired until 2008. before joining Reuters in 1983, where He will be involved in the Institute’s work he held reporting and editing positions on the changing business of journalism in Belgium, the Netherlands and, and its impact on democracy and latterly, at Reuters London head office. plans to lead work on different subsidy Linnebank is non-executive director mechanisms as part of that project.
Professor Laurence Lustgarten is an the impact on all British media of libel Honorary Visiting Fellow at Green law as it existed at that time. His current Templeton College and an Associate research interest is in re-evaluating the Research Fellow of the Oxford University impact of what is generally known as Centre for Socio-Legal Studies. He has the ‘chilling effect’ of libel, specifically written on issues concerning national on investigative journalism, in light of security and secrecy, as well as on the the purportedly significant changes in impact of defamation law on the media in legal doctrine over the past fifteen years England, particularly national newspapers but also in relation to the way in which and book publishing, as part of a project libel litigation is currently financed. in the mid-1990s that sought to assess
Dr Donald Matheson is a Senior Lecturer During his time at the Reuters Institute in Media and Communication at the his research focused on the ethics of University of Canterbury, New Zealand. how journalists interpret. The aim was He teaches and researches on journalism to gather journalists’ own accounts practice, with an emphasis on emerging about how they at their best interpret forms of journalism online and on the and listen to others and then to draw ethics of the communication process in out some ethical principles about what journalism. He has written two books, good understanding entails for them. Media Discourses (Open University Press, Starting in this way from good practice 2005) and Digital War Reporting (with rather than the duty-based or scientific Stuart Allan, Polity Press, 2009). He ideals that underpin many discussions co-edits Ethical Space: The International of ethics, it was hoped that the project Journal of Communication Ethics and could bring a set of ideas into focus that is active in the Australian and New will have relevance for journalists’ daily Zealand Communication Association. judgements about how to communicate Before moving to New Zealand, he truthfully and fairly. The empirical work taught at Strathclyde University and was based on interviews with leading Cardiff University, and he had also UK journalists, informed by the theories worked for a short time as an education of interpretation of Gadamer, Ricoeur reporter in Wellington, New Zealand. and Habermas’s communicative ethics. Visiting Fellows Visiting
30 Dr Martin Moore is Director of the His book, The Origins of Modern Spin, Media Standards Trust. He has worked in was published by Palgrave Macmillan. the news and media industry for over a decade, including for the BBC, Channel As a Visiting Fellow at RISJ, Martin has 4, NTL, IPC Media, Trinity Mirror, as been looking at the changing nature of well as other leading media organisations. foreign correspondence in the UK press Martin read history at Cambridge and over the last three decades, and seeking holds a doctorate from the London to explain its decline in prominence and School of Economics (LSE), where he breadth, and the implications of this. taught and researched until mid-2006.
Nic Newman is a journalist and digital and interactive TV applications for BBC strategist who played a key role in shaping News, Sport, Weather and Local and he the BBC’s internet services over more than was a member of both the Journalism a decade. He was a founding member of the and Technology boards of the BBC. BBC News Website, leading international coverage as World Editor (1997-2001). As As Visiting Fellow at the Reuters Head of Product Development for BBC Institute, Nic is author of two recent News, he helped introduce journalistic papers looking at social media and its innovations such as blogs, podcasting impact of mainstream journalism. The and on-demand video, as well as social most recent study explored and analysed media strategies and guidelines for the the uses of social media by politicians, wider BBC. Most recently he led digital media organisations and audiences teams, which developed websites, mobile during the UK election of May 2010.
Professor Robert G. Picard is editor of State University, and Turku School of Journal of Media Business Studies and Economics, Finland. He has been a Hamrin Professor of Media Economics visiting professor at the Université de and Director of the Media Management Paris, the Universiteit van Amsterdam, and Transformation Centre, Jönköping Université de la Méditerranée, International Business School, Sweden. Universidade Católica Portuguesa, and He is the author and editor of twenty- Shanghai University. Picard was a fellow four books, including Value Creation at the Shorenstein Center at the John and the Future of News Organizations: F. Kennedy School of Government at Why and How Journalism Must Change Harvard University and a member of the to Remain Relevant in the Twenty-First Annenberg Commission on the Press. Century; The Economics and Financing of Media Companies; Digital Terrestrial During his Visiting Fellowship at Television in Europe; The Internet and the Reuters Institute, he is carrying the Mass Media; Media Firms: Structures, out research on the development Operations, and Performance, and Media and performance of media trusts Economics: Concepts and Issues. He was and charitable ownership of news founding editor of the Journal of Media organisations. The study is focusing on Economics, which he guided through its the extent to which they shield newsroom first decade of operation. He received his operations from financial pressures, how Ph.D. from the University of Missouri- they provide editorial independence, and Columbia and has been on the faculties governance and managerial challenges of Louisiana State University, California resulting from the trust provisions. Visiting Fellows Visiting
31 Richard Sambrook is Global Vice location on major news events throughout Chairman Chief Content Officer of Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Europe and Edelman, the world’s largest independent the US. He is a frequent speaker on the PR company. He works with companies impact of the internet on journalism. seeking to use digital media to tell their story directly to the public and key His research is into the future of stakeholders and also heads Edelman’s international news and the changing Crisis and Issues practice. Before that he role of the foreign correspondent. He had a thirty-year career at the BBC during is looking at how a combination of which he was, successively, Director of economics, globalisation and technology Sport, Director of News and Director of is changing the way the world is Global News, including the World Service. reported and at some new models of He was a programme producer, editor of international news. This will be published the main evening TV news programme as an RISJ Challenge in late 2010. and News Editor and has worked on
Juan Señor is a Partner at the Innovation Media Consulting Group based in Juan focused his research on studying London. In the past four years he has what newspaper companies must do to launched newspapers and television reinvent themselves and remain viable and stations in eleven countries, three of relevant. The study will be published in which have been voted ‘Best Newspaper an upcoming book: ‘Digital Deliverance: Concept and Design in the World’ How to Reinvent the Newspaper for for 2007 and 2008. He has been a the Digital Age’ (working title). The presenter for Wall Street Journal TV and research concludes by stating that it is CNBC Europe and served as London imperative to note that one should not correspondent of the International underestimate the challenges inherent in Herald Tribune Television. He has also the transformations proposed here. We all worked as a foreign affairs reporter and know by now how hard it is to transform war correspondent for the NewsHour on monomedia newsrooms into multimedia PBS in the USA. Juan obtained a degree information engines and changing the summa cum laude in Political Science business areas of a newsmedia company is and attended Georgetown University’s no simpler. Such a radical transformation Institute of Political Journalism in can only be accomplished by the very top Washington, DC. He continues to work management, who must be convinced of as a television and live events presenter the need to change, set the direction and and moderator in different world forums. lead the process all the way to completion. Visiting Fellows Visiting
32 Dr Damian Tambini is Senior Lecturer in Action (2002), Theories of Ethnic at the LSE and Director of its Masters Conflict (2002), and Ruled by Recluses? Degree in Communications Regulation Privacy and the Media (2003). He is and Policy. He is also an Associate the co-editor of New News: Impartial Fellow at the IPPR, and at the Oxford Broadcasting in the Digital Age (2002). Internet Institute; a member of the Communications Consumer Panel; His research at the Reuters Institute a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts; led to two papers, both concerned with and serves on the Advisory Groups journalism ethics. The first continued of the Oxford Media Convention and research conducted under the auspices of POLIS. Previously he was head of the POLIS, the LSE’s media and society think Programme in Media Law and Policy tank, and focused on the topic of financial at Oxford University and has been and business journalism. This research on the faculties of Nuffield College, was based on interviews conducted with Oxford and the Humboldt University, financial and business journalists in Berlin. He also holds a Ph.D. from Hong Kong, and led to a paper entitled the European University Institute, ‘Financial Journalism, Conflicts of Interest Florence. His research interests include and Ethics: A Case Study of Hong Kong’ media and telecommunications policy which will be published later this year. and democratic communication. He The second project, which was presented is co-author of Codifying Cyberspace: at the Reuters Institute weekly seminar, Self-Regulation of Converging Media has led to a separate paper entitled ‘The (2008), and co-editor of Cyberdemocracy Rights and Duties of Journalists’. This (1998) and Citizenship, Markets, will be presented as a keynote talk at the and the State (2000). Other recent Conference of the International Press publications include: Nationalism in Institute in Vienna in September 2010. Italian Politics (2001), Collective Identities
Simon Terrington founded and ran Company. He is also the Chairman of Human Capital Ltd between 1995 and Ox & Cross Publishing. He recently 2009. During this time he carried out presented a BBC World Service research and strategy work for media documentary on how technology is companies in the UK, other European changing chess and may have another countries, US and Canada. Clients over in the pipeline. Simon has degrees from that period include the BBC, Ofcom, Cambridge and London University. Channel 4, News Corporation, BSkyB, Discovery (UK, US and Canada), The He is carrying out research into the Mirror Group, Johnston Press, Guardian willingness to pay for journalism Media Group and ITV. Before 1995 online and has been advising RISJ Simon worked for the LEK Partnership journalist fellows and staff on and the BBC’s Corporate Strategy team. measurements of success in the news Simon now runs another research industry and on survey methods. and strategy firm, Terrington & Visiting Fellows Visiting
33 Thi Le Thuy Tran is an established Germany, 2003. She has been interviewed journalist in Vietnam. Formally trained and consulted by the BBC, The Economist, in journalism, she has worked for Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung and and published in Vietnam’s biggest Al Jazeera English about Vietnam. newspapers, the Far Eastern Economic Review, Inter Press Service Europa, Panos As a RISJ Journalist Fellow in 2008–9, London and Choices, the magazine Thuy conducted a first comparative of United Nations, including the first study of UK–Vietnam defamation published conversation of a North law. Upon returning to the Institute Vietnamese journalist with Henry as a Visiting Fellow in late 2009, she Kissinger, and exposing various cases of initiated and held the first seminar on wrongdoing. She is one of the highest libel law in Hanoi. Her project, funded international decorated Vietnamese by the British embassy in Vietnam, has journalists, with a first prize and a special created momentum for a national debate prize as Young Development Journalist of on defamation law. It has also had the the year in Developing Asia Journalism privilege of introducing fundamental Award in Tokyo, 2004, and winner of legal defences for the Vietnamese Panos London/GKP journalism award in media, including absolute and qualified the United Nations information society privileges, responsible journalism and summit, 2005. She was a Fulbright the public interest defences. The project’s visiting scholar at New York University recommendations were received positively in 2005–6 and attended the Business and widely supported by the media, press and Financial Reporting course in the regulators and lawmakers in Vietnam. International Institute for Journalism,
Matthew Weber studies the Institute, Matthew continued to develop transformation of the news industry, his work examining the transformation with a specific focus on understanding of news organisations through an the ways in which traditional news examination of the cross-cultural media organisations are adapting and differences in strategies for adapting transforming in the era of online news. to new information communication He received his Ph.D. in Communication technology. Matthew worked with other from the University of Southern fellows to develop a better understanding California, and in the coming year he of the ways in which newsrooms globally will be a postdoctoral researcher at the have incorporated social media, online Center for IT and Media at the Fuqua news and interactive news into the School of Business, Duke University. daily news production and distribution His research has been published in processes. In addition, his research as a Management Change Quarterly and the Fellow considered the role that individual Journal of Communication, and he has journalists play as innovators in the received numerous awards for his work, newsroom, examining the impact that including top paper at the International individuals can have when they attempt Communication Association in 2010. to lead change in a news organisation. As a Visiting Fellow at the Reuters Visiting Fellows Visiting
34 Research Publications
RISJ currently has two series of in-house are topical they achieve maximum impact Below are listed the publications from publications to present its research and with practitioners and policy-makers. 2009–10. In the coming months we will contribute to the debate on the future of By mid-2010 we had published a total of publish on climate change reporting, the journalism. The Challenges in Modern seven Challenges. In 2009 we launched changing role of the foreign correspondent, Journalism series which launched in an RISJ Working Paper series and had and the impact of the UK’s first televised Autumn 2008 consists of short books of published ten by summer 2010. Working election debates, together with a major between 15,000 and 40,000 words in length papers are generally published online, edited comparative book on the changing that aim to take forward an argument and present work in progress, are between business of journalism and the outputs make some concrete recommendations 10,000 and 20,000 words in length, and from the research projects on international about an important issue in journalism. target a more specialised audience. In the broadcasting and on social media and Challenges aim to combine rigorous past year we have published three working authoritarian regimes in Africa. research with a faster timetable than a papers by former journalist fellows as conventional academic publication would well as three that were part of Ofcom’s allow, to ensure that where their findings review of the future of local news.
Red Kayaks and Hidden Gold Sponsor: Reuters Institute. Author: John Kelly
This report looks at the growing influence of citizen journalism, made possible by the new technology available to all, and questions the relationship between both the journalist and the public in generating the news today. While user- generated content may make some in the mainstream media uneasy, it allows journalists to explore new, collaborative ways of telling stories.
Journalism, Democracy and the Public Interest: Rethinking Media Pluralism for the Digital Age (RISJ Working Paper in association with Ofcom) Author: Steven Barnett
The media industry is in the midst of a ‘perfect storm’, as recession, fragmented audiences and the shift of press advertising to the internet impact upon it. Steven Barnett, Professor of Communications at the University of Westminster, analyses the effects of these changes on the industry, and how government and regulatory intervention and a new public interest approach to media regulation can best enable it to move forward in a changing world. Research Publications Research
35 Navigating the Crisis in Local and Regional News: A Critical Review of Solutions (RISJ Working Paper in association with Ofcom) Author: Andrew Currah
Local and regional news is in the midst of a serious funding crisis. Here the author evaluates the likely impact of this crisis on the quality of journalism and on the potential for the emergence of a ‘news gap’ in the UK. A range of options for sustaining local and regional journalism are examined in turn. Possible ways of moving through the crisis are proposed, with a particular focus on new forms of not-for-profit and charitable ownership.
Press Subsidies and Local News: The Swedish Case (RISJ Working Paper in association with Ofcom) Authors: Karl Erik Gustafsson, Henrik Örnebring and David A. L. Levy
The Swedish media landscape is reviewed in the context of its historical background, and in today’s more uncertain marketplace, while the quality of Swedish journalism is critically assessed to draw lessons for the UK from the Swedish press subsidy system. The Swedish system ensures that fifteen Swedish cities have competing daily newspapers rather than a single one, but the report demonstrates that the relative health of Swedish regional and local papers is rooted in very high levels of readership and local political engagement rather than in subsidies alone.
WORKING The Rise of Social Media and its Impact on PAPER Mainstream Journalism: A Study of How Newspapers and Broadcasters in the UK and US
mainstream journalism: are Responding to a Wave of Participatory Social A study of how newspapers and broadcasters in the UK and US are responding to a wave of participatory social media, Media and a Historic Shift in Control towards Individual Consumers (RISJ Working Paper) Nic Newman Author: Nic Newman
With the new wave of participatory social media, and a historic shift in control September 2009 towards individual consumers, newspapers and broadcasters in the UK and US are having to change the way they conduct their journalism. Journalists at leading news organisations in the UK and US are increasingly involving audiences in the way they research and tell stories. This research explores the dilemmas and issues raised by greater audience engagement through case-study interviews with leading practitioners and managers, and reviews of recent research. It also looks at how mainstream media coverage of breaking news events is changing, using topical case studies notably from the G20 London summit and Iranian post-election street protests. Research Publications Research
36 Investigative Journalism and Political Power in China: Five Newspapers’ Reporting of the Chenzhou Mass Corruption Case, February 2004–November 2008 (RISJ Working Paper) Author: Haiyan Wang
Chinese investigative journalism has traditionally had a very close relationship with political power, with journalists or publications not following the party line being shut down immediately. A ground-breaking shift took place during the reporting of an official corruption case when certain papers did try and report the truth, although this research reaches the conclusion that, while the methods of investigative journalism are becoming increasingly widespread in China, in practice it operates in a patron–client relationship where it tends to transmit the voice of the politically powerful in exchange for political protection, profit and personal gain.
#UKelection2010, Mainstream Media and the Role of the Internet: How Social and Digital Media Affected the Business of Politics and Journalism (RISJ Working Paper) Author: Nic Newman
Methods of electioneering and political reporting in the UK have changed for good because of Facebook and Twitter. The wider international debate about the importance of these developments to the changing shape of mainstream media organisations, to levels of civic engagement, debates about quality, trust and accuracy, and to discussions about the practice and future of journalism is meaning that journalists and politicians are having to learn how to harness the power of social networking sites.
Good News from a Far Country? Changes in International Broadcast News Supply in Africa and South Asia (RISJ Working Paper) Author: Brian Rotheray
There has been a huge investment in international broadcasting in recent years; however this is largely concentrated on partial news providers. The research investigates how impartial international broadcast news is still a scarce commodity as domestic players largely concentrate on national news and more nations use international broadcasting to present their countries’ perspectives uncritically. Research Publications Research
37 Staff
A small team of dedicated individuals leads the Institute’s research projects and activities.
Dr David A. L. Levy, Director
Prior to becoming Director at RISJ, David Editorial Board of the Journal of European worked at the BBC, as a radio and TV Public Policy and a non-executive reporter on File on 4 and Newsnight and member of the Conseil d’Administration as Editor of Analysis on Radio 4, and of the French international broadcaster, then as Controller of Public Policy, where France 24. His publications include The he directed UK and EU policy and led Price of Plurality: Choice Diversity and the BBC’s relations with government Broadcasting Institutions in the Digital and regulators, including its policy for Age (2008, edited with Tim Gardam); the last Charter Review and licence fee Europe’s Digital Revolution: Broadcasting negotiation. He was the sole foreign Policy, the EU and the Nation State (2nd Institute; to have responsibility for the member of the 2008 French cross-party edition, 2001); and An Independent direction and work of the Institute “Commission pour la Nouvelle Télévision NHS: What’s in it for Patients and and for the staff employed in the Publique”, established by President Citizens? (2008). He is a Governing Institute; to have responsibility for the Sarkozy to explore the future of the French Body member of Green Templeton maintenance and development of the public broadcaster France Télévisions. He College and an Associate Fellow and Thomson Reuters Journalist Fellowship was a member of the Helsingin Sanomat media sector consultant at the University Programme and to provide leadership Foundation Scientific Committee in of Oxford’s Saïd Business School. in the raising of external funding 2009–10, as well as a member of the UK to support the Institute’s work. Government’s committee on Science The role of the RISJ Director is to and the Media. He is a member of the provide academic leadership to the
John Lloyd, Director of Journalism
John is a contributing editor at the (with Jean Seaton) a special issue of Financial Times (FT), where he writes Political Quarterly, ‘What Can Be Done? a weekly column on television, and Making the Media and Politics Better’. He is a feature writer for the Financial has received a number of press awards, Times Magazine, of which he was including Granada’s Journalist of the Year, founding editor. He has been a reporter the British Press award’s Specialist Writer and producer for London Weekend of the Year and the David Watt Prize. Television’s London Programme and Weekend World, and editor of Time Out As RISJ Director of Journalism, and New Statesman magazines. At the John’s role is to advise on and effect Journalist Fellowship Programme; to FT, he has been Labour Editor, Industrial interactions between the Institute and contribute to the programme of research Editor, East Europe Editor and Moscow the world of professional journalism; to and publications undertaken by the Bureau Chief. He has written several effect a programme of activities at the Institute and to lead particular projects. books, including Loss Without Limit: The Institute and beyond Oxford, involving British Miners’ Strike (1986: with Martin practising journalists from the news Adeney); Rebirth of a Nation: An Anatomy media; to contribute to the academic of Russia (1998) and What the Media are and professional development of the Doing to our Politics (2004). He co-edited Fellows on the Thomson Reuters Visiting Staff
38 James Painter, Head of the Journalism Fellowship Programme
James joined the BBC World Service He is the author of several books and in 1992, and has worked as head of the academic articles on the region. In recent Spanish American Service, head of the years he has written widely for several BBC Miami office, and Editor in the publications, including the BBC website, newsroom. From 2003 to 2005, he was on issues related to climate change, and Executive Editor Americas and Latin studied the coverage of climate change in America analyst. Prior to joining the the Latin American and world media. BBC, he spent four years in Bolivia working for various media in the UK and James was the BBC Reuters Journalist James leads the Fellowship Programme USA, including the BBC, Reuters, the Fellow in 2006 and subsequently a visiting and is responsible for organising the Independent and the Christian Science fellow at the Institute. He has published, seminar programmes, supervising Monitor. He has also reported from or contributed to, several books and trips and coordinating supervision several other Latin American countries for articles on the boom in international news for the Fellows’ research projects. a wide variety of publications, and spent channels. including the RISJ Challenge two years lecturing in Latin American Counter-Hegemonic News: A Case Study Government and Politics at the London of Al-Jazeera English and Telesur. School of Economics from 1982 to 1984.
Dr Angela Julian, Former Institute Administrator
Angela worked as a Research Fellow, and Europe (part of the Informa group), then later a Principal Scientist at the University moving to the Oxford-based economic of Reading, and the Natural Resources consultancy, LMC International Ltd, as Institute, on a number of DfID funded Sales and Marketing Manager. Angela projects, investigating the management left the Institute in March 2010. of tropical plant pathogens in semi-arid subsistence farming systems. From 1997, she became conference manager at Agra
Sara Kalim, Institute Administrator
After completing a BA (Hons) degree in production companies and was Head Classics at Somerville College, Oxford, of Development for both Landmark Sara went on to spend fourteen years Films and Quicksilver Media (producers working in television documentaries of films for theDispatches strand on and current affairs programming. She Channel 4 and Unreported World). Sara has developed and produced prime- has held responsibility for the financial time programmes for all the major UK and personnel management of many broadcasters and international channels programmes for Channel 4 and the BBC. including HBO, Discovery Channel, Sara joined the Institute in April 2010 and WGBH and NHK. Having started at is responsible for its financial and strategic the BBC Documentaries Unit, she went management, as well as overseeing on to work for several independent TV research administration and personnel. Staff
39 Kate Hanneford-Smith, Web Editor, Events and Communications Coordinator
Kate has a BA (Hons) in Italian and for running the RISJ website, organising German from the University of Leeds. She all events, seminars and book launches, has been at the Reuters Institute since it and managing communications. started in 2006, and is now responsible
Alex Reid, Publications and Administrative Officer
Alex has a BA (Hons) in Religion and in the local radio station, FOX FM, in Literature from Bristol University and sponsorship and promotions. She has a postgraduate Diploma in Museum overall responsibility for the publication and Gallery Studies from St Andrews of all the Challenges and Working University. On leaving her career in Papers and she assists in the running museums, Alex became a fundraiser of the Fellowship Programme. and event organiser and then worked
Amanda Armstrong, Administrative Assistant
Amanda has a BA (Hons) from Victoria Efficiency and Conservation Authority University of Wellington, NZ, in in New Zealand, and has also worked politics and international relations, a for the Wellington Women’s Refuge, postgraduate certificate in sustainable Youthline Wellington and the Kakapo management, and is currently studying Conservation Project. She has worked in towards a diploma in clinical and New Zealand, the Republic of Ireland and pastoral counselling. She worked as the UK. Amanda assists with the day-to- administration assistant for the Energy day running of the office at the Institute. Staff
40 Governance
The Steering Committee
The Steering Committee provides strategic oversight of the Institute’s activities and is made up of a number of experts in the field from around Oxford.
1. Chair: Tim Gardam, Principal of St Anne’s College
2. Dr Colin Bundy, Principal of Green Templeton College
3. Janice French, Administrator of the Department of Politics and International Relations 1 2 3
4. Prof. Timothy Garton Ash, Professor of European Studies
5. Dr David Levy, Director of the RISJ
6. Geert Linnebank, Board member of Thomson Reuters Foundation, Former Editor-in-Chief, Reuters, and non-executive director at ITN 4 5 6
7. John Lloyd, Director of Journalism, RISJ
8. Prof. Margaret Macmillan, Warden of St Antony’s College
9. Prof. Neil MacFarlane, Head of Department of Politics and International Relations and 7 8 9 Lester B. Pearson Professor of International Relations
10. David Schlesinger, Editor- in-Chief of Reuters
11. Monique Villa, CEO of the Thomson Reuters Foundation
12. Prof. Jan Zielonka, Professor 10 11 12 of European Politics in the Department of Politics and International Relations and Ralf Dahrendorf Fellow at St Antony’s College Governance
41 The Advisory Board
The Institute’s Advisory Board comprises individuals with expertise and experience relevant to the work of the Institute and offers guidance on research directions.
Chair: Lord Patten of Barnes, Geoffrey Nyarota, Editor and Chancellor of the University of Oxford Founder of The Zimbabwe Times
Kurt Almqvist, President, Axel and Christine Ockrent, COO, Audiovisuel Margaret Ax:son Johnson Foundation Extérieure de la France
Prof. Stephen Ansolabehere, Professor Prof. Michael Parks, Director of of Political Science, Massachusetts Journalism, Annenberg Institute, Institute of Technology, USA University of Southern California, USA
Edward Atkin, Trustee of Alan Rusbridger, Editor, Guardian The Atkin Foundation Prof. Jean Seaton, Professor of Dr Sarmila Bose, Senior Research Communications and Media History, Fellow in the Politics of South Asia, University of Westminster Department of Politics and International Relations, University of Oxford Charles Sinclair, Chairman, Association of British Foods, and former Chief Prof. Stephen Coleman, Professor Executive Daily Mail and General Trust of Political Communication, University of Leeds Mark Thompson, Director General, BBC
David Goodhart, Editor, Patience Wheatcroft, Editor-in- Prospect magazine Chief, Wall Street Journal Europe
Helena Luczywo, Editor, Gazeta Wybrocza, Poland Governance
42 Benefactors
The Institute’s core funding comes from the Thomson Reuters Foundation. The long-standing Fellowship Programme is supported by the Thomson Reuters Foundation together with several other sponsors, listed below. The Institute also receives additional sponsorships and awards to support its research projects, seminars and conferences. The Institute is grateful for the generous support of its benefactors in 2009–10:
Australian Broadcasting Commission (ABC) Gerda Henkel Foundation
Austria Press Agency (APA) Green Templeton College
Mr Edward and Mrs Celia Atkin Helsingin Sanomat Foundation
Ax:son Johnson Foundation Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust Ltd
British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) King Edward VII Foundation
BBC World Service Mona Megalli Fund
British Council Ofcom
Carnegie Corporation of New York Open Society Institute and Soros Foundation Network
Cultural Service of the French Embassy Thomson Reuters Foundation
France 24 Wincott Foundation
CULTURAL SERVICE THE OF THE FRENCH WINCOTT EMBASSY FOUNDATION Benefactors
43 Journalist Fellows 2009–10
Ms Jennifer Alejandro, news presenter/ business editor and multimedia journalist, Channel NewsAsia TV, Singapore (sponsor: Thomson Reuters Foundation) Research project: Journalism in the age of social media
Jennifer writes: is all about and how we can bring some Journalism is about people and about the of the conversations going on in our society we live in – it is about amplifying communities to a venue or a platform the conversations of the community where we can use them to inform our the impact on the newsgathering and elevating them onto a bigger and traditional journalism or better yet evolve process and the way information is wider sphere for discussion and analysis. or enhance our traditional journalism into disseminated. The paper also discusses Journalists cannot ignore the onset of new a newer and much improved version. social media’s role in future trends for technologies, whether it is blogging or paid content. Lastly, the paper attempts podcasting or social networking; it is our The paper evaluates the significant to draw conclusions about the future of duty as vanguards of the community to role being played by technological journalists and journalism in the age of find out what the social media revolution advances on the role of the journalist, social media and media convergence.
Mr Zubair A. Dar, correspondent, The Sunday Indian (sponsor: Thomson Reuters Foundation) Research project: The stability of the Indus Waters Treaty: a prisoner’s dilemma
Zubair writes: and so no investment has gone into India and Pakistan share the water of preserving the ecologically fragile Indus river system through the Indus zones including glaciers and forests. Waters Treaty signed in 1960. The treaty has been one of the most successful With climate change threatening to shrink agreements between India and Pakistan, the glacier cover in the Himalayas and between India and Pakistan over a joint with the World Bank acting as the neutral reduce water levels in rivers, the two management system of the Indus basin arbitrator for any disputes arising over countries need to find a joint management and whether the cooperation can come the interpretations of the treaty. However, for preservation of water resources by through the same treaty or through a new the treaty ignores the internationally investing in ecological conservation. arrangement that will replace the existing accepted rights distribution between one. The research project also views the upper and lower riparian states and This research tackles issues like the position of Jammu and Kashmir, the divides the river basin into two halves. impact of climate change on glacier disputed Himalayan region, in the treaty No joint management system of the resources in the Indus basin. It looks as three rivers pass through the region basin was incorporated in the treaty into the possibility of cooperation but rights over water are very limited. Journalist Fellows 2009-10 Fellows Journalist
44 Mr Abdalla Hassan, freelance multimedia journalist (World Press Review/Egypt Today) (sponsor: Gerda Henkel Foundation) Research project: Changing news, changing realities: media censorship’s evolution in Egypt
Abdalla writes: the capacity to apply the same controls I examine the evolution of media censorship that worked so effectively a generation in Egypt, from the monarchy to the present, ago. Private broadcast media represent the and the response to authoritarianism. I trace greater challenge for the authorities since how official censorship and government they reach a large audience in a nation effect on the political and social scene, ownership of the media has given way to where the illiteracy rate stands at just under particularly in light of the upcoming 2011 other forms of information management, a third of the population and newspaper presidential elections. A galvanising political looking into the processes and factors for sales are still low relative to population. player and pro-democracy advocate has how/why censorship walls are falling and made an entrance on the scene: Mohamed the intricate dance between the state and the The media space is widened by the state ElBaradei. Yet the constitution creates public that have led to a broader media space. willingly or unwillingly allowing greater only a very narrow space for participation, room for expression, enterprising journalists which excludes independent candidates like Satellite television and the internet, the and bloggers brave enough to break ElBaradei from running for the presidency. latest techniques for evading government taboos, popular movements and activism The paper examines whether the media’s minders, have signalled the collapse of expanding as much as security interests will new ‘right to bark’ is having a negligible the information regime, and the state has allow, and social media – the newest mass effect in undermining an entrenched lost its near-total ability to set the media communication tool – which has amplified security state – or will the cumulative efforts agenda. The sheer volume of information the voice of the ‘street’. While restrictions of a freer press enable action capable of and communications movement is beyond remain, the media dynamic is having an politically transforming Egypt’s future?
Ms Michelle Henery, former correspondent, Al Jazeera English (sponsor: King Edward VII Foundation) Research project: Why do we see what we see?
Michelle writes: of the significance of events that happen Television news plays an integral role in how outside of their respective countries’ borders. a society receives information. In the era of 24/7 international, rolling news, such networks The three international, English-language, news take on both active and passive functions. The channels which – by nature of size, distribution, proliferation of global news channels launched budgets and reputation – have most impacted This research attempts to identify the key over the last five years indicate that, while there the global television landscape and have the drivers of editorial content in the 24/7 news is an appetite for international news, there is greatest power to influence public opinion sector. Essentially, it seeks to answer why we also a desire from state broadcasters wanting a are CNN International, BBC World News (as viewers) see what we see. Using qualitative platform to provide their national perspective. and Al Jazeera English. Amid each network’s semi-structured interviews and content Notably, the vastly improved and cheaper different histories, remits, identities and varied analysis, the paper examines the impact of technology available has greatly lowered entry broadcasting business models (including various drivers including audience, institutional barriers. All of this has occurred during the funding, programming, production, delivery culture, funding models and philosophies on post-1980s so-called ‘information revolution’, and audience), each must compete to maintain the editorial content of CNN International, with audiences becoming increasingly aware market share and global name recognition. BBC World News and Al Jazeera English. Journalist Fellows 2009-10 Fellows Journalist
45 Mr Sang-Kil Hwang, reporter for KBS (Korean Broadcasting System), South Korea (self-funded) Research project: A comparison of the ‘accountability work’ of the KBS and the BBC
Sang-Kil writes: There are several similarities and differences The ‘accountability work’ of public service between the KBS and the BBC. The broadcasters can be defined as all of the similarities relate to the organisational efforts deployed by them, apart from structure, the increase in the number of programme production, to explain/justify external announcements at exceptional times, themselves and the licence fee. A comparison and the ways and reasons for inviting key The explanation of these differences of the methods of the ‘accountability work’ persons to concerts by their own orchestras, can be summarised into five areas of of the KBS and the BBC was undertaken by studio recordings and filming locations. contrast between the two broadcasters; examining their organisational structure, The differences are much greater, however. differences in their origins and history, external announcements and their efforts to To simplify, while the KBS is passive, the ratio of the licence fee to other sources influence opinion formers, Parliament and defensive and does not devote much effort of revenue, the method of collecting the government, audiences and the academic to explaining itself, the BBC is relatively licence fee and variations in the stability world. The targeting periods are divided into active and aggressive. The biggest difference of the legal foundation and tenure of two, normal times and exceptional periods in all the ‘accountability work’ is that, while the key persons in each organisation. (KBS: the attempt to increase the licence fee the KBS clearly distinguishes normal times in 2006 and 2007; BBC: the Charter renewal). from exceptional times, the BBC does not.
Ms Cherelle Jackson, editor, Environment Weekly, Samoa (self-funded) Research project: Staying afloat in paradise: reporting climate change in the Pacific
Cherelle writes: and the Solomon Islands were analysed Climate change has affected the islands of based on their reporting of climate change. the Pacific for the last decade; from sea- In Samoa alone, despite its vulnerability, level rise to prolonged droughts, the lives the media’s coverage of the issue has been of Pacific islanders have been impacted. negligible. The research found that between How are these changes reflected in the May 2008 and May 2009 only 16 of the vulnerabilities of this part of the world newspapers in the Pacific? The premise 1,394 articles published by three Samoan to climate change. The major obstacles of this research is that, if the lives of the newspapers covered climate change. The to more coverage in the Samoan media readers are affected, should it not be a media in four other Pacific islands fared little are the complexity of the issue, under- newsworthy topic? Newspapers from better, while the mainstream broadsheet resourced newsrooms and accessibility to Samoa, Cook Islands, Fiji, Marshall Islands papers in the UK rarely examined the sources and information on the islands. Journalist Fellows 2009-10 Fellows Journalist
46 Ms Gabriela Jacomella, staff reporter, Corriere Della Sera, Italy (sponsor: Thomson Reuters Foundation) Research project: Media and migrations: press narrative and country politics in Europe and Africa
Gabriela writes: My claim is that, overall, studies on Migration is one of the defining issues of media and migration tend to focus on the globalised world. In terms of facts and qualitative analysis rather than on a figures, no historical period has ever faced quantitative and scientifically tested one; such a huge displacement and replacement the aim of this paper is to provide a set deals with the potential of analysing the of human beings. Europe, and more of analytical parameters, a ‘codebook’ narrative of migration in the media of specifically Italy, is currently one of the specifically designed to address the some countries of origin. Finally, the paper main gates as well as a final destination needs of researchers interested in aims to provide a socio-philosophical for these massive flows of people. As for evaluating the coverage of migration. context and collocation for these findings, any event that involves vast numbers of referring mainly to Gramsci’s concept of individuals redefining their way of life, The evaluation grid was tested on a sample ‘cultural hegemony’ and Sassen’s ‘logic daily routine and culture, migration of articles selected with reference to specific of expulsion’ in a globalized world. is a driving and compelling force that events or time frames, and published contributes to a large extent to shaping in opinion-leading newspapers in three societies, thus creating its own narrative. European countries – Italy, Germany The media are one of its main components. and United Kingdom. A chapter also
Ms Emma Jane Kirby, BBC Paris correspondent (sponsor: BBC) Research project: The presidential influence on the French media under Nicolas Sarkozy
Emma Jane writes: decision to break with the traditional When Nicolas Sarkozy was elected as aloofness of previous French Presidents France’s new President in May 2007, a by opening up his private life to media new era began for the French media. scrutiny and looks at how he has used Never before had the Vth Republic seen his personal story to distract the media a head of state who was so fascinated from more pertinent political stories. influential newspaper,Le Monde. The by, and knowledgeable about, the press The study examines the President’s paper examines the media’s response and never before had they encountered a close personal ties to big media owners to President Sarkozy and asks if the leader who was so determined to court the and considers how useful such links increasing trend of derogatory editorials media and to use it to his own advantage. can be when the President needs means that the French press is finally unflattering titles edited out and when breaking free of its traditional deferential This research paper examines the the business friends need contracts. stance. In turn, the study also asks if the paradoxical nature of President Sarkozy’s increase in negative press articles means media management style which is at It also examines the impact of recent that President Sarkozy has got it wrong once controlling and didactic and at the decisions about the media made by and whether he will now have to rethink same time seemingly more liberal and the President, such as his plan to scrap his carefully constructed media image. transparent than the approach of his advertising on public television and his predecessors. The paper examines his attempts to block the takeover of the Journalist Fellows 2009-10 Fellows Journalist
47 Mr Abiye Megenta, former executive editor, Addis Neger newspaper, Ethiopia (sponsor: Thomson Reuters Foundation) Research project: Beating dictatorship: the promise of participatory journalism models in Ethiopia
Abiye writes: electoral dictatorship and competitive Pronouncements of the internet’s authoritarianism. Using a maximalist potency as a tool of democratising conception of democracy, the study authoritarian states are hardly unfamiliar. examined the impact of the country’s In my study, I explore the veracity of participatory media in expanding the internet, the participatory media such claims in Ethiopia, which is ruled democratic spaces in Ethiopia. The have improved accessibility, the by a regime that displays most of the finding suggests that, while the Ethiopian capacity of filtering for political characteristics of authoritarianism, but is government has increasingly become relevance and accreditation, as well often labelled as semi-authoritarianism, adept at monitoring and surveillance of as synthesis of the public sphere.
Mr Ichiro Motozawa, news presenter, NHK Japanese Broadcasting Corporation (self-funded) Research project: Launching the digital age: exploring the BBC and the role of public broadcasting
Ichiro writes: society has been changing rapidly with Today, public broadcasters throughout digital convergence such as the advent of the world seem to be at a crossroads. the internet, the appearance of portable Most of them face the same kind of and inexpensive electronic devices, and difficult questions: relationship with the digitalisation of television. I intend to the government, financial deficits, explore the direction in which the digital government: it was reported that a former various demands of viewers, customer BBC is heading and determine what the Japanese Prime Minister intervened satisfaction or responding to the need new media circumstances will bring to regarding a 2001 NHK programme and to go digital. As in the UK, in Japan, society, public policy and journalism NHK’s rebuttal caused a serious debate in NHK, a huge public broadcaster has itself. Secondly, the public nature of the Japan. Public broadcasters seem to have a played an essential role and provided BBC: each society seeks effective public tendency to be pressured by governments. a wide range of programmes. service in each period. The meaning of Using the 2003 case of Andrew Gilligan’s ‘public’ is changing. The public interest report on BBC radio and the reaction My research on the BBC comprises the and responsibility of the media should of the Tony Blair administration, following three considerations. First, the be discussed again under the new media I investigate the independence of BBC in the digital age: the information circumstances. Thirdly, the BBC and the the media and press freedom. Journalist Fellows 2009-10 Fellows Journalist
48 Ms Miruna Munteanu, columnist, Jurnalul National, Romania (sponsor: Thomson Reuters Foundation) Research project: Media in crisis: should the state come to the rescue?
Miruna writes: investors in this sector tend to have a When severe economic hardship political agenda (more or less hidden). threatens the very existence of a free The decline of independent press is press, what should governments do? regarded as a threat to democracy itself. Can journalism be treated just like Should the state intervene and, if so, compared the situations and regulations any other business? Since print media in what way? By offering cash, state- in France, Great Britain and Romania. stopped being economically profitable, sponsored advertising, fiscal aid? I have
Mr Giang Nguyen, head, BBC Vietnamese Service (sponsor: BBC) Research project: When lack of impartiality makes an impact: a comparative study of VietCatholic and the BBC
Giang writes: which came to prominence during the The religious media in today’s Vietnam is a coverage of two Catholic protests in topic that so far has not received adequate Hanoi in 2008. A level of emotional attention from scholars in the field of mass engagement has not prevented communication research. With 22 million VietCatholic from making an impact internet users out of the country’s total counted in millions of page impressions ethical issues of biased news even 86 million inhabitants, the Vietnamese, on their US-based sites in 2008 alone. in the situation when the access to including 7 million Catholics, have politically sensitive events is limited, made the most of the internet to bypass Compared with the critical engagement and asks questions such as whether political censorship by the government. primed by the BBC, the VietCatholic and when campaigning for religious News is obviously partisan but also freedom could justify partisanship and The research is an attempt to investigate appealing, at least to the Vietnamese lack of fairness in news reporting. the phenomenal growth in web traffic Catholic community in Vietnam and to the VietCatholic News websites worldwide. The research also looks at
Mr Jussi Niemeläinen, Moscow bureau chief, Helsingin Sanomat, National News, Finland (sponsor: Helsingin Sanomat Foundation) Research project: How quality newspapers are responding to digital transition in the Nordic region
Jussi writes: to digital transition in the Nordic region. The paper seeks to give an overview of The question of how to respond to this how quality newspapers are responding transition is a vital one and something Journalist Fellows 2009-10 Fellows Journalist
49 that people in newsrooms and on Three major challenges emerged Technology brings new devices that executive floors consider daily if not in the answers: younger net-natives will find interesting hourly in most developed countries. and enjoyable. The question is whether (1) How to make changes to the newspaper people who do not read newspapers The Nordic quality papers were chosen as that are necessary to attract younger regularly now will go to them when the subject of this study because they form readers but not simultaneously they are available in new formats. To the a group that is both large enough and share alienate loyal and conservative second and third questions the answer is enough similarities. The Nordic countries readers who detest change. differentiation, which should make the are different individual states but they share newspaper more analytical and relevant. many similarities such as high newspaper (2) How to avoid cannibalisation (not giving I understood from my interviewees that readership. They are also protected by out too much for free on the internet). for many subscribers money is often not language barriers, as there is no global really an issue – it only becomes one if competition in Swedish, Danish, Norwegian (3) How to make people feel reading they feel something is not worth paying or Finnish. The Nordic editors I interviewed the newspaper saved them for. That is why it is vital for newspapers were, however, fully aware of the hard times time, not wasted it. that readers find them relevant. That is, that lie ahead of them in the newspaper of course, very difficult since different business. Still there was no sense of panic There is no direct or easy answer to the people find different subjects relevant. around when I spoke to my interviewees. first question, as it is a bit hit and miss.
Ms Margot O’Neill, reporter, Lateline (sponsor: Australian Broadcasting Corporation) Research project: How hot is it on the climate desk?
Margot writes: experiences, what works and what doesn’t Climate change is proving a difficult when it comes to communicating climate challenge for daily mainstream reporting. change? This research paper includes a wide Some media organisations have increased range of views from journalists, editors, resources in a bid to make their coverage scientists, environmental groups, sceptics more accessible and digestible. But have and pollsters about how they view the their efforts generated greater audience media’s coverage of the issue. It also tries to styles of coverage and compare audience interest and understanding? Based on their identify new and innovative approaches and response between different media.
Ms Yvette Sierra-Praeli, freelance journalist, Peru (sponsor: Thomson Reuters Foundation) Research project: Online journalism and freedom of the press: can new media make a difference? A case study from Peru
Yvette writes: is constantly threatened and manipulated, According to the study, Freedom of the principally by governments in authoritarian Press 2010: A Global Survey of Media regimes but also in democratic countries. Independence, released by Freedom While in authoritarian regimes House, the world press freedom landscape media are easily controlled by state, is bleak and has declined throughout the governments in democratic countries My research aims to examine new media last decade. In fact, freedom of the press also find ways to manipulate the press. as a way to avoid government interference Journalist Fellows 2009-10 Fellows Journalist
50 on press freedom, as print press, radio the study analyses the role of new media based in a comparative coverage study and TV channels can be manipulated and in authoritarian regimes like Iran, Cuba between new media and traditional media. controlled by governments more easily and China. The second part is dedicated than internet platforms. The first part of to studying the role of new media in Peru
Ms Leticia Sorg, special reporter, Época, Brazil (sponsor: Thomson Reuters Foundation) Research project: The role of newsmagazines in the twenty-first century: the evolution of a journalistic genre
and how it can stay relevant in the digital era Corrêa/Época ©Ricardo
Leticia writes: Newsweek, announced its intention Much is said about the print media to sell the magazine, prompted by the crisis: decreasing circulation, a shrinking financial losses of the title. Having advertising market and fierce competition reduced their circulation base to cut with other media for people’s attention, costs on printing and distribution, some approaches to the challenges. Besides first with TV and cable TV and now with traditional newsmagazines are trying Time and Newsweek, this work focuses the web. But very little of this debate to persuade advertisers to pay more on how The Economist, The Week and takes magazines into consideration. to get to a smaller, but arguably more Der Spiegel are dealing with the same Notwithstanding, newsmagazines are elitist, readership. At the same time situation and what the outcomes of each facing the same challenges and, similarly they are implementing an increase in strategy are. Looking beyond traditional to newspapers, may not survive the new cover price and subscription fees. print media, it also analyses innovative conditions imposed by the digital era. experiences: in print, Única, in Portugal; Understanding the main challenges merging online and print, Politico, in According to The State of News Media for newsmagazines in the current the United States; and online only, FLYP, report, the circulation of the two biggest disruptive journalistic context as well also in the United States. In light of the newsmagazines in the United States, as analysing possible ways to handle historical knowledge and case studies, Time and Newsweek, dropped from 7.6 and overcome them are the purposes the third and last part of the study million, in 1989, to 5.6 million copies of this study. In order to understand summarises the possible future scenarios in 2009. In January 2010, Newsweek’s the present challenges, the first part of of newsmagazines in terms of content and American circulation was cut to 1.5 the research reassesses the historical staff organisation. Moreover, it focuses million copies, which is 46 per cent less background of the genre. The second part on how the genre can stay relevant as than two years before. On 6 May 2010, is dedicated to studying the differences a medium, regardless of its platform. the Washington Post Co., which owns between the newsmagazines and their
Ms Evelyn Tagbo, senior correspondent, Business Eye magazine, Nigeria (sponsor: Thomson Reuters Foundation) Research project: Media coverage of climate change in Africa
Evelyn writes: continent is particularly at risk because Africa is arguably the most vulnerable of its reliance on food from arid land. continent to climate change. Home More than half of its cultivable land is to 14% of the world’s population, the arid or semi-arid. Climate change is Journalist Fellows 2009-10 Fellows Journalist
51 having a significant impact on Africa’s Even without climate change, agriculture following major questions on how well the already compromised food security. in Africa faces serious challenges: land media cover climate change in Africa: Changing weather patterns or extreme degradation, high rainfall variability, weather events, such as floods or lack of storage infrastructure, inadequate (1) What gets covered and what is droughts, have had the most debilitating irrigation systems and a relatively stagnant driving changes in that coverage? consequences on African agricultural contribution to economic growth. Despite production in the last three decades. the threat climate change poses to Africa’s (2) What are the most challenging prosperity and posterity, media reportage difficulties climate change Experts say both future demographic of the phenomenon in Africa is poor. journalists face? changes in Africa and the development path the continent pursues will determine This research sought to identify why (3) What are the personal attitudes of these the eventual significance of global this is so and how the situation could journalists to climate change issues warming for Africa. Whether technological be redressed. It analysed the media and how have these attitudes shaped innovation will enable the adaptive coverage of climate change in Nigeria their reportage of climate change? capacity of ecosystems and societies to and South Africa, using the two countries develop at a rate commensurate with as case studies to assess what the trend climate change and population growth is in Africa as a whole. Other aims of is a key question for all world regions. this work were to find answers to the
Mr Sampo Vaarakallio, foreign news correspondent, YLE/Radio News, Finland (sponsor: Helsingin Sanomat Foundation) Research project: Veiled phobias: the French Republic’s dress code
Sampo writes: the beginning of 2010. The debate in My research project was to study the France was active at the time because a relationship between religion and the parliamentary committee proposed to state and how the media portrays it. My ban the burqa in public places. My study case study is the debate in France over focuses on the debate carried on in the veils (burqas and niqabs). What kind of above-mentioned media both before and were heard in the media coverage. How stereotypes about Islam can be found after the committee proposal was released. did the media represent the Muslim in this debate? This paper examines One important aspect was to examine women who wear the burqa and how the discussions in Le Figaro, Libération, whose points of view got through to the was their choice to wear it interpreted? Le Nouvel Observateur and Le Point, at newspaper columns and whose voices
Ms Johanna Vehkoo, literary editor (culture department), Aamulehti newspaper, Finland (sponsor: Helsingin Sanomat Foundation) Research project: What is quality journalism and how can it be saved?
Johanna writes: measuring quality in journalism. I aim to The paper starts with an overview of give a definition of quality that all journalists previous studies about defining and can agree on. This definition is grounded Journalist Fellows 2009-10 Fellows Journalist
52 in the notion that high-quality journalism must be thought of before any business models it a public service or a mere commodity? is essential to a functioning democracy. or else there might not be much left to sell. Staff cuts tend to impair the quality of journalism, In addition, the study takes a look at some On the practical side of sustaining quality which in turn alienates the audience. The of the topical issues concerning journalism’s journalism, my research aims to give food message of this research is that, in order to relationship with democracy. These debates for thought to journalists, editors and save journalism, we must make it relevant and include the juxtaposition of professional and newspaper owners. I argue for a shift in the indispensable. This requires going back to the amateur media, the democratising effects of current discussion, which has mostly been very core of its existence. The crisis of traditional the web, the perils of the traditional media concentrating on finding a new business model media should force news organisations to and the ramifications of targeted contents for newspapers. My study states that content redefine the purpose of their journalism: is and fragmented audiences on the internet.
Mrs Liisa Vihmanen, journalist, Finnish Broadcasting Company YLE, Finland (sponsor: Helsingin Sanomat Foundation) Research project: The image of science in two daily Finnish newspapers
Liisa writes: two main newspapers in Finland, Helsingin Cameras and science have a common history. Sanomat and Aamulehti. Both newspapers Photography was developed through scientific have a special science page published either investigations and immediately after that once a week (HS) or every other week photographs were used to justify scientific (Aamulehti). My focus was on the images of images used in newspaper mediate readers knowledge. This inseparable path is still to these pages. What kinds of photographs are an image of science and scientific research. been seen today: Finnish newspapers use a lot used and how are all sorts of images used? Whether this image-building in newspapers is of photographs in their science pages. Often What is achieved or lost using chosen images? conscious or unconscious, it must affect readers’ the space given to a written article is smaller minds as to how they regard science as an than that given to images. The title of my study On the other hand I have been looking for the institution and as a human activity. I also wanted has a twofold meaning. On the other hand social image of science, created in public spaces, to show how powerful images can be and how I have looked through the science pages of in daily newspapers. My hypothesis was that little this power is recognised in print media.
Mrs Oksana Vozhdaeva, producer, Chas Pik news programme, Tomsk Broadcasting Company TV-2 (sponsor: Wincott Foundation) Research project: The crisis in commercial regional TV: main challenges and possible solutions. Russia and the UK compared
Oksana writes: challenges: the recession and the growth The UK runs a risk of losing regional TV of the internet. The long-term problem is broadcasting beyond the BBC. There is structural and it affects the broadcasting clearly a continued threat to alternative companies more. The rapid rise in the regional TV news providers. This is the number of digital channels puts television The importance of taking up such a result of an ongoing cyclical and structural stations under the threat of losing the research lies in the debate going on crisis in the UK’s media market. The value of their advertising licence. across the United Kingdom, which has cyclical issue concerns two fundamental seen many successes in broadcasting but Journalist Fellows 2009-10 Fellows Journalist
53 is now considering different models for this. Regional broadcasting companies in share with each other. In this research local and regional broadcasting to make Russia are now under huge financial threat work I compared the two systems of them more sustainable. Apparently, the because of the recession. Furthermore, in regional broadcasting in Russia and UK, same challenge of viability is now being a few years this issue will be aggravated tried to draw mutual lessons, formulate faced by Russian regional television. by the growth of digital media and the new solutions and also tried to find a new However, there are different reasons for internet. The two countries have a lot to viable model for regional television.
Ms Eva Weissenberger, national politics editor and deputy Vienna bureau chief, Kleine Zeitung newspaper, Austria (sponsor: APA Geiringer) Research project: Social media guidelines for journalists: when to blog; what not to tweet about; whom not to be friends with
Eva writes: reporters’ opinions and private matters? The use of social media and business Is a journalist to be seen as partial, just networking sites is commonplace in because he is friends with a politician newsrooms today. It is beyond dispute on Facebook? Is it appropriate for a that, if used properly, they provide journalist to be friends with his sources? uttered. A case study investigates how a number of benefits for journalists. Austrian journalists who tweet deal However, the new technologies create Some major news organisations realised with the new ethical questions and how many potential hazards. Some of the the need to respond and set social media their self-perception differs from their ethical concerns raised by microblogging, guidelines for their journalists. The actions. Finally, the paper estimates future tweeting and using Facebook include research paper aims to give an overview of challenges and tackles the question of the following. Should you really not eleven corporate social media guidelines how reasonable it is to adjust journalism disseminate the news before knowing for journalists from the Anglo-American ethics to the world of social media, the whole story, even if you can get world. Questions discussed include why when this world is changing rapidly. some relevant additional information the guidelines are decreed, what their from your readers? Who is interested in main concerns are and what criticism is Journalist Fellows 2009-10 Fellows Journalist
54 RISJ Publications
All of the RISJ’s publications are available for free download from our website (http://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/publications/ risj.html). Hard copies of publications can also be ordered from there through the University of Oxford online store.
Challenges
James Painter Nik Gowing Counter-Hegemonic News: A Case Study ‘Skyful of Lies’ and Black Swans: The New Tyranny of Al-Jazeera English and Telesur of Shifting Information Power in Crises
Floriana Fossato and John Lloyd with Alexander Verkhovsky Stephen Coleman, Scott Anthony, David E Morrison The Web that Failed: How Opposition Politics and Public Trust in the News: A Constructivist Independent Initiatives are Failing on the Internet in Russia Study of the Social Life of the News
Andrew Currah Stephen Whittle and Glenda Cooper What’s Happening to Our News: An Investigation Privacy, Probity and Public Interest into the Likely Impact of the Digital Revolution on the Economics of News Publishing in the UK John Kelly Red Kayaks and Hidden Gold: The Rise, Challenges and Value of Citizen Journalism
Working Papers and selected RISJ Publications
Henrik Örnebring Nic Newman Comparative European Journalism: The Rise of Social Media and its Impact The State of Current Research on Mainstream Journalism
Henrik Örnebring Haiyan Wang The Two Professionalisms of Journalism: Journalism Investigative Journalism and Political Power in China and the Changing Context of Work Nic Newman Jeremy Hayes #UKelection2010, Mainstream Media and the A Shock to the System: Journalism, Government Role of the internet: How Social and Digital Media and the Freedom of Information Act 2000 Affected the Business of Politics and Journalism
Andrew Currah Tim Gardam and David A. L. Levy (eds) Navigating the Crisis in Local and Regional The Price of Plurality: Choice, Diversity and News: A Critical Review of Solutions Broadcasting Institutions in the Digital Age published in association with Ofcom published in association with Ofcom
Karl Erik Gustafsson, Henrik Örnebring and David Levy John Lloyd and Julia Hobsbawm Press Subsidies and Local News: The Swedish Case The Power of the Commentariat published in association with Ofcom published in association with Editorial Intelligence Ltd
Steven Barnett Journalism, Democracy and the Public Interest: rethinking Media Pluralism for the Digital Age published in association with Ofcom RISJ Publications RISJ
55 Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism Department of Politics and International Relations University of Oxford 13 Norham Gardens Oxford, OX2 6PS Tel: +44 1865 611 091 Fax: +44 1865 611 094
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Cover image © Reuters / Kena Betancur: A woman, who says she is the mother of an earthquake survivor, speaks to the media outside the University of Miami hospital base at the international airport in Port-au-Prince February 8, 2010.