Author: Einar Thorsen

Anamik Saha Goldsmiths, University of London As part of the recent Puttnam Enquiry into the future of public service broadcasting (PBS), the British Academy hosted an academic workshop, chaired by Professor Georgina Born that was tasked with deliberating over and outlining key normative arguments for the future of PSB. The discussions on that day have …Continue Reading

Des Freedman Goldsmiths, University of London & project lead for the Inquiry Publishing a report into the future of television only five days after the EU referendum result was not exactly our preferred option given that attention was likely to be focused elsewhere. Except that so many of the themes of the report – including …Continue Reading

Gholam Khiabany Goldsmiths, University of London The Chilcot report was published on July 6, 2016. On many levels the report is impressive. The report is a product of examining around 150,000 documents; over 180 interviews with variety of witnesses; 2.6 million words in 12 volumes; 150 page executive summary. It took more than 7 years …Continue Reading

Daniel Jackson Bournemouth University The Referendum campaign and the fallout of Brexit has been particularly disturbing for the university sector. During the campaign, with the Remain camp assembling a formidable army of academic experts from all sectors, we saw an alarming diminution in the role of expertise. This was captured now-famously by former Education minister, …Continue Reading

Bethany Usher Teesside University At the international Celebrity Studies Journal conference in Amsterdam Brexit dominated conversations with British colleagues as we struggled to come to terms with the rise and increased visibility of the far-right at home. Most delegates were shocked. “No one on my Facebook on Twitter timeline was voting out”, they said, “I …Continue Reading

Arne Hintz Cardiff University The uncertainties of the post-Brexit-Referendum period have concerned, among others, a major legislative project that is currently developed – the Investigatory Powers Bill. The Bill is a comprehensive new legal framework for the surveillance powers of British security agencies, and as such, it has significant implications for civil rights and academic …Continue Reading

Barry Richards Bournemouth University A number of my academic colleagues and friends are worried about Prevent. Amongst MeCCSA members there is probably quite a high level of worry. At the end of last year, as universities were establishing policies and procedures to meet the new Prevent requirements, there was a flurry of emails to the …Continue Reading

Milly Williamson University of Brunel Prevent Violent Extremism (PVE) was first introduced in 2006 by the Blair government, which, after having plunged the UK into an illegal war in Iraq in 2003, dealt with what some members of the Home Office considered to be the likely consequences of that disastrous invasion, by developing a policy …Continue Reading

Rachel Cohen & Jo Littler City University London Universities pride themselves as being progressive institutions. Yet the pay penalty for female academics is currently an average of £6,103. In other words, female academics are paid are paid just 87% of what male academics are paid. At City University London where we work, the professorial pay difference is …Continue Reading

Lucy Bennett & Jenny Kidd Cardiff University In 2015 we were approached by the Media, Communications and Cultural Studies Association (MeCCSA) in the UK to carry out a small research project for the Higher Education Academy (HEA). The project, ‘Teaching and Learning Issues in the Discipline’, was a transdisciplinary investigation into challenges facing Higher Education …Continue Reading