Leading community journalism

Damian Radcliffe, Internet and Society Manager at ictQATAR, has been appointed as an Honorary Research Fellow at the School of Journalism, Media and Cultural Studies.

Damian will provide input to the School-led Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) research project on Media, Community and the Creative Citizen, which is due for completion in October 2014. He will also be available to other researchers and post-graduate students during his visits to Cardiff.

Damian is a leading expert in the field of online news media and widely acknowledged for his influential work in the area of hyperlocal journalism. Prior to his move to Qatar earlier this year, Damian was Manager for Nations and Regions at Ofcom, the UK communications regulator.

He is a much followed blogger and the author of a recent assessment of the scale and scope of UK hyperlocal services for "Destination Local", an initiative led by the innovation agency NESTA.

He has collaborated with numerous universities and with the BBC College of Journalism and the Online Journalism Blog. Since 2008 he has also been a Fellow at the Royal Society of Arts.

Damian Radcliffe said: "I look forward to learning and being challenged by fellow researchers and post-graduate students alike, while also sharing insights with the School about the fast changing developments taking place in the Middle East.

"As with hyperlocal and community journalism there is a rich story to tell, and I am grateful to the University for giving me a chance to help tell it."

Ian Hargreaves, Professor of Digital Economy and Principal Investigator for the AHRC research project said: "Damian will bring a fresh and well-informed international perspective to our growing interest in community news media and I am delighted that he is able to form this association with us."

The Honorary Research Fellowship is for three years.