2006: Balance and Bias in Journalism

One of the most satisfying developments this year has been the publication of my new academic book, Balance and Bias in Journalism: Representation, Regulation and Democracy to give it its full title. The research for this book began in 1995, when I began my PhD, but the bulk of the actual writing took place during 2004-6. The year of publication is officially 2007, even though it has been available since November, and that is how it should be referenced in bibliographies.

The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive so far, although I consider it to be quite a provocative book due to the nature of the subject matter. No doubt the reviewers will find plenty to quibble over! Several people I haven't ever met have taken the trouble to get in touch and say how much they enjoyed reading the book, and some who teach journalism say they have put it on their reading lists. That's particularly welcome as Emily Salz at Palgrave has invested heavily in the project, and it would be good for the publishers to make a decent return on it. I am very grateful to Emily for having the confidence in the original proposal to go ahead with it, and her input has been very valuable at a number of stages in the process.

Palgrave Macmillan also published Radio in Context in 2004, and both books are available in paperback and hardback from http://www.palgrave.com/products/results.aspx?k=Guy+Starkey . Some of the web book retailers offer used and nearly new copies, so getting hold of both titles needn't break the bank! This is starting to sound like an advert, I know, but very few authors of academic books get to retire on the proceeds of their sales... the market is so specialised that the financial return wouldn't pay for a tiny fraction of the time spent on the writing. Thankfully the Centre for Research in Media and Cultural Studies at the University of Sunderland has supported both titles by granting me sabbaticals to work on them. You can read a sample chapter of Balance and Bias and view the index for free by visiting the Palgrave web site.