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，了解记者如何理解他们在民主社会中的角色，以及当涉及到穆斯林在多元文化、平等主义的英国的负面代表时，他们如何解释这种角色的矛盾性质。几十年来，学者们一直强调穆斯林在英国媒体中的代表性存在问题，但到目前为止，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。在奖学金制度下，我将利用我导师在媒体表述和穆斯林研究方面的专业知识，通过在准备我的论文专著方面取得实质性进展来分享这一见解。我的专著将通过分享记者的民主理想与他们在媒体中描绘穆斯林的做法之间未被充分挖掘的矛盾，为该领域的学术做出贡献。为了进入专著的一个章节，并确定未来可能产生的影响，我将对国际干预进行一次基于案头研究的系统审查，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，我将通过撰写两篇期刊文章(其中一篇与我的导师共同撰写)来发展我研究的更广泛的主题(矛盾在理解新闻在民主社会中的作用方面的作用)，以期推动进一步的研究。正在开发的专著和期刊文章将通过分享我的研究和影响工作的两篇会议论文，以及通过参与新闻/媒体研究和种族/公民身份的研究网络来获得信息。我的研究与其他研究不同，因为它使用了对记者的深入采访，以获得对媒体为什么持续存在对穆斯林的负面偏见，以及如何找到抵制、矛盾和争辩的空间并将其付诸实施的内幕分析。通过认识到记者在报道与穆斯林有关的故事时所经历的矛盾，就有可能重新概念化记者的做法，使其符合他们在社会中的公民角色。这包括重新考虑记者如何看待他们的受众和公共利益理念，以及重新解释民主新闻的价值观、准则和惯例，以与更广泛的公共利益保持一致，将穆斯林视为英国社会不可或缺的一部分。为了进一步影响改革穆斯林在英国媒体中的代表性，我将会见关键的利益相关者，如新闻监管机构IPSO和Impress和媒体活动家CFMM，分享我的研究见解，以期影响新闻政策。我将征求他们对当地新闻工具包和研讨会模式的开发和分发的意见。由于我的研究发现地方新闻有可能抵消国家新闻的负面报道，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。该工具包将作为当地记者关于报道涉及穆斯林的故事的最佳做法的指导，继续其影响超越联谊会。我还将组织一次研讨会，将记者与穆斯林社区组织聚集在一起，以发展更有见地的新闻实践。这一研讨会将成为地方和国家报纸未来组织自己的研讨会的催化剂模式，以建立关于穆斯林相关故事的合作、更具包容性的报道。为了扩大我作为一个新兴研究人员的地位，我将利用我的导师和新闻、媒体与文化学院(JOMEC)的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).