Goldsmiths - University of London

Professor Ivor Gaber

Ivor Gaber’s main area of interest lies in the relationship between the media and the political process.

He is an international expert in this area lecturing widely and appearing as an expert witness before parliamentary select committees.

He has published books and articles about the UK political communication process and is a frequent broadcaster on the topic. His other research interests include developments in television news, the relationship between the media and NGO's (particularly in the areas of environment and development) and the history and future of public service broadcasting in the UK.

Current Research
Ivor Gaber has just completed a major research project funded by the Greater London Authority which looked at the media coverage of the introduction of the London congestion charging. He is undertaking a research project with the Institute for Public Policy Research looking at how TV news is expected to change over the next five years and is working on a history of the Economic and Social Research Council.

Selected publications

Books

with J. Curran and J. Petley: Culture Wars: The Media and the British Left (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press 2005)

Driven To Distraction: The Media and the Introduction of Congestion Charging (Journalism Research Unit, Goldsmiths , 2004)

with S. Barnett, The Westminster Tales: the 21st Century Crisis in Political Journalism ( London : Continuum, 2001)

with G. Chapman et al, Environmentalism and the Mass Media: the North-South Divide (London: Routledge, 1997)

with J. Aldridge, In the Best Interests of the Child: Culture, Identity and Transracial Adoption (London: Free Association Books, 1994)

Chapters

‘NGOs and the International Media’ in by Wilma de Jong (ed.) Global Activism, Global Media (London: Pluto Press, 2004)

‘A History of the Concept of Public Service Broadcasting’ in Culture or Anarchy: the Future of Public Service Broadcasting ( London: Social Market Foundation 2002)

'Covering Parliament' in A. Briggs and P. Copley (eds.), Media Studies Handbook (Second Edition) (London: Longman, 2001)

‘The Greening of the Public, Politics and the Press, 1985-1999’ in J. Smith (ed.), The Daily Globe: Environmental Change, the Public and the Media (London: Earthscan 2000)

‘Television and Politics’ in C. Geraghty and D. Lusted (eds.) New Approaches to Television Studies (London: Arnold 1998)

Journal Articles

‘Do the ‘Phillis’ recommendations represent a new chapter in political communications or is it ‘business as usual’ Journal of Public Affairs, 3, Nov.2004

‘Alastair Campbell, exit stage left’ Soundings, 25, Winter 2003’

‘The Control Freaks: How New Labour Gets its Own Way’, Party Politics, 2: 1, 2002

‘Lies, damned lies and government spin’ British Journalism Review, 11: 1, 2000

‘Practising What We Preach: the relationship between media theory and practice in higher education’, Journal of Media Practice, 1: 1, 2000

‘Government by Spin: an analysis of the process’, Media, Culture and Society, 22: 4, 2000

Other publications

‘Making an Impact: the local promotion of electoral issues’ (The Electoral Commission, 2002)

‘The Role of the Media in the Ukrainian National Elections 2002’ (Dusseldorf : European Institute for the Media, 2002)

‘Conflict and compromise: the problematics of reporting the Northern Ireland Troubles’ in ‘Media and Politics’ proceedings of the 50th Anniversary Symposium of the Japan Society for Studies in Journalism & Mass Communications’, 2001

Professional activities

Expert witness on government / media relations for the House of Commons Public Administration Select Committee 2003

Expert witness on modernising Parliament for the House of Commons Modernisation Select Committee 2003

European Union Media Monitor for the 2002 Ukrainian Parliamentary Elections

OSCE Election Supervisor in Kosovo for the 2002 General Election

Chair, Communications Committee UK Unesco National Commission 2000 - Present

Member of the UK Delegation to the UNESCO General Conference Paris 2001 and 2003

Member, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Freedom of Expression Panel 2002 - Present