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Dr Anita Howarth
Senior Lecturer in Journalism

Marie Jahoda 223/223a

Summary

Anita Howarth's research interests lie at the intersection of media/journalism and social justice issues, with a particular focus on how interactions of different political actors legitimize or challenge, resist or disrupt dominant perspectives. The nature of the research focus has led Anita to interdisciplinary research that draws on media/journalism studies, political thought and policy studies as well as sociology. 

She is currently writing a monograph entitled Britain's Manufactured Migrant Crisis: A Visual Politics, that is due to be published by Taylor & Francis in late 2025 and as part of the primary analysis Anita has developed a new methodology to deal with uncertainties over what images are manipulated, reappropriated and recycled and which are not. The methodology underpins the research on a range of themes including:

  • The performative politics of cruelty under the Conservative Government
  • Challenging dominant narratives through cartoons and animation
  • The visual strategies of the radical right.

Other research themes include

  • Political, media and public struggles over food whether it be GMOs, contamination and hunger/food banks.
  • British policy and media responses to contemporary refugee crises home and overseas (including at Calais)
  • Fake news, reappropriated images and hoax websites.

Prior to entering academia, Anita worked as a journalist on the business press, online news sites and financial desk of a national newspaper

Qualifications

2003 - 2012         PhD: ‘Discursive intersections of media and public policy: a case study of GM Food in the UK, 1996-2000’, London School of Economics & Political Science

1999-2001            MSc in Politics and Public Policy at Birkbeck College, University of London

1982-1986            BA Hons in History and English at the University of Natal, South Africa

Responsibility

2024 - : PGR Co-Director

2017 - 2023: PG programme co-ordinator

2017 - 2023: Ethics Co-ordinator for the Department of Social and Political Sciences

2016: Subject Lead in Journalism

2016: UG Program Lead

2015: PG Research Director

Newest selected publications

Howarth, A. (2022) 'A British national scandal: hunger, foodbanks, and the deployment of a Dickensian trope'. Journal of Contemporary European Studies, 30 (1). pp. 1 - 15. ISSN: 1478-2804 Open Access Link

Journal article

Ibrahim, Y. and Howarth, A. (2020) 'The Munchetty Controversy: Empire, Race and the BBC'. Gender, Work and Organization, 28 (1). pp. 231 - 247. ISSN: 0968-6673

Journal article

Howarth, A. (2020) 'Digital Activism: Challenging Food Poverty in the UK', in Ibrahim, Y. (ed.) Developments in Internet Activism and Political Participation. Hershey : IGI. ISBN 13: 978-1799847960.

Book chapter

Ibrahim, Y. and Howarth, A. (2020) 'Lecture Capture Policies: A Survey of British Universities'. Postdigital Science and Education, 3 (1). pp. 144 - 161. ISSN: 2524-485X Open Access Link

Journal article

Howarth, A. (2020) 'Fake Photos in the European Refugee Crisis', in Ibrahim, Y. (ed.) Handbook of Research on Recent Developments in Internet Activism and Political Participation. Hershey, PA, USA : IGI Global. pp. 122 - 137. ISBN 10: 1-7998-4797-7. ISBN 13: 978-1-7998-4796-0.

Book chapter
More publications(64)
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