Visiting Professor
We were fortunate to be able to appoint as Visiting Professor for three years Dianne Nelmes, then head of Daytime and Lifestyle at ITV, a former World in Action Executive Producer, who now leads independent TV producer Liberty Bell with offices in London and Newcastle.
She has been an invaluable source of support and advice on programme development and has worked ceaselessly to raise the profile of our programmes at the executive and policy-making level of the British TV industry - in both the BBC and independent sectors.
Visiting Fellow
Geoff Lowe, founder of digital innovation company Filmserve is a BAFTA award-winning film producer who has worked nationally and internationally and is in demand as a speaker around the world is leading the development of digital film production for students on the MA programmes and keeping our programmes abreast of leading edge digital developments.
He leads two modules: The Art and Practice of Digital Film (I and II). Students have won placements in leading media organisations on the strength of their productions. One film produced by a group of international students from China has been a viral hit around the world. Two films have been entered for awards to both the Royal Television Society and the Broadcast Journalism Training Council and we are expected to hear the results in early 2012.
Professional practice modules on our journalism and PR programmes are led by academics who also have extensive industry experience.
David Baines, who leads the Journalism section of the team’s initiatives has extensive professional experience in the journalism profession as a full time daily newspaper journalist for 30 years and has extensive links with media industries in the North East, providing a crucial dimension on media organisations within the North East of England for the benefit of students in media/ journalism and PR. His research focuses on current transformations in the media industry, locally and globally and focus on new media in relation to citizen journalism and changes in the journalism profession and practices. He has delivered professional development programmes for journalists on The Journal, Newcastle, a Trinity Mirror regional morning newspaper, and taught trainee Journalists at the Press Association’s Training centre in Newcastle. He is a member of the National Union of Journalists Professional Training Committee and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.
Laurel Hetherington is a Teaching Fellow in Public Relations, a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations and the only CIPR Approved Trainer in the North East of England. She works directly with a wide range of organisations, and also with many consultancies for both their own staff and their clients. Recent clients include charities, government, retailers and consultancies, both national and regional. As well as regularly delivering the CIPR’s Introduction to Public Relations and Writing for the Press workshops in London and throughout the country, she is also Treasurer of the CIPR North East Group and a judge for both the PRide and Fresh awards