Alex Canner

Alex Canner is a Senior Lecturer in Journalism and Programme Leader for the BA Journalism programme at the University of Derby, within the College of Arts, Humanities and Education, Department of Humanities. He is an award-winning educator and active broadcast media professional with over two decades of experience at the BBC.

His educational background includes a Post Graduate Certificate in Higher Education, BTEC in Media Studies, and BTEC in Music Technology.

Canner specializes in broadcast journalism, podcasting, live radio, social media journalism, and smart-speaker journalism. His research focuses on experiential learning in real-world news environments, particularly through pop-up newsrooms covering unpredictable events like the Shrovetide game. He emphasizes breaking news coverage across platforms and the challenges of fake news in digital media.

His recent publications and conference presentations explore how immersive, real-time journalism projects enhance student learning and outperform traditional simulation methods. These works highlight student engagement, multimedia reporting, and collaboration with major media outlets.

• Sony Radio Academy Silver Gillard Award (2009)
• Gillard Station Of The Year (2009)

Canner has extensive industry experience as a BBC radio presenter, producer, and journalist, covering high-profile events including the London 2012 Olympics and international crises. He continues to freelance with the BBC and integrates professional practice into his teaching. He has facilitated prestigious student placements, including with BBC Politics and Laura Kuenssberg. He is a member of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC). His additional interests include music, where he performs as lead singer in a rock band and contributes to studio recordings.