Reconceptualising the Role of Democratic Journalism to address the Negative Representation of Muslims in the British Press

该奖学金的目的是发展我的博士研究，即记者如何理解他们在民主社会中的角色，以及当涉及到多元文化、平等主义的英国对穆斯林的负面描述时，他们如何解释这一角色的矛盾本质。几十年来，学术学者一直强调英国媒体中穆斯林代表的问题本质，但直到现在，学术界和英国媒体之间还没有就如何纠正这种负面偏见达成共识。在奖学金下，我将利用导师在媒体表现和穆斯林研究方面的专业知识，在准备论文专著方面取得实质性进展，以此来分享我的见解。我的专著将通过分享记者的民主理想与他们在媒体中对穆斯林的描绘之间未被充分探讨的矛盾，为该领域的学术研究做出贡献。为了融入专著的一个章节，并确定未来的影响可能性，我将对国际干预措施进行基于案头研究的系统回顾，以改善报道穆斯林时的新闻实践。为了进一步建立我的出版记录，我将通过发表两篇期刊文章（其中一篇与我的导师合著）来发展我的研究的更广泛的主题（矛盾在理解新闻在民主社会中的角色中的作用），以期激发进一步的研究。两篇会议论文将分享我的研究和影响工作，并通过参与新闻/媒体研究和种族/公民身份的研究网络，从而为正在撰写的专著和期刊文章提供信息。我的研究与其他研究不同，因为它通过对记者的深入采访，获得了一个“内幕”分析，即为什么对穆斯林的负面偏见在媒体中持续存在，以及如何找到这些表征的抵抗、矛盾和争论的空间，并将其运作起来。认识到记者在报道与穆斯林有关的故事时所经历的矛盾，就有可能根据他们在社会中的公民角色重新定义记者的做法。这包括重新考虑记者如何看待他们的受众和公众利益的想法，以及重新解释民主新闻的价值观、准则和惯例，以符合更广泛的公众利益，将穆斯林视为英国社会不可分割的一部分。为了进一步影响改革穆斯林在英国新闻界的代表方式，我将会见主要利益相关者，如新闻监管机构IPSO和IMPRESS以及媒体活动家CfMM，以影响新闻政策的观点分享我的研究见解。我将寻求他们的意见，开发和分发当地新闻工具包和讲习班模式。由于我的研究发现地方新闻有可能抵消国家新闻的负面表现，我将与一个由项目合作伙伴BMSLG（布里斯托尔穆斯林战略领导小组）、当地报纸、学者和行业顾问组成的指导委员会合作开发这个工具包。该工具包将指导当地记者报道涉及穆斯林的新闻的最佳做法，并在奖学金之外继续发挥其影响。我还将举办一个研讨会，让记者与穆斯林社区组织聚集在一起，发展更明智的新闻实践。这个研讨会将作为一个催化剂模式，促使地方和国家报纸在未来组织自己的研讨会，以建立与穆斯林有关的故事的协作性、包容性更强的报道。为了扩大我作为一名新兴研究人员的地位，我将借鉴我的导师和新闻、媒体与文化学院（JOMEC）其他学者的重要专业知识，为我未来的研究轨迹（包括资金/奖学金）创造跳板。

The aim of the fellowship is to develop my PhD research of how journalists understand their role in democratic society and how they account for the contradictory nature of this role when it comes to the negative representation of Muslims in multicultural, egalitarian Britain. For decades, academic scholars have highlighted the problematic nature of the representation of Muslims in the British press but until now there has been no consensus between academia and the British press on how to redress this negative bias. Under the fellowship, I will share this insight by making substantial progress in the preparation of a monograph of my thesis, drawing on my mentor's expertise in the study of media representations and Muslims. My monograph will contribute to scholarship in the field by sharing the under-explored contradictions between the democratic ideals of journalists and their practices in the portrayal of Muslims in the press. To feed into a chapter of the monograph and identify future impact possibilities, I will conduct a desk-research based systematic review of international interventions to improve journalistic practices when reporting on Muslims. To further build my publication track record, I will develop the wider theme of my research (the role of contradiction in understanding journalism's role in democratic society) through the production of two journal articles (one co-authored with my mentor) with a view to instigate further research. Both the developing monograph and journal articles will be informed through two conference papers sharing my research and impact work and through engagement with research networks in journalism/media studies and in ethnicity/citizenship. My research was distinctive from other studies as it used in-depth interviews with journalists to gain an 'insider' analysis for why the negative bias against Muslims endures in the media and how spaces for resistance, contradiction and contestation of these representations can be found and operationalised. By recognising the contradictions journalists experience when reporting Muslim-related stories, it becomes possible to re-conceptualise journalists' practices in line with their civic role in society. This involves a reconsideration of how journalists view their audiences and ideas of public interest together with a reinterpretation of the values, codes and conventions of democratic journalism to align with a wider public interest that places Muslims as an integral part of British society. To further impact on reforming how Muslims are represented in the British press, I will meet key stakeholders such as press regulators IPSO and IMPRESS and media campaigner CfMM to share my research insight with a view of influencing journalism policy. I will seek their input with the development and distribution of the local journalism toolkit and workshop model. As my research finds local journalism has the potential to counteract the negative representations of national journalism, I will develop this toolkit in collaboration with a steering committee made up of project partner BMSLG (Bristol Muslim Strategic Leadership Group), local newspapers, academics and industry advisors. The toolkit will act as a guidance for local journalists on best practice for reporting stories involving Muslims, continuing its impact beyond the fellowship. I will also organise a workshop to bring together journalists with Muslim community organisations to develop more informed journalistic practice. This workshop will act as a catalyst model for local and national newspapers to organise their own workshops in the future to build collaborative, more inclusive reporting on Muslim-related stories. To extend my standing as an emerging researcher, I will draw on the significant expertise of my mentor and other academics in the School of Journalism, Media & Culture (JOMEC) to create the springboard for my future research trajectory (including funding/fellowships).