The main aim of the research will be to evaluate the effectiveness of climate change messages in promotional campaigns and in the media.

The journalist and war correspondent Dhar Jamil delivered the seminar ‘Dispatches from an Unembedded Journalist in Iraq’ on April 9. With almost 120 in attendance, the event was organized by the Stirling Media Research Institute and co-sponsored by the news agency Inter-Press Service.

Paula Bushell, marketing and promotions manager of Scotsman Newspapers Ltd, gave a talk to students on the PR/Media Management Marketing Communications module on Thursday April 24.

Giles Blair, Chief Sub-editor with the Daily Record visited students taking JOU9J4, Writing and Research for Journalists, and led workshops on editing skills.

OUTSIDE VISITS

Journalism students visited the BBC on April 25 and the Guardian on April 26 in London as apart of the extra-curricular activities of Introduction to Journalism Studies. The visit included a look into the newsroom, a meeting with BBC news staff and visits to current exhibitions held at these two media outlets.

MEETINGS, CONFERENCES & COMMITTEES

The team funded by the AHRC to investigate the Cinema Authorship of Lindsay Anderson (John Izod, Karl Magee, Kathryn Mackenzie and Isabelle Gourdin) attended a conference on The Philosophy of the Archive, The University of Dundee, April 10-11.

Jacquie L’Etang attended the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) Course Leaders meeting on April 21 at De Montfort University, Leicester. The meeting discussed criteria for Chartered Practitioner status and the level of fees to be charged to universities by CIPR.

PUBLICATIONS

L’Etang, J. (2008), ‘Public relations, persuasion and propaganda: truth, knowledge, spirituality and mystique’ in Zerfass, A., van Ruler, B. & Siramesh, K. (eds) Public relations research: European and international perspectives and innovations, VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften pp 251¬-271.

Peter Meech (2008), ‘Advertising’ in Bob Franklin (ed), Pulling Newspapers Apart. Analysing Print Journalism, London & New York: Routledge, pp. 235-43.

Graham Meikle co-edited a special issue of M/C Journal (vol. 11, no. 1) with two Australian colleagues.

An Nguyen (2008),‘Facing the “fabulous monster”: the traditional media’s fear-driven innovation culture in the development of online news’. Journalism Studies. 9(1), pp. 91-104.

An Nguyen (2008), ‘The contribution of online news attributes to its diffusion: an empirical exploration based on a proposed theoretical model for the micro process of online news adoption/use.’ First Monday. 13(4). Online: http://www.uic.edu/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/2127/1952.

WORKSHOPS, SEMINARS, LECTURES

Jacquie L’Etang gave a lecture entitled ‘Celebrity, events, politics and business: the wonderful world of sports PR’ at Glasgow Caledonian University on Wednesday April 16.

OTHER

In March, as part of his ongoing research into the history of sports commentary Richard Haynes interviewed the motor-racing commentator Murray Walker, the darts commentator Sid Waddell, the football commentator Mike Ingham, the cricket commentator and producer of the BBC’s Test Match Special for 35 years Peter Baxter and the snooker commentator and journalist Clive Everton.

Richard Haynes was an external assessor for the validation of a new BA (Hons) in Sports Journalism at the University of Bedfordshire on April 1.

Richard Haynes was an external validator for a new BA (Hons) in a)Sports Journalism and BA (Hons) in Magazine Journalism at the University of Bedfordshire, Luton on Tuesday April 1.

Richard Haynes has been confirmed as the new external examiner for the BA (Hons) Sports Journalism at the University of Brighton for the period October 2007 to September 2011.

As part of his ongoing research funded by the AHRC on sports commentary and the history of sports broadcasting Richard Haynes interviewed snooker commentator Clive Everton, Alec Weeks (leading producer of the BBC’s coverage of football from the 1960s onwards including the 1966 World Cup), Sir Paul Fox (producer and orginator of the BBC programmes Sportsview and Grandstand) and Nick Hunter (the first producer of darts and snooker for the BBC as well as the chief producer of cricket during the 1980s).

Jacquie L’Etang has been acting as a referee on the International Editorial Advisory Board for the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication and for the International Communication Association.

Jenny McKay took part in the preliminary and final days of judging for the Scottish School Magazine of the Year Award on April 24 and 29 in Edinburgh.

On March 14 Film & Media graduate Malcolm Campbell spoke to students on FMS9C8 about his career as a television scriptwriter and his experience of writing on Shameless (two episodes recently transmitted). He also gave a script clinic for each of the production groups. Another graduate, Bafta award-winning producer Carolynne Sinclair-Kydd, lectured on the same module about the producer’s role in film and television (28th March).

Katie Meech gave a talk on Corporate Responsibility to Public Relations and Media Management students on the Marketing Communications module on March 27.

Peter Hounam, a former investigative journalist with the Sunday Times Insight team, gave a lecture on March 17 to students taking Writing and Research for Journalists, co-ordinated by Jenny McKay.

Media II: Representations (FMS9X2) co-ordinated by Jane Sillars and Sarah Neely received guest lectures from scriptwriter, Sergio Casci (American Cousins, River City) and Robbie Fraser, a writer/director who has just released his first feature-film, GamerZ.

Phil Drake, Graham Meikle and Jacquie L’Etang made presentations about the department’s postgraduate degrees to prospective students from three Japanese universities on the MSc degrees in Media Management and Public Relations, and on the new M.Litt. degree in Media and Culture.

Dr Elke Weissmann, University of Reading, presented a paper on March 19 at an SMRI seminar titled ‘Travelling Cultures: The Rise and Fall of the American Mini Serial’.

OUTSIDE VISITS

Matthew Hibberd visited India and Vietnam between March 24 and April 2. On 25th he met British Council staff in Delhi to discuss their research programmes, especially UK-India Education and Research Initiative. He then went to Bangalore to attend an afternoon conference on Breaking News on March 26. In the evening he was awarded Best Business Communications Trainer (International) at the Public Relations Council of India annual Chanakya Awards – 2008. The ceremony took place at the Grand Ashok Hotel and chief guests were Shri N Santosh Hegde, Chief Justice, Karnataka State and Shri Rameshwar Thakur, Governor, State of Karnataka. Fellow awardees included Chandan Mitra, Editor and Managing Director, The Pioneer and Suhas Gopinath, CEO and President, Globus Inc. On March 27 Matthew visited the Bangalore campus of the Institute of Business Management and Research (IBMR) as member of their international advisory panel. The IBMR recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the University of Stirling and proposes sending MBA students to study at Stirling annually. He met academic staff and students from the Institute before having lunch with the Dean and Managing Director. Between 29th and 31st March Matthew visited the University of Economics, Danang, Vietnam, to discuss a Prime Minister’s Initiative 2, organised through the British Council-funded proposal to start the MSc in Media Management in Vietnam from September 2008. He met the University’s Rector, Professor Dr Truong B Thanh and Mr Tuan Dang, Director of Research, Postgraduates and International Cooperation. Plans include Stirling staff delivering concentrated blocks of lecturing in September and January annually backed up by online notes and support. The British Council has announced that it will provide £43,000 funding over three years for the project and a 0.5 teaching fellow post will be created to cover Vietnam-related duties and teaching. Danang University of Economics has subsequently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the University of Stirling and proposes sending 12 students to study Management and Film, Media and Journalism postgraduate courses utilising funds awarded from the World Bank.

PUBLICATIONS

Philip Drake (2008), ‘Distribution and Marketing in contemporary Hollywood’ in Janet Wasko and Paul McDonald (eds) The Contemporary Hollywood Film Industry, Oxford: Blackwell. The book was launched at the Society for Cinema & Media Studies conference, Philadelphia in March 2008.

The Byron Review on Children and New Technologies ‘Safer Children in a Digital World’ was published on March 27. Matthew Hibberd took part in the review as a member of the academic panel.

Jacquie L’Etang (2008), ‘More strategic thinking?’ Communication Director 01: 10.

Jenny McKay. March 2008, review in Media, Culture and Society 2008, 30: 262-264, of Sammye Johnson and Patricia Prijatel (2007) The Magazine from Cover to Cover, 2nd edn. New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press; and Steve Taylor (2007) 100 Years of Magazine Covers, London: Black Dog Publishing,

Graham Meikle edited the February 2008 issue of Australia’s number one journal ‘Media international Australia’ with my former colleague Sherman Young, on the theme of ‘Beyond Broadcasting: TV for the 21st Century’.

Sarah Neely (2008), ‘”People, not issues”: Adapting Bernard MacLaverty’s Cal’ in Allen, R. and Regan, S. (eds) Irelands of the Mind: Memory and Identity in Modern Irish Culture. Newcastle: Cambridge Scholars Press.

WORKSHOPS, SEMINARS, LECTURES

John Izod jointly led (with Scott Feaster) a three-week on-line seminar on analytical psychology and film for the International Association of Jungian Studies on March 17.

Jacquie L’Etang presented a paper entitled ‘Public relations and promotion of adventure sports’ at ‘On the edge: leisure, consumption and the representation of adventures sports’, Manchester Metropolitan University March 18.

The department’s Lindsay Anderson team – John Izod, Karl Magee, Kathryn Mackenzie and Isabelle Gourdin – attended a day workshop ‘Across the Divide: Interdisciplinary dialogues on the archive’ at the University of Dundee on March 15.

John Izod presented a one-day workshop on Kieslowski’s Three Colours trilogy for the London Jung Club on March 8.

Philip Drake attended the RTS Campbell Swinton Lecture given by The First Minister, The Rt. Hon. Alex Salmond MSP on February 27.

MEETINGS, CONFERENCES & COMMITTEES

Philip Drake presented a paper titled ‘The Art of the Deal: Analysing Contracts in Contemporary Hollywood’ at the Society of Cinema and Media Studies Conference, Philadelphia, March 6-9.

Matthew Hibberd attended a number of Voice of the Viewer and Listener (VLV)-related meetings in Edinburgh in preparation of their 17th Scottish Conference to be held on 1st May. Co-sponsors of the conference include the Scottish Broadcasting Commission and the Hansard Society.

Matthew Hibberd attended an executive committee board meeting of ASMI -Association for the Study of Modern Italy in London on March 7. He is currently organizing the Association’s 2008 conference ‘The Media in Italy: Historical Perspectives and Future Challenges’ to be held in November, the first time ASMI has dedicated a conference to media issues.

RESEARCH/GRANTS

In March, as part of his research into the history of sports commentary Richard Haynes interviewed motor-racing commentator Murray Walker, darts commentator Sid Waddell, football commentator Mike Ingham, cricket commentator and producer of the BBC’s Test Match Special for 35 years Peter Baxter and snooker commentator and journalist Clive Everton.

OTHER

Congratulations to Julia Jahansoozi who made an excellent defence of her thesis on Friday March 21. Julia’s thesis was entitled ‘When interests collide: the story of an industry communication relationship.’

Mikey Murray, a graduate of the department (2001), won the BAFTA New Talent award for Screenwriting for his film Breaking (produced by another Stirling graduate, Alan Jones).

The MLitt in Media and Culture will enable students to develop their theoretical understanding and research expertise in Media and Culture to an advanced level. The programme will examine a range of historical and theoretical approaches, canvassing key debates within these fields. Students will develop a sophisticated critical understanding of the interdisciplinary nature of Media and Cultural Studies and of the variety of theoretical approaches informing these cognate subject areas. A major emphasis will be on assessing the impact on these subject areas of the digital media environment.

The programme will provide an excellent preparation for those wishing to continue their research at PhD level. It will also benefit those seeking a competitive edge in a careers market that values high-level skills in communication, research and critical thinking. Students will develop a critical and reflexive appreciation of the variety of research methods available within both humanities and social science frameworks. They will enhance their ability to undertake detailed textual analysis within an understanding of relevant theoretical frameworks.

Students will develop confidence in deploying relevant research and conceptual approaches in pursuit of their own areas of interest via specialist options and the dissertation, and will gain insight into the uses of new technologies in media and cultural theory and practices.

Programme Contact
Dr Graham Meikle,
Department of Film & Media Studies
Tel: +44 (0) 1786 466222
Email: graham.meikle@stir.ac.uk
Web: www.fms.stir.ac.uk

MSc Public Communication Management

Public Communication Management draws together a range of topical issues and interdisciplinary perspectives as diverse as professional communication, speech-writing and fund-raising. Public communication has its roots in the study of political communication and public campaigns and this degree draws on that tradition in its focus on public affairs.

Teaching is seminar driven, giving students ample opportunities for discussion and active engagement and the methods of assessment will include essays, reports, examinations as well as practical based assessment tasks.

This programme will appeal to those seeking management careers and to existing managers who seek to develop their communications expertise further. In this dynamic department there are many opportunities to take optional modules in other specialist areas including public relations and media management.

Programme Contact
Dr Matthew Hibberd,
Department of Film & Media Studies
Tel: +44 (0) 1786 466224
Email: m.j.hibberd@stir.ac.uk
Web: www.fms.stir.ac.uk

Jacquie L’Etang, Public Relations: concepts, practice and critique (Sage)

Stephanie Marriott, Live Television: time space and the broadcast event (Sage)

Jairo Lugo: ‘A Tale of Donkeys, Swans and Racism: London Tabloids, Scottish Independence and Refugees’, Communication & Social Change in the US. Vol. 1, June 2007. Pages 22-37

Jairo Lugo published a chapter titled ‘Modern Conflicts in Latin America’, pages 22-43 in Fouskas, V. (2007) The Politics of Conflict. A Survey. London: Routledge. The book came out in June 2007 and its part of the series ‘The Politics of…’.

His lecture will be entitled ‘A Serious Crisis?: the future of analytical and investigative reporting’ and will take place in the Logie Lecture Theatre at 6.00pm on Monday 19th November..

The annual event, organised by the Stirling Media Research Institute and supported by the Scott Trust, is named after the late Alastair Hetherington. The former editor of the Guardian and Controller of BBC Scotland was the first Research Professor of Media Studies at the University of Stirling. Previous lectures have been given by Peter Preston, Jon Snow, Alan Rusbridger, Sheena McDonald, Jonathan Freedland, Roy Greenslade, Elinor Goodman and Trevor Phillips.

All are welcome to attend, no booking is required. Please contact Karen Forrest, Department of Film & Media Studies for further details or for press enquiries (k.p.forrest@stir.ac.uk or 01786 466220).

Since 1995 the award has been awarded annually to academics working in the field of public relations who demonstrate “excellence in professional and human qualities”.

Before then it was an open award and previous holders include former West German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt, Portuguese Nobel laureate Jose Saramago and Tour De France record holding cyclist Lance Armstrong.

The award is made in memory of Jordi Xifra-Heras, founder of the School of Communications at Girona University.

Jacquie L’Etang has been appointed as an External Examiner for public relations undergraduate programmes at Queen Margaret University College, Edinburgh. Later this year she will be External Examiner for a PhD in Public Relations at Leeds Metropolitan University and she has been invited to take part in the validation process for a Postgraduate Diploma and MA in Public Relations at De Montford University.