University News Last updated 06 March 2013
An academic at Birmingham City University is among the contributors to a new book on the future of British journalism, following the Leveson Inquiry into the phone hacking scandal.
Bob Calver, Senior Lecturer in Broadcast Journalism at Birmingham School of Media, part of Birmingham City University, has written about the teaching of journalism ethics in the book, called ‘After Leveson? – The future for British Journalism’.
Other contributors include the former Editor of The Times and Sunday Times, Sir Harold Evans, Phil Harding, a former Controller of Editorial Policy at the BBC, former Guardian Editor Peter Preston and Natalie Peck from the Hacked Off campaign.
Bob acted as a media commentator during the Leveson Inquiry. “I did lots of interviews about the way journalists were working but was never once asked about how we teach ethics to students who are about to go out into newsrooms and who will be the editors of the future,” he said.
“I wanted to share my view that ethical behaviour is an extension of professionalism which we value highly on our courses in the School of Media. I don’t think I have the answer to the big question of how we teach ethics but I do think we need a debate on how we make sure students are prepared for what they might find in newsrooms on this issue just as we prepare them for every other aspect of a journalist’s role,” Bob added.