Julian Petley

During his career, Julian has moved back and forth between working in the media and teaching about the media, and although he has been a full-time academic for the past twenty years he is still an active freelance journalist, and is a member of the editorial board of the British Journalism Review and of the advisory board of Index on Censorship. He is also chair of the Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom, in which role he actively campaigns for a media which is both free from restrictions which stop it from performing its proper social functions but, equally importantly, behaves responsibly and displays the same degree of openness and public accountability which it habitually demands from other institutions. This work involves making numerous submissions to official enquiries of one kind or another, giving evidence to parliamentary bodies such as select committees, liaising with like-minded civil society groups, and maintaining a high media profile. All of this activity feeds directly into my teaching and research at Brunel. 

Research Interests

Julian's research interests mirror his teaching interests, namely media policy and regulation. He has written very widely about censorship in its various forms and in different media as a form of regulation, but he has always been at pains to point out that censorship is not simply a matter of laws and rules which limit certain forms of expression, but also include political and economic factors as well, not least market forces and proprietorial power and influence. Furthermore, he has consistently argued that certain forms of regulation, namely those which attempt to regulate into the media desirable qualities such as diversity and public accountability actually increase media freedom in the broad sense of the word. These are central themes of his published work and, both as an academic and a member of various civil society groups, he has been heavily involved in trying to shape government policy by making research-based submissions to the consultations preceding the 1990 Broadcasting Act and the 2003 Communications Act, as well as to the various enquiries into press self-regulation conducted by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee.

His work argues strongly against the ‘de-regulation’ of public service broadcasting, pointing out that this is actually a process of ‘re-regulation’ in which regulations designed to protect the public interest are replaced by ones designed to promote corporate interests. At the same time, his work argues that the present system of ‘self-regulation’ of the press serves only the interests of newspapers, their editors and owners, and needs to be replaced by a system which is genuinely independent of the press and operates above all in the public’s interest. As such, Julian's work engages constantly with matters of wide and immediate public concern. 

Teaching Activity

Julian's main interests are in the fields of media policy and regulation, and in particular in how these impact upon the practice of journalism across the various different media. These interests are particularly evident in the third year module, Media Freedom and Regulation, but because he interprets the notion of regulation in a broad sense (see below) they also strongly inform his modules on journalism at the postgraduate level (Journalism in Context, Issues in Journalism) and the undergraduate level (Theories of Journalism). His work with organisations such as Index on Censorship and the Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom ensures that his teaching is thoroughly informed by an active, day-to-day engagement with current media matters.

Publications

Journal Papers

(2011) Hughes, J., Rohloff, A., David, M. and Petley, J., Foreword: Moral panics in the contemporary world, Crime, Media, Culture 7 (3) : 211- 214

(2011) David, M., Rohloff, A., Petley, J. and Hughes, J., The idea of moral panic – ten dimensions of dispute, Crime, Media, Culture 7 (3) : 215- 228

(2009) Julius, A. and Petley, J., Crimes of transgression, Index on censorship 38 (1) : 50- 58

(2009) Petley, J., Pornography, panopticism and the criminal justice and immigration Act 2008, Sociology Compass 3 (3) : 417- 432

(2009) Petley, J., Pulling newspapers apart: analysing print journalism, Journalism Studies 10 (1) : 132- 133

(2009) Petley, J., Trash or treasure? Censorship and the changing meaning of the video nasties, J Brit cine television 6 (2) : 326- 331

(2009) Petley, J., Web control, Index on censorship 38 (1) : 78- 90

(2009) Petley, J., What rights? Whose responsibilities?, Soundings 77- 88

(2009) Petley, J. and Schudson, M., Why democracies need an unlovable press, Journalism Studies 10 (6) : 870- 871

(2008) Wayne, M., Henderson, L., Murray, C. and Petley, J., Television news and the symbolic criminalisation of young people, Journalism Studies 9 (1) : 75- 90

(2007) Petley, J., Censoring the word, Index on censorship 36 (3) : 180- 206

(2007) Petley, J., New labour, old morality, Index on Censorship 36 (2) : 132- 140 Download publication

(2006) Petley, J., Appearance and reality, Index on censorship 35 (1) : 15- 20

(2006) Petley, J., Nonsense on stilts, Index on Censorship 35 (3) : 14- 20 Download publication

(2006) Petley, J., The retreat of reason, Index on Censorship 35 (4) : 8- 14 Download publication

(2004) Petley, J., Fourth-rate estate: Was journalism ever the democratic watchdog and champion of freedom its advocates claim?, Index on Censorship 33 (2) : 68- 75 Download publication

(2004) Petley, J., Is there a British film industry?, Journal of British Cinema and Television 1 (1) : 129- 136 Download publication

(2004) Petley, J., Popular cinema of the Third Reich, Screen 45 (1) : 83- 89

(2003) Petley, J., Consumers or citizens? Re-regulating communications, Radical philosophy (120) : 7- 10

(2003) Petley, J., Foxy business, Index on Censorship 32 (2) : 17- 22 Download publication

(2002) Petley, J., From Brit-flicks to shit-flicks: The cost of public subsidy, The Journal of Popular British Cinema 5 (1) : 37- 52

(2002) Petley, J., The re-regulation of broadcasting: Or the mill owners’ triumph, Journal of Media Practice 3 (3) : 131- 140 Download publication

(2001) Petley, J., Message received, Sociology 35 (1) : 245- 246

(2000) Petley, J., Laughs and sneezes: Comedy and anti-fascism, Index on censorship 29 (6) : 156- 162

(2000) Petley, J., Video victories (against Britain's censorship of 'porn" videos), Index on censorship 29 (4) : 22- 24

(2000) Petley, J., Sex and censure (British television regulation), Index on censorship 29 (1) : 192- 194

(1999) Petley, J., Dishing the dirt - Satellite television in Kurdish language: Med-TV, Index on censorship 28 (4) : 27- 30

(1999) Petley, J., SLAPPS and chills - This year's round-up of television troubles concentrates specifically on the bullying of broadcasters and asks: are they being SLAPPed around?, Index on censorship 28 (1) : 190- 193

(1998) Petley, J., Smashed hits - The methods of music censorship, Index on Censorship 27 (6) : 10- 19 Download publication

(1998) Petley, J., An unsavoury business (The burger giant McDonald and the film "Jungleburger"), Index on censorship 27 (5) : 64- 67 Download publication

(1998) Petley, J., A case of mistaken identity, Index on Censorship 30 (3) : 20- 30 Download publication

(1998) Petley, J., Another year over (British television, 1997), Index on censorship 27 (1) : 72- 75

(1997) Petley, J., 'Crash' course 2 + response to Alexander Walkers case against the article, 'Road Rage', Sight & Sound 7 (9) : 64- 64

(1997) Petley, J., Doing harm + The British Board of Film Classification, Index on censorship 26 (2) : 31- 34

(1997) Petley, J., Entertaining the Third-Reich: Illusions of wholeness in Nazi cinema - SchulteSasse,L, Screen 38 (3) : 287- 295

(1997) Petley, J., The ministry of illusion: Nazi cinema and its afterlife - Rentschler,E, Screen 38 (3) : 287- 295

(1997) Petley, J., The year of the bully + Truth has become an endangered species in the reporting of British corporate and political life on television in the UK, Index on censorship 26 (1) : 25- 29

(1996) Petley, J., It may be hi-tech, it aint sense + the V-chip and television viewing, Index on censorship 25 (3) : 184- 188

(1996) Petley, J., Fact plus fiction equals friction, Media Cult Soc 18 (1) : 11- 25

(1996) Petley, J., Savoy scrapbook + the legal battles against britton, david novel'lord horror' and the publisher savoy-books under britain's obscene-publications-act, Index on censorship 25 (1) : 162- 166

(1995) Petley, J., 'Clockwork' crimes + kubrick, film violence - chronicles of a cause-celebre, Index on censorship 24 (6) : 48- 52

(1994) Petley, J., Censored - What they didn't allow you to see and why - the story of film censorship in britain - Matthews, TD, New Statesman Society 7 (309) : 36- 37

(1993) Petley, J., Why cathy will never come home again, New Statesman Society 6 (246) : 23- 25

Book Chapters

(2011) Petley, J., Doublethink: 'Deregulation', censure and 'adult sex' on television. In: Bramham, P. and Wagg, S. eds. The New Politics of Leisure and Pleasure. Basingstoke : Palgrave

(2011) PETLEY, J., Rules, Recycling, Filters and Conspiracies: Nick Davies and the Propaganda Model. In: Journalists, Sources and Credibility: New Perspectives. London : Routledge 75- 89

(2010) PETLEY, J., Censorship and Freedom of Speech. In: Albertazzi, D. ed. The Media: an Introduction. Longman -

(2010) PETLEY, J., Time to Re-think Press Freedom?. In: Freedom of the Press: On Censorship, Self-censorship and Press Ethics. Baden-Baden : Nomos

(2009) PETLEY, J., Nazi Horrors: History, Myth, Sexploitation. In: Conrich, I. ed. Horror Zone. I B Tauris & Co Ltd -

(2009) PETLEY, J., Don't Let's Be Beastly to the Germans. In: Slater, J. ed. Under Fire: A Century of War Movies. Ian Allan Publishing -

(2009) PETLEY, J., Impartiality in Television News: Profitability Versus Public Service. In: Allan, S. ed. The Routledge Companion to News and Journalism Studies. Routledge -

(2009) PETLEY, J., What Fourth Estate?. In: Bailey, M. ed. Narrating Media History. Abingdon : Routledge

Books

(Forthcoming) Critcher, C., Hughes, J., Petley, J. and Rohloff, A., Moral panics in the contemporary world. Bloomsbury Academic

(2011) Petley, J., Film and video censorship in contemporary Britain. Edinburgh University Press

(2011) Petley, J., Pointing the finger: Islam and Muslims in the British media. Oneworld Publications

(2010) Wayne, M., Petley, J., Murray, C. and Henderson, L., Television news, politics and young people: Generation disconnected?. Palgrave Macmillan

(2009) PETLEY, J., Censorship: a Beginner's Guide. One World

(2008) French, P. and Petley, J., Censoring the Moving Image. Seagull Books

(2007) Petley, J., Censoring the word. Oxford: Seagull Books

(2005) Petley, J., Curran, J. and Gaber, I., Culture wars: the media and the British left. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press

(2001) Petley, J. and Barker, M., Ill effects: the media/violence debate. London: Routledge