Building Collaboration and Engagement for Media Professionals and Academic Researchers

The proposed project will create a knowledge exchange network between media professionals and academic researchers, to explore the potential of new forms of public service media, and will explore ways in which academic researchers can utilise new technologies to better disseminate and exchange their research and ideas.Context of the research:New internet-based forms of media are enabling a wider range of voices to participate in diverse and innovative kinds of communication, whilst more traditional media is compelled to adapt to accommodate and complement - or compete with - these new forms. Public service media remains important in that its ethos is to promote communication in the public interest which in turn encourages social cohesion, education, deliberative democracy, and creativity, as part of a functioning civil society. During the twentieth century, Britain's public service broadcasting enjoyed an excellent international reputation. But as broadcasting becomes a smaller part of the media landscape, it is necessary to support new forms of public service media, and media for the public good, in an interdisciplinary way. These developments might come from traditional major broadcasters, or from new grassroots initiatives. A knowledge exchange network is therefore proposed between producers, researchers, and digital media creatives, to help develop this potential. The network builds upon an existing network of media producers and academic researchers which formed under a three-year collaborative research initiative fostered by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and the BBC. What the project will do:1. A six-month feasibility study will be conducted which will provide a 'road map' for a continuing knowledge exchange network between media professionals and academic researchers in the UK. The network will be both online and offline - a social network website, integrated with other networking tools, and supported by face-to-face events. A case study will be included which will aim to illustrate how the new network could assist the development of a 'community of innovation' at Media City, Salford. 2. An existing 'seed' group of 160 producers and academics from the BBC and AHRC collaborative research initiative will be invited to join a new online network built within a premium 'Ning' site (www.ning.com). The basic framework has already been built by us working with BBC developers and designers. The present constituency comprises 60 BBC producers and 100 academics with a large number based in London, but also a good proportion based in the south (Brighton, Bournemouth), the west (Bristol and Cardiff), the north (Manchester and Newcastle) and in Scotland (Glasgow).3. The project will also begin to explore ways in which the network can enhance the capacity of the academic arts and humanities sector to communicate their research interests and findings more effectively with interested parties and potential collaborators, including industry, third sector organisations, government, and the public. Workshops and inspiration events, and a website of positive case studies, would support researchers to use Web 2.0 tools, and other means, to share their research work with wider audiences.The strategic benefit for the UK:Digital media is increasingly important to the UK economy, and in a post-industrial era the relative concentration of creative industries within Britain offers considerable economic dividends. Public service media outlets now include a wide range of companies. Ofcom, the communication and media regulator, is keen to ensure plurality of suppliers for public service media. This aim will be supported by the proposed knowledge exchange network, which will encourage SMEs, larger media outlets and academics from many different disciplines to innovate and collaborate around public service goals.

As will be clear from the Case for Support, this project is all about impact. We are not conducting a contained research project which would be followed by dissemination and outreach activities; rather, the whole initiative is about developing a network, fostering collaborations, and encouraging engagement and knowledge exchange. TRACK RECORD ON IMPACT The ability of CAMRI, the Communications and Media Research Institute at the University of Westminster, to have an impact on our field was reflected in RAE 2008, which ranked us as the foremost media and communications department in the UK, with 60 per cent of all work judged to be 'world leading', and 90 per cent of all work being rated as internationally excellent. Our project within the AHRC/BBC Pilot Knowledge Exchange Programme generated a conference attended by over 300 people from both industry and academia, two substantial reports, journal articles, workshop events, and several other outputs. The PI, David Gauntlett, has written several widely-read books (see Case for Support) and in 2007 was shortlisted for the Times Higher Young Academic Author of the Year Award. He has pioneered non-traditional online and offline forms of engagement throughout his career, most notably through the popular website about media and identities, Theory.org.uk. METHODS FOR COMMUNICATION, ENGAGEMENT, AND FOSTERING COLLABORATION The whole project concerns communication, engagement, and collaboration. Project objective #1 is to create a network to promote measurable innovation and foster collaboration. Objective #2 is to attract media professionals and academic researchers to the network, through face-to-face events as well as publicity. Objective #3 is to explore ways in which we can enhance the capacity of the academic arts and humanities sector to communicate their research interests and findings more effectively with interested parties and potential collaborators. The remaining objectives, #4, #5 and #6, are to develop a business model, operating plan, and case study, to flesh out how such activities can flourish and become sustainable. To meet these ends, we will be producing: Events for the knowledge transfer network: - 'Public service media in the digital age', a discussion and networking event, to be held in central London in January 2010. This would include a hands-on workshop where participants would build their vision of public service media in the future, using the techniques which we have developed (see Track Record). - 'Doing good with digital media', a discussion and networking event, to be held in Manchester in February 2010. Event for the public engagement initiative: - 'Public engagement for arts and humanities researchers', a one day symposium featuring inspiring examples of work which has exchanged research findings and ideas with interested parties in non-traditional ways, and a hands-on workshop, to be held in central London in April 2010. Further outputs for the knowledge transfer network: - The online network itself, as detailed in this proposal. - A report, which would include: * discussion of previous literature on knowledge exchange networks, considered in relation to our own findings; * a 'road map' for a continuing knowledge exchange network, as outlined above; * a business model for such a network, as outlined above; * an operating plan which will show how the network with be run on a daily, weekly, monthly and yearly basis, as outlined above; * a case study showing how the new network could assist the development of a 'community of innovation' at Media City, Salford. Further outputs for the public engagement initiative: - A website offering inspiring examples, advice, and short articles by practitioners; - At least one YouTube video, drawing attention to the initiative and sharing ideas; - An article for Times Higher Education (or similar) to increase awareness of the project.