Suzanne Franks

Professor Suzanne Franks is a leading academic in journalism at City, University of London, where she is affiliated with the Department of Journalism within the School of Arts and Social Sciences. She served as Head of Department from 2016 to 2019 and continues to teach, supervise PhD students, and conduct research. Her academic background includes a first-class MA in Politics, Philosophy, and Economics from the University of Oxford and a PhD from the University of Westminster. She was a Kennedy Scholar at Harvard University and has held visiting positions at UC Berkeley and the Reuters Institute, Oxford.

Her research focuses on:

• Media and development
• Humanitarian communication
• Political reporting
• Gender and media
• History of the BBC
• Science journalism

Her recent publications reveal a strong trend in science journalism, gender representation in media, and the use of digital and computational tools in news production. She has led major research initiatives, including an EU Horizon 2020 consortium on science journalism and projects funded by the British Academy and GCRF on women experts in Ghana and science reporting in South Africa.

Her scientific recognition includes:

• Nuffield Fellowship for studying satellite television in India
• Kennedy Scholar at Harvard University

She has supervised numerous PhD students and secured significant research grants. Her advisory work includes external examining for universities such as Goldsmiths, Cardiff, and the University of Westminster. She is also actively engaged in public discourse through media appearances and contributions to outlets like The Guardian and The Conversation.

Professor Franks has been involved in multiple research teams and projects, including the QUEST project on science communication quality and studies on female expertise in news broadcasting. Her work continues to influence both academic and policy discussions on media, gender, and humanitarian reporting.