My PhD Research SummaryOnly 4% of UK journalists are from an ethnic minority background, with the lack of newsroom diversity often cited as major factor in the under-representation and misrepresentation of black and minority ethnic communities in news content. But the growth of the internet and introduction of digital technologies provide greater opportunities for ordinary people to become consumers and producers of media content.
Blogs in particular provide scope for individuals from ethnic minority groups to become involved in an alternative form of journalism, with low cost or free software allowing anyone to set up a blog without technical knowledge or expertise and enter the arena of news production. This study will examine the demographic profile of bloggers from the black British community, their educational backgrounds, motivations, primary use of blogs, journalistic experience and their contribution to a growing area of alternative media in Britain.
I wish to contribute to journalism scholarship by researching unexplored areas of minority media. The last major study on black journalists in the UK, Black Journalists:White Media, by Beulah Ainley was in 1998. I am especially interested in broadening research on the contribution of ethnic minorities to journalism in Britain, to encourage the development of curricula that offer more diverse perspectives and reflect different cultures.
This research can help to identify whether participation in alternative forms of journalism like blogging can provide entry routes into mainstream jobs for ethnic minorities, who face barriers to employment in the mainstream media. It can also help to pinpoint effective strategies to increase the number of black journalists working in British newsrooms, so that they are more reflective of an ethnically diverse society.
I’ll be studying at The University of Salford in Manchester under the supervision of Professor George Mc Kay and Yu Wei Lin. My personal tutor is Dr Ben Halligan.
