scholarly journals The media diversity and inclusion paradox: Experiences of black and brown journalists in mainstream British news institutions

Journalism ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 146488492110017
Author(s):  
Omega Douglas
Keyword(s):  
Open Letter ◽  
News Production ◽  
Black British ◽  
Media Diversity ◽  
Diversity And Inclusion ◽  
The Us ◽  
The Media ◽  
Journalistic Field ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Race Problem

Over 100 British journalists of colour are signatories to an open letter demanding the US Ambassador to the UK condemns the arrest of African-American journalist, Omar Jimenez, on May 29th 2020, whilst he was reporting for CNN on the Minneapolis protests following the police killing of George Floyd. The letter is a vital act of black transatlantic solidarity during a moment when journalism is under threat, economically and politically, and there’s a pandemic of racism in the west. These factors make journalism challenging for reporters from racial minorities, who are already underrepresented in western newsrooms and, as this paper shows, encounter discrimination in the field, as well as within the institutions they work for. The letter speaks to how black British journalists are all too aware that the British journalistic field, like the American one, has a race problem, and institutional commitments to diversity often don’t correspond with the experiences of those included, impacting negatively on the retention of black journalists. Drawing on original interviews with 26 journalists of colour who work for Britain’s largest news organisations, this paper theoretically grounds empirical findings to illustrate why and how discriminatory patterns, as well as contradictions, occur and recur in British news production.

Biopesticide Summit – Regulatory Reform of Biopesticides, Virtual Conference, 6th July 2021

2021 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
pp. 168-170
Author(s):  
Robin Blake
Keyword(s):  
Market Share ◽  
Regulatory System ◽  
Regulatory Reform ◽  
Non Profit ◽  
The Us ◽  
The Media ◽  
Virtual Conference ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Chemical Pesticides ◽  
The Eu

This virtual event was held as a follow-up to the inaugural Biopesticide Summit and Exhibition at Swansea University in July 2019, and postponed in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Sarah Harding, Communication Director at The World BioProtection Forum (WBF) & Biopesticide Summit opened the event with a few brief words of introduction before handing over to Dr Minshad Ansari, Chairman of the WBF.<br/> Dr Ansari was delighted with the more than 150 attendees already logged into the event with over 300 registered. The WBF was created in 2019 as a non-profit organization to bring together industry and academia for innovation. Dr Ansari thanked the event's supporters – AgBio, Agri Life, Bayer, Bionema, Ecolibrium Biologicals, Koppert Biological Systems, Harry Butler Institute and Sri BioAesthetics, as well as the media partners including Outlooks on Pest Management. He reiterated the need for regulatory reform due to removal of chemical pesticides, demands for organic food, limited biopesticide products registered and a lengthy and costly biopesticide registration process (5 years in EU where there are just 60 products available vs. 2.1 years in USA and where over 200 products are already available on market). The US is clearly in a much better place; in Europe, it is too expensive for SMEs and little progress has been made despite the work of the IBMA (International Biocontrol Manufacturers Association) and others. With respect to the biopesticides market share (value) by region, Europe has 27.7% market share (21.3% CAGR) and yet within UK, the CAGR is limited (unlike other European countries) – there are few products available in the market compared to chemical pesticides. The current biopesticide regulation is complex and not fit for purpose (compare 60 vs 200). Industry is facing a serious problem with pest control following the removal of some chemical pesticides, e.g.European cranefly which has caused many problems to the turf industry and has been impacted by the removal of chlorpyrifos. However, Brexit provides opportunities in the UK through government plans to "Build Back Better" by supporting Green Tech. At the EU level, the EU has committed to reducing use of pesticides by 50% (equating to 505 products) by 2030 so there are opportunities here for biopesticides to fill the market.<br/> Dr Ansari finished his introduction by restating the objectives for the meeting: for the speakers to present and debate the need for reform, their visions for a successful regulatory system, and how the WBF is working towards process reform in UK biopesticide regulation.

scholarly journals Journalism from Above: Drones and the Media in Critical Perspective

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 60-63
Author(s):  
Jonas Harvard ◽  
Mats Hyvönen ◽  
Ingela Wadbring
Keyword(s):  
Media Production ◽  
Media Technology ◽  
Public Authorities ◽  
The Us ◽  
The Media ◽  
Legal Constraints ◽  
The Uk ◽  
New Research ◽  
Journalistic Practice

In the last decade, the development of small, remotely operated multicopters with cameras, so-called drones, has made aerial photography easily available. Consumers and institutions now use drones in a variety of ways, both for personal entertainment and professionally. The application of drones in media production and journalism is of particular interest, as it provides insight into the complex interplay between technology, the economic and legal constraints of the media market, professional cultures and audience preferences. The thematic issue <em>Journalism from Above: Drones, the Media, and the Transformation of Journalistic Practice</em> presents new research concerning the role of drones in journalism and media production. The issue brings together scholars representing a variety of approaches and perspectives. A broad selection of empirical cases from Finland, Spain, Sweden, the UK and the US form the basis of an exploration of the changing relations between the media, technology and society. The articles address topics such as: Adaption of drone technology in the newsrooms; audience preferences and reactions in a changing media landscape; the relation between journalists and public authorities who use drones; and attitudes from journalistic practitioners as well as historical and future perspectives.

scholarly journals One issue, different stories: The construction of GMO issues on Chinese, American and British mainstream media portals

2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 255-275
Author(s):  
Yiqin Ruan ◽  
Jing Yang ◽  
Jianbin Jin
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Media Coverage ◽  
Genetically Modified Organisms ◽  
Scientific Information ◽  
New York Times ◽  
The Public ◽  
Mainstream Media ◽  
The Us ◽  
The Media ◽  
The Uk

Biotechnology, as an emerging technology, has drawn much attention from the public and elicited hot debates in countries around the world and among various stakeholders. Due to the public's limited access to front-line scientific information and scientists, as well as the difficulty of processing complex scientific knowledge, the media have become one of the most important channels for the public to get news about scientific issues such as genetically modified organisms (GMOs). According to framing theory, how the media portray GMO issues may influence audiences’ perceptions of those issues. Moreover, different countries and societies have various GMO regulations, policies and public opinion, which also affect the way media cover GMO issues. Thus, it is necessary to investigate how GMO issues are covered in different media outlets across different countries. We conducted a comparative content analysis of media coverage of GMO issues in China, the US and the UK. One mainstream news portal in each of the three countries was chosen ( People's Daily for China, The New York Times for the US, and The Guardian for the UK). We collected coverage over eight years, from 2008 to 2015, which yielded 749 pieces of news in total. We examined the sentiments expressed and the generic frames used in coverage of GMO issues. We found that the factual, human interest, conflict and regulation frames were the most common frames used on the three portals, while the sentiments expressed under those frames varied across the media outlets, indicating differences in the state of GMO development, promotion and regulation among the three countries.

Who attended and presented at EGU General Assemblies 2015-2019?

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johanna Stadmark ◽  
Claudia Jesus-Rydin ◽  
Daniel J. Conley
Keyword(s):  
Descriptive Statistics ◽  
General Assembly ◽  
Governing Body ◽  
Diversity And Inclusion ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Us ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Oral Presentations ◽  
Demographic Evolution

&lt;p&gt;The first step for institutions committed to equality, diversity and inclusion is to know their demographics. This presentation includes descriptive statistics for 5 consecutive years (2015&amp;#8211;2019) based on paid registrations to the physical EGU General Assembly. EGU data is not perfect nor complete, but provides an insightful overview of who attended and presented at the EGU General Assembly for a period of 5 years.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In total more than 71 000 participants attended the EGU General Assemblies during the years 2015-2019 from a wide range of countries. More than 11400 (16%) of the participants were from Germany, followed by almost 6400 (8.9%) from the UK, 5300 (7.4%) from France, 5000 (7.0%) from Italy, 4600 (6.5%) from the US, and 3500 (4.9%) each from Austria and China. We found that the number of participants to the EGU General Assembly has increased continuously from 2015 to 2019 and that the largest proportions of participants are aged between 26 and 45.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Among the PhD students attending there are 7 females for every 10 males, and among the regular members there are around 4 females for every 10 males. The proportion of female participants decreases with increasing age. However, the ratio of females to males among participants has continuously increased from 0.48 in 2015 to 0.51 in 2018. Four countries had more females than males attending the EGU General Assembly (Bulgaria, Morocco, Iceland and Slovenia).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;There are great possibilities to present one&amp;#8217;s research at the meetings with ninety percent of the participants as first author on presentations (2015-2018, 94% 2019) and there was no difference between females and males. More than half (52-61%) of the male participants had oral presentations, while slightly fewer (46-52%) of the female participants had oral presentations. The major differences in oral presentations are found between participants from different countries. Note that the data do not reveal the participants&amp;#8217; preferred choice of presentations, only the outcome at the meetings. Around 70% of the participants presented a poster, with no differences between genders, which indicate that men had more presentations than women. On average males had 6.5% more presentations per person. Finally a slightly higher proportion of the male participants were convenors (15-18% versus 12-15% for females).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;EGU General Assembly is the largest geosciences conference in Europe and still growing. Understanding the demographic evolution of various groups is a critical tool for EGU governing body to draw targeted actions ensuring that procedures are fair and that all in the community are being and feeling included.&lt;/p&gt;

Versifying Batman: Superheroes in contemporary poetry

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 268-286
Author(s):  
Jeff Thoss
Keyword(s):  
Comic Book ◽  
Contemporary Poetry ◽  
Participatory Culture ◽  
Media Ecology ◽  
Media Culture ◽  
Convergence Culture ◽  
The Us ◽  
The Media ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Alan Moore

AbstractSince the late 1980 s, poets from the US and, to a lesser extent, the UK have increasingly featured superheroes in their work, mostly appropriating iconic figures along the lines of Batman or Superman and exploring some aspect of their personality (e. g., Batman’s relationship to Robin, Superman’s loneliness) in dramatic monologues. The prevailing if not sole account of this phenomenon argues that these characters provide a shared mythology to a generation of writers to whom biblical and classical references are no longer readily available. It also ties the superheroes’ provenance exclusively to the medium of comics. This latter point, in particular, is open to debate, insofar as since the late 1980 s, superheroes are, more than ever, part of media franchises that treat comic books as but one among many outlets. The present article hence views the superheroes in poetry not so much as an appropriation of comic book but of transmedia characters. Simon Armitage’s seminal poem “Kid” (1992), for instance – a diatribe by Robin directed at Batman’s dismissal of him – resonates as much with the 1960 s TV series or Tim Burton’s Batman films (1989, 1992) as with the dark knight’s reinvention at the hands of comic book writers such as Frank Miller or Alan Moore. At the same time, the article aims to locate the place of the seemingly insular genre of poetry within a “convergence culture” that disseminates superheroes in the media ecology. Evidently, the “superhero poems” are not licensed creations that partake in officially sanctioned transmedia networks. Neither, however, are they a product of fandom and participatory culture. Instead, I would suggest that poetry here tentatively engages with the media culture that has factored into its marginalization during the past decades.

scholarly journals Has political correctness gone mad? Trevor Phillips and the backlash thesis

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 575-585
Author(s):  
Andrew Pilkington
Keyword(s):  
Political Correctness ◽  
Left Wing ◽  
The Us ◽  
The Media ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Interpretive Framework

The concept of political correctness, or more accurately, anti-political correctness has re-emerged in the last decade as a major interpretive framework in the media. Populist politicians such as Trump in the US and Farage (a key advocate of Brexit) and Johnson in the UK for example routinely draw upon a discourse featuring political correctness as a bete noire. While the attack on PC is typically made by conservatives, I focus in this paper on a left wing critic, Trevor Phillips who argues that the prevasiveness of PC has fueled a populist backlash. It is argued, contrary to Phillips, that it is not PC but an anti-PC discourse that lies behind the success of populist politicians in the UK and US and that the campaign against political correctness plays well with their supporters.

scholarly journals Decoding Evaluative Senses in the Discourse of English Mass Media

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 (2) ◽  
pp. 87-96
Author(s):  
Elena V. Gordienko
Keyword(s):  
Mass Media ◽  
Popular Press ◽  
Military Conflict ◽  
The Us ◽  
The Media ◽  
Media Texts ◽  
The Uk

The research considers the study of the media texts devoted to the topic of burning political-military conflict issues as exemplified in the UK and the US quality and popular press. The clarification of the term ‘conflict’ employed in this study is given. The importance of the opposition ‘we-they’ while describing any conflict is underlined. It is highlighted that the above mentioned category is realized on various language levels, namely, those of lexical, morphological, and syntactic ones. The conclusion is drawn that one of the means for the introduction of an evaluation meaning into a media text is quantification of evaluation frames.

scholarly journals Pressing Pause: Critical Reflections from the History of Media Studies

2018 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 264-279
Author(s):  
Brian Dolber ◽  
Andrew O'Baoill
Keyword(s):  
Media Studies ◽  
Institutional Pressures ◽  
Media Environment ◽  
Journalism Studies ◽  
The Us ◽  
Fertile Ground ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Media ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Political Economic

This article examines the history of the fraught relationship between the fields of media and journalism studies and the media industries in the US and UK contexts. In the US, journalism programmes were built on instituting professionalism, and media studies arose in conjunction with the demands of a growing industry. In the UK, cultural studies developed in conjunction with the need to produce a working class that could make sense of the mass media environment. Under neoliberalism, however, professionalism in both media and the academy have been undercut, while media studies programmes have expanded. We argue that a historical, political economic orientation demonstrates that media studies faculty and students are subject to many of the same institutional pressures, providing fertile ground for new pedagogical approaches.

scholarly journals Pressing Pause: Critical Reflections from the History of Media Studies

2018 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 264-279
Author(s):  
Brian Dolber ◽  
Andrew O'Baoill
Keyword(s):  
Media Studies ◽  
Institutional Pressures ◽  
Media Environment ◽  
Journalism Studies ◽  
The Us ◽  
Fertile Ground ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Media ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Political Economic

This article examines the history of the fraught relationship between the fields of media and journalism studies and the media industries in the US and UK contexts. In the US, journalism programmes were built on instituting professionalism, and media studies arose in conjunction with the demands of a growing industry. In the UK, cultural studies developed in conjunction with the need to produce a working class that could make sense of the mass media environment. Under neoliberalism, however, professionalism in both media and the academy have been undercut, while media studies programmes have expanded. We argue that a historical, political economic orientation demonstrates that media studies faculty and students are subject to many of the same institutional pressures, providing fertile ground for new pedagogical approaches.

‘To see oursels as ithers see us’: Reflections on Scottish Independence from the United States

2014 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 381-388 ◽  
Author(s):  
Euan Hague ◽  
Alan Mackie
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
The United States ◽  
The Us ◽  
Scottish Independence ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Scottish Diaspora

The United States media have given rather little attention to the question of the Scottish referendum despite important economic, political and military links between the US and the UK/Scotland. For some in the US a ‘no’ vote would be greeted with relief given these ties: for others, a ‘yes’ vote would be acclaimed as an underdog escaping England's imperium, a narrative clearly echoing America's own founding story. This article explores commentary in the US press and media as well as reporting evidence from on-going interviews with the Scottish diaspora in the US. It concludes that there is as complex a picture of the 2014 referendum in the United States as there is in Scotland.

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