Media - Department Staff

Guy Hodgson

Head of Department

Guy has more than 30 years' experience in the media, having worked for the Independent, The Independent on Sunday, the BBC and regional and local newspapers. Before Chester, he worked for seven years as a senior lecturer at the University of Central Lancashire where he was programme leader for the MA in Newspaper Journalism. His research interests include British newspapers 1937-39, sports journalism and he is currently studying for a PhD, the subject of his thesis being Manchester newspapers and their contribution to a myth of The Blitz. 

Room: WNM012, North West Media Centre, Warrington Campus
Room: CKW149, Kingsway Buildings, Chester Campus
Email: g.hodgson@chester.ac.uk
Tel: 01925 534331 / 01244 515712

 

Phil Potter

Senior Lecturer and Deputy Head of Department

Phil leads the Working in the Media module and has a particular interest in media business formations and how they affect employment. A graduate and post-graduate of the University of Manchester, Phil has actively developed web production elements of provision to reflect the role that the web plays in the dissemination of information incontemporary public and commercial media. He has particular interest in issues of online narrative and audience, as well as Accessibility and Usability.

Room: WNM001, North West Media Centre, Warrington Campus
Email: p.potter@chester.ac.uk
Tel: 01925 534249

 

Simon Gwyn Roberts

Senior Lecturer in Journalism and Deputy Head of Department

Simon was a practising journalist for 10 years, editing several London-based business publications and working for regional newspapers. He holds a BA from the University of Manchester and an MA from the University of Liverpool. His research is currently focused on the links between media, political devolution, civic engagement and cultural identity in small nations across the EU.
 

Simon’s recent research:

Articles:

Reportage in the lands of the ‘semi-free’: A comparative study of online political journalism in Georgia and Ukraine
http://chesterrep.openrepository.com/cdr/handle/10034/230251

'Half a loaf is better than none': The framing of political and national identity in Welsh border newspapers in the aftermath of the Mold Riots, 1869-1870
http://chesterrep.openrepository.com/cdr/handle/10034/215970

Clear red water? Devolved education policy and the Welsh news media audience
http://chesterrep.openrepository.com/cdr/handle/10034/215971

Book:

Shades of Expression: Online political journalism in the Post-Colour Revolution Nations (forthcoming book: University of Chester Press)

Room: CKW146, Kingsway Buildings, Chester Campus 

Room: WMP002, Warrington Campus

Email: simon.roberts@chester.ac.uk
Tel: 01244 512331

Tel: 01925 534226

 

Lesley Albon

Senior Lecturer in Media Studies

She teaches on all three years of the undergraduate programme and academic modules on our MA TV Production Course. Lesley is a graduate of Manchester University and has completed postgraduate study in Media and Cultural Studies at that same institution. Her interests include News - print and broadcast, Politics and the media, Media Globalisation, Non-fiction Narratives and Media Policy. Lesley is Programme Leader for Media Studies.

Room: WNM106, Porters Lodge, Warrington Campus
Email: l.albon@chester.ac.uk
Tel: 01925 534258

 

John Cain

Technician/Demonstrator for Advertising and Digital Photography

John balances multiple responsibilities supporting BA Advertising and BA Digital Photography (dept of media) and BA Graphic Design (dept of art & design) programmes at Warrington. This includes delivery of technical instruction seminars and facilitating technical operations on a range of modules across two departments. John joined the University in 2007 having previously worked in the media industry as a post-production and multimedia specialist.

Room: WMA 112, Martin Hall, Warrington Campus
Email: j.cain@chester.ac.uk
Tel: 01925 534615

 

Paul Clark

Lecturer in Journalism and Programme leader Sports Journalism

He has industry experience; having previously worked as a sports reporter for a London-based news agency. Allied to this, he also worked as a sub-editor for a Staffordshire-based political journal. Prior to lecturing at the University of Chester, Paul worked for CSV Media in Manchester in various community media projects.

Room: WMP114, Porters Lodge, Warrington Campus
Email: paul.clark@chester.ac.uk
Tel: 01925 534671

 

Lynne Connolly

Senior Lecturer in Media

Lynne is a photography graduate of Westminster University, a fine art photography post-graduate of The University of Ulster, and social sciences post-graduate of The Open University.

The combination of visual arts and cultural theory is one that informs both personal and professional work. Previous freelance work has included advertising, and product photography for design groups, Opera N.I, The Arts Council N.I, as well as individual commissions.

Current research includes the ‘007+ project’ – working with individuals who are over 70 years of age to visually explore identity. Also, ongoing research into cultural identity and Northern Irish Photography, following the Good Friday Agreement.

Room: WNM006

Email: l.connolly@chester.ac.uk

Tel: 01925 534236

Senior Lecturer in Media Studies

Mark teaches across all years of the undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes. He completed his PhD on the fans of Elvis Presley in 1998 and remains interested in popular music, fan culture and cultural theory. Mark has teaching experience at the University of British Columbia and at the University of Wales. He has published several articles in academic journals and has also worked for Sony Music, the BBC World Service and the Discovery Channel.

Room: WMP118, Porters Lodge, Warrington Campus
Email: m.duffett@chester.ac.uk
Tel: 01925 534390

For Mark’s research interests, visit: http://www.markduffett.com

Follow Mark’s work on: http://pop-music-research.blogspot.co.uk/

 

Russell Dyson

Senior Lecturer in Commercial Music Production

Russ teaches Commercial Music Production and joined the Department in October 2000. Russell is a graduate of the Liverpool Institute for the Performing Arts with a specialism in sound technology. In spare time he is presently working on a freelance basis for Yamaha-Kemble (UK) Ltd. Prior to entering Higher Education he worked for Yamaha-Kemble as a Hi-Tech Product Specialist within the technical support and technical sales departments, and also has experience of a range of product demonstration, research and development projects. He has spent time at Edirol (Roland Group) in technical support and has spent time with Immedia, a multimedia production house.

Room: WMP112, Porters Lodge, Warrington Campus
Email: r.dyson@chester.ac.uk
Tel: 01925 534308

 

Ian Edgington

Technician for Journalism

Ian is the Technician/Demonstrator for Journalism programmes and facilitates technical operations on a range of modules. Ian joined the Department in 2007 having previously worked as an IT developer/analyst with former FE experience involved in distance learning and new media technologies.

Room: CKW112, Kingsway Buildings, Chester Campus
Email: i.edgington@chester.ac.uk
Tel: 01244 515770

 

Ato Erzan

Senior Lecturer in Journalism

Previously editor of The Big Issue in the North magazine - a publication sold by homeless people across the north of England - Ato recently joined the Department as a lecturer in Journalism. His past experience includes working as a reporter at the Lancashire Evening Post and as a sub-editor at Ananova, The Bury Times and The Bolton Evening News, the latter being where he served as a sports sub/writer and special projects coordinator on the paper's Newspapers in Schools scheme.

Room: CKW144, Kingsway Buildings, Chester Campus

Room WMP002

 
Email: a.erzan@chester.ac.uk
Tel: 01244 515726

Tel 01925 534266

 

James Evans

Technician for Journalism and IT

James supports the Journalism programmes at Warrington and general IT issues across the Department. He is qualified as a Cisco Academy trainer at the University of Edinburgh. From 1996 to 1998 James worked as a Multimedia Developer before taking up a teaching post at Yale College. He joined the Department of Media in 2000 and is our Apple Macintosh and network specialist.

Room: WMA046, Martin Hall, Warrington Campus
Email: james.evans@chester.ac.uk
Tel: 01925 534313

 

Caroline Ford

Lecturer in TV Production

Caroline joined the Media Department in early 2007 and teaches on undergraduate modules in TV Production and Broadcast Journalism. After obtaining a Masters degree in TV Documentary Production from the University of Salford, Caroline enjoyed a successful career as a Television Producer working for various companies and broadcasters including Granada and the BBC.

Room: WMP107, Porters Lodge, Warrington Campus
Email: c.ford@chester.ac.uk
Tel: 01925 534670

 

Nathalie Griffith

Lecturer in Journalism

Nathalie joined the Media Department in early 2010 and teaches on undergraduate modules in Journalism. After obtaining a Post Graduate Diploma in Newspaper Journalism from the University of Central Lancashire, Nathalie enjoyed a successful career in newspapers working on various local, regional and national titles including a number within the Manchester Evening News Group (MEN Media), the Wigan Evening Post, the Daily Star and the Sunday Express. As well as broad spectrum news reporting Nathalie has also been heavily involved in editing and designing newspapers and has experience in newspaper and online management.

Room: CKW151, Kingsway Buildings, Chester Campus

Room WMP002

Email: n.griffith@chester.ac.uk
Tel: 01244 515838

Tel: 01925 534266

 

David Grimshaw

Senior Lecturer in Radio Production

David's background is BBC local radio where he was a journalist, programme producer and occasional presenter. He has also worked for BBC network radio and BBC Television. David managed several short-term radio licences (RSL) as part of the degree courses and now is responsible for the permanent, Warrington campus, radio station.

Room: WMP012, Porters Lodge, Warrington Campus
Email: d.grimshaw@chester.ac.uk
Tel: 01925 534327

 

Dr. Chris Hart

Senior Lecturer in Advertising

Chris was awarded his doctorate in advertising and linguistics in 1993. He has held posts at several UK universities. Chris has been involved in national and international research projects. In December 2011 Chris and colleagues presented finding from a market survey of historic vehicle businesses in the UK to invited guests at the House of Lords (www.http://fbhvc.co.uk/survey-2011/). In 2006 he was research director and co-project manager, was a pan-European study of social capital amongst a community of interest. Funded by Mercedes Benz, BMW, VW and the Federation International Vehicles Ancients (FIVA) this involved over 800,000 respondents in 12 countries (http://fbhvc.co.uk/research/). Chris is an experienced doctorate and masters supervisor. He has made contributions to the UKGrad network and publications, the most recent being a chapter in The Postgraduate's Companion, edited by Gerard Hall and Jo Longman (Sage: 2008). Having written several books on a wide range of topics and skills, including litearture reviewing, masters research, Talcott Parsons and the Chicago School of Sociology, Englishness and identity, current research activities include, analysis of the landmark MacIntosh commercial 1984 sponsored by Apple Computers Inc. (book due June. 2012) and advertising as information, an Ethnomethodological study of advertising as information (book due June. 2013).

Room: WMP119, Porters Lodge, Warrington Campus
Email: c.hart@chester.ac.uk
Tel: 01925 534695

 

Paul Hassall

Lecturer in Journalism

Paul has accumulated up to a decade of industry experience having worked in the Liverpool Echo’s Sport Media department as well as Liverpool Football Club’s in-house website and TV channel.  He has a Masters Degree in TV Production, Trinity Mirror qualifications in Journalism and has authored several publications for bothLiverpool FC and Everton FC, including Fowler, Carra and 30 years of European Champions.  He has also worked for a number of regional newspapers, contributed to various magazines and has recently started to write freelance football match reports for the national press.  His research interests include the manipulation of news by in-house media in the sporting world and how television/new media has impacted upon the stadium as the most informed way to spectate.

 Room: WMP101

 Email: P.Hassall@chester.ac.uk

Tel: 01925 534256

Brian Machin

Senior Lecturer in TV Production and Media Studies

Joined the University in 1999, having taught on undergraduate and post-graduate programmes at higher education institutions in the North West. He has wide experience in the TV industry as a programme maker and lectures in TV Production on our post-graduate and undergraduate courses. He continues to develop his links with the TV industry most recently with Granada TV and has expertise in programme making and scriptwriting.

Room: WMP102, Porters Lodge, Warrington Campus
Email: b.machin@chester.ac.uk
Tel: 01925 534353

 

Marie Manuel

Secretary / Administrator

Marie is one of the Warrington-based Department Secretary/Administrators. Marie is responsible for the smooth running of Departmental systems and is a member of all Departmental committees. Marie is the first point of contact for all general enquiries.

Room: WNM002, North West Media Centre, Warrington Campus
Email: media@chester.ac.uk
Tel: 01925 534394

 

Jim Mason

Senior Lecturer in Commercial Music Production

Jim joined the Department in 2001 and is a graduate of the University of Salford in Popular Music and Recording. He has had commercial success, mainly as a producer and remixer of commercial dance music, working with a number of different labels and is still currently active in these roles within the industry. Jim has also undertaken a wide range of other music-related work.

Room: WMP111, Porters Lodge, Warrington Campus
Email: j.mason@chester.ac.uk
Tel: 01925 534347

 

Andy Nixon

Technician for Commercial Music Production

Andy is the Technician for Commercial Music Production having joined the Department in September 2000. Andy has worked in commercial and private recording studios as a sound engineer and as a live tour technician. He has worked with established acts and producers on studio based projects.

Room: WMA046, Martin Hall, Warrington Campus
Email: a.nixon@chester.ac.uk
Tel: 01925 534313

 

Wayne O'Brien

Senior Lecturer in TV production

Wayne teaches on the undergraduate and post graduate degree programmes. A graduate and postgraduate of the University of Manchester, Wayne has experience in television and corporate video production and continues to link work with those industries. His documentary ‘Loosen the Shackles' was broadcast by Granada TV and nominated for the prestigious ‘Race in the Media' Awards. Wayne is also responsible for co-ordinating Work Based Learning within the Department of Media.

Room: WMP109, Porters Lodge, Warrington Campus
Email: w.obrien@chester.ac.uk
Tel: 01925 534294

 

Nada Oldfield

Journalism Programme Secretary/Administrator

Nada is responsible for the smooth running of the Departmental journalism programmes' systems and is a member of all Departmental committees. Nada is the first point of contact for all general enquiries regarding journalism programmes at Chester campus.

Room: CKW008, Kingsway Buildings, Chester Campus
Email: n.oldfield@chester.ac.uk
Tel: 01244 515865

 

Ian Rasmussen

Senior Lecturer in Communications and Media

He has been a member of the Department since 2004 having previously taught at the Universities of Birmingham and Liverpool. Ian holds a degree in African Studies and a Master's degree in Politics and the Mass Media from these institutions respectively. His academic interests include radio history, public service broadcasting, the BBC World Service, communications and development, political communication and food and broadcasting. Currently module leader on Theorising Celebrity and Media Texts in Context, Ian also teaches on a wide range of degree programmes including Radio, Media, and Journalism.

Room: WMP119, Porters Lodge, Warrington Campus
Email: i.rasmussen@chester.ac.uk
Tel: 01925 534257

 

Rutherford

Senior Lecturer in Advertising

He is committed to raising awareness of the relationship between visual communication and social ideologies. A commercial photographer in Toronto, Canada from 1982-93, and later served (1993-97) as the Director of Communication for two Canadian non-profit organisations. From 1985-92, Rutherford taught Photographic Arts in two Canadian universities. From 1999-2005 Rutherford was Senior Lecturer in Communication at CERAM in Sophia Antipolis in SE France. In 2005, he joined the University of Chester to launch the BA Advertising programme. A Fellow of the HEA, Rutherford holds a Bachelor degree in Visual Art, a Diploma in Social Work, and a Master's degree in Philosophy. Rutherford's essays on photography, visual symbols, advertising and social ideologies have featured in several North American newspapers, magazines and academic journals. His photographs have been exhibited in Canada, the US, New Zealand, France and Japan.

 

Rutherford’s projects:

The Shadow of the Photographer

In addition to snapshots of friends and family, holidays and special events, many of us also take pictures… just because we liked the way something looked, but often without knowing why our attention was attracted to a particular scene. For example, we might record children playing in a park, an old house, or a bicycle lying in the grass – but we don’t know those children, or the people who lived in that house, and that’s not our bicycle. When we are moved to record a scene or a moment with which we have no conscious connection, I submit that, in the nature and/or arrangement of the various elements within the scene, we have intuitively recognised a personally relevant metaphor: an allegorical description of a ‘mental picture’ that lies below the horizon of our conscious awareness – and to which our unconscious is now trying to bring to our attention.

Written for the reader interested in photography, intuition, consciousness, self-expression and personal development, The Shadow of the Photographer explains how what we photograph and the way we photograph it can provide us with valuable insight into the way we see ourselves and offer us the means to self-awareness and acceptance. In this book, it is my intention to provide anyone with access to even a simple camera with the means to open a dialogue with your creative unconscious: a trustworthy and compassionate companion on the journey to discover – and to become – who you really are.

 

In Your Right Mind

As citizens, we are exposed daily to thousands of images, each designed to solicit our emotional attachment to a product, a corporation or a political idea. Through the selection and juxtaposition of images, the visual media – the new ‘literature’ of popular culture –shapes the way we ‘see’ the world and the meaning we ‘find’ in what we are shown. This enormous influence over our perceptions gives the corporate or political sponsor the means to ‘frame’ the limits of debate over important social, cultural and economic issues and to ‘manufacture consent’ in support of their socio-economic ideology – including our attitudes towards the Product, the Politician and the Right Priorities.

If we are unable to recognize – or to consider critically – the ‘points of view’ advanced by those who shape the modern mediascape, certain alternatives become literally ‘unthinkable’. An understanding of the influence of visual design – Visual Literacy – is therefore necessary for the ability to participate fully as citizens in modern society. Although we have no control over many of the ‘mental pictures’ we have inherited, we must accept the responsibility for examining the pictures we carry around in our heads and consider their influence in shaping our beliefs and assumptions – because these will determine not only the lives we will lead, but the shape of the world we will leave behind.

 

Follow Rutherford’s work on his personal website (includes online galleries of several photographic projects and numerous other published essays and articles)

http://www.theshadowofthephotographer.co.uk/index.html

 

Papers presented at conferences

• Mental Pictures - and their implications for HE
• Teaching by Story
• Why Advertising Students Should be Required to Write

 

Room: WMP110, Porters Lodge, Warrington Campus
Email: d.rutherford@chester.ac.uk
Tel: 01925 534356

 

Karen Saunders

Secretary / Administrator

Karen is one of the Warrington-based Department Secretary/Administrators. Karen is responsible for the smooth running of the Departmental systems and is a member of all Departmental committees. Karen is the first point of contact for all general enquiries.

Room: WNM002, North West Media Centre, Warrington Campus
Email: media@chester.ac.uk
Tel: 01925 534394

 

Dr. Vera Slavtcheva-Petkova

Lecturer in Journalism

Vera joined the Department in February 2012 as a Lecturer in Journalism after completing her PhD at Loughborough University in 2011.  Vera is also working at the Oxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford.  Before Chester, Vera was teaching at Loughborough University. She also has industry experience. She has worked as an editor in 24 Chasa (24 Hours) – a Bulgarian daily newspaper, second in circulation in the country. Her duties involved mainly political editing and reporting, including international events such as European summits at the top.  

Her research interests include children as media audiences, national and European identities, youth and the Internet, journalistic practices in Central and Eastern Europe and media agenda-setting theory. She holds a BA from the American University in Bulgaria and an MA from the University of East Anglia.

Journal articles

Slavtcheva-Petkova, Vera. (2012). “I’m from Europe, but I’m not European”: Television’s and Children’s Identities’ in England and Bulgaria. Journal of Children and Media. Volume 7, Issue 3.

Slavtcheva-Petkova, Vera and Mihelj, Sabina (2012). ‘Europe – a Default or a Dream? European Identity Formation among Bulgarian and English Children’. Ethnicities

Room: CKW150

Room: WMP002

Email: v.petkova@chester.ac.uk

Tel: 01244 515727

Tel: 01925 534266 

Kate Sillitoe

Senior Lecturer in Advertising

After completing her MSc in Interactive Multimedia Production and BA Hons in Interactive and Broadcast Media, Kate worked for several years as Multimedia Manager and Producer at Momentum, part of the McCann-Erikson Worldgroup. At Momentum she produced CD-Roms and E-Marketing solutions for companies and organisations such as the Punch Pub Group, The Meat and Livestock Commission, The Foods Standards Agency, Coca-Cola, Nescafe and Littlewoods. Kate moved from Momentum into teaching seven years ago, working first as a Media and Film Studies teacher. She moved to the University of Chester in 2007 where she is committed to developing students' skills and experiences whilst working on ‘live' briefs. In June 2009 she received a D&AD Yellow Pencil Award as tutor of a winning group of students. Kate has a specific interest in the use of digital and social media to promote products, services and organisations.

Room: WMP006, Porters Lodge, Warrington Campus
Email: k.sillitoe@chester.ac.uk
Tel: 01925 534657

 

Jenny Spruce

Technician for Radio Production

Jenny is the Technician for Radio Production at Warrington. A University of Manchester graduate, Jenny has worked for radio stations in Bradford, Leeds and Ireland.

Room: WMA046, Martin Hall, Warrington Campus
Email: jenny.spruce@chester.ac.uk
Tel: 01925 534313

 

Jo Warburton

Senior Lecturer in Communication

Jo is a graduate of the University of Manchester with postgraduate interests in Creative Writing. She is an active performance poet and playwright whose work appears regularly at regional and national events. Over recent years, she has developed a role in community theatre, arts and educational projects and worked as co-coordinator of a co-operative community press.

Room: WMP013, Porters Lodge, Warrington Campus
Email: j.warburton@chester.ac.uk
Tel: 01925 534202

 

Fiona White

Secretary / Administrator

Fiona is one of the Warrington-based Department Secretary/Administrators. Fiona is responsible for the smooth running of the Departmental systems and is a member of all Departmental committees. Fiona is the first point of contact for all general enquiries.

Room: WNM002, North West Media Centre, Warrington Campus
Email media@chester.ac.uk
Tel: 01925 53439