CfParticipation: Online Reporting of the 2010 UK Election Symposium

Invitation to participate in a symposium on the
** Online Reporting of the 2010 UK Election **

Organised by the Centre for Journalism and Communication Research
The Media School, Bournemouth University

Friday 25th June, 2010

This symposium will be an opportunity to discuss and reflect upon the role of online
news reporting during the May 2010 UK General Election. It will provide a forum for
academics, researchers, journalists and bloggers to discuss emerging and established
forms and practices of online election news. We aim to provide a lively discussion forum
evolving around pertinent issues arising from the election campaign and aftermath.

You are invited to express interest in contributing your reflections (5-10 minutes each)
or early findings from relevant research. Please submit expressions of interest to
attend or contribute as a speaker (indicating your topic) by 4th June to Einar Thorsen
at ethorsen AT bournemouth.ac.uk or online via http://j.mp/cVckrF

** Discussion points **
Below is an indicative list of questions that could be addressed by the symposium,
though you are welcome to suggest and contribute on other relevant topics.

- To what extent did online journalism live up to expectations?
- How did online reporting compare to rival print and broadcasting journalism?
- What role did citizen journalism have in the media landscape during the election?
- How have Twitter and Facebook changed the way in which journalists connect with their
audiences?
- To what extent did journalists use social media, blogs and user-generated content as a
source of election news?
- What were the strengths and limitations of live blogging?
- How did the speed, depth and immediacy of online news impact on the campaign?
- To what extent did news organisations succeed in facilitating public debates and
comments?
- How did online journalism help inform the electorate?

** Schedule **
The symposium will take place 25th June in the city centre at The Executive Business
Centre, Bournemouth University, 89 Holdenhurst Road, Bournemouth, BH8 8EB.

The event is free and open to all interested parties, but please register your interest
to attend in advance by emailing Einar Thorsen at ethorsen AT bournemouth.ac.uk.

Deadline for contributors to register interest is 4th June. Conference outline will be
published shortly after.

Lunch and beverages will be provided.

** Background **
Elections represent a great spectacle of journalism and are therefore ideally suited to
reflect upon the current and future state of political news and journalism, particularly
in online contexts. In the words of Jon Snow: "Once an election is called, journalists
go into overdrive. It’s a genuinely exciting time ­ a voyage into the unknown whose
ending will affect all our lives."

The 2010 UK General Election was expected to be a historic milestone and it certainly
lived up to promise. Politically it offered the closest contest in years, returning the
first hung parliament since 1974, and a coalition government between the Conservatives
and the Liberal Democrats. The media campaign was groundbreaking too, dominated by the
first ever televised prime ministerial debates, hosted by ITV, Sky and the BBC.

Online news reporting in its various guises was, unlike previous elections, no longer
just a curious oddity at the fringes of the media landscape, but an essential part of
online political journalism. Both newspapers and broadcasters invested heavily in
election micro-websites, many of which included continuous campaign updates through live
blogging. Journalists used Twitter and Facebook for breaking news or unconfirmed
rumours, and also as a valuable source of ‘public sentiment’ and insight into the
political process. Ordinary citizens, for their part, used social media to hold
politicians and mainstream media to account.

** Centre for Journalism and Communication Research **
The Centre for Journalism and Communication Research was launched in 2009. It brings
together two research groups ­ the Journalism Research Group and the Narrative Research
Group ­ from within the Media School at Bournemouth University. Researchers affiliated
to the Centre represent a diverse array of interests and expertise, while sharing a
commitment to engage in real-world issues of pressing significance.

Website: http://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/imcr/cjcr/