معرفی
Professor Jackie Harrison is Professor of Public Communication and UNESCO Chair on Media Freedom, Journalism Safety and the Issue of Impunity at the School of Information, Journalism and Communication, University of Sheffield. She has chaired the interdisciplinary Centre for Freedom of the Media (CFOM) since 2008. Harrison joined the School of Journalism, Media and Communication as a lecturer in September 1996 and was appointed Professor of Public Communication in January 2005.
Her educational background includes a BA from Hallam University and a PhD from the University of Sheffield. As a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences, Harrison has established herself as a leading expert in media freedom and journalism safety.
Harrison's research focuses on the civil role and power of the news, examining three interrelated aspects: the architecture and culture of news, the mediation of civil society and social identity by the news, and issues of news freedom and standards. Her work explores how news structures influence civil discourse, how news media shape perceptions of civil boundaries, and how different legal and policy regimes affect media freedom and journalistic standards worldwide. She approaches these topics through examining the ideal versus normative structures of news, the influence of news on civil discourse, and the relationship between media freedom and democracy.
Through her role as UNESCO Chair, Harrison actively promotes collaborative academic research with centers of expertise, media organizations, NGOs, governments, and international bodies. She has contributed to the 2012 UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and Issue of Impunity and its implementation strategy, and frequently contributes to UN and UNESCO forums on journalism safety and media freedom. Her research shows a consistent pattern of examining how news media function as civil institutions and how they are affected by political, commercial, and technological pressures in contemporary societies.
Her notable scientific contributions include:
- UNESCO Chair on Media Freedom, Journalism Safety and the Issue of Impunity
- Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences
- Author of "The Civil Power of the News" (2019)
- Chair of the Centre for Freedom of the Media (CFOM)
Harrison has advised numerous governmental and international bodies, including the UK government's Multilateral Policy Directorate, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, House of Commons Committee Office, Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Ofcom, and the European Commission. She has also served as an adviser to the Taiwanese National Communication Committee and contributed to reports for the Media Subcommittee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. Her advisory work demonstrates a commitment to translating academic research into practical policy recommendations for strengthening media freedom globally.
Currently, Harrison supervises two PhD students: Jean-Claude Kayumba researching radio in post-conflict DR Congo, and Victoria Baskett studying community radio soap operas as peacebuilding tools in Sierra Leone. She teaches the module JNL6029 Communicating with the Media, encouraging students to think critically about the role of news in society and the challenges facing news organizations in the 21st century through lectures, seminars, and workshop-based sessions featuring external speakers.
