[ecrea] Part-funded PhD opportunity at the Institute of Communication Studies

Addressing the vacuum in local news via citizen media: the Media Trust’s 
Newsnet project - Part-funded PhD opportunity at the Institute of 
Communication Studies, Leeds.
The diminishing of local newspapers in the internet age (through 
closures, rationalisation and amalgamation) together with the slow death 
of regional TV is creating a vacuum in local news media and, in turn, 
the local public sphere. In response to the crises in ‘old’ local media, 
last year the Media Trust was awarded a Big Lottery grant of £1.9 
million to support citizen journalists to fill this gap through hyper 
local (digital) media. The aim is to develop ‘Newsnet’: an online 
community of citizen journalists and a network of local news hubs around 
the country.
As part of a three year evaluation of the project, the Media Trust will 
provide £5,000 per annum to support a  Phd student, working in the area 
of local media. The student will work alongside an evaluation team from 
BOP, a consultancy which specialises in the cultural and creative 
industries, but will be based ICS in Leeds. ICS has considerable 
expertise in local media, citizen journalism and digital citizenship, 
and the student will be part of a growing PhD community.
We envisage the project starting in October 2012, but an earlier start 
date can be negotiated. If you’d like to know more about this 
opportunity, please contact Professor Kate Oakley on 
(k.oakley /at/ leeds.ac.uk) <mailto:(k.oakley /at/ leeds.ac.uk)>.

Kate Oakley


+44 (0)207 7330014
+44 (0)7970 861355