Senior Lecturer in Journalism

Dr Ato Erzan-Essien is a Senior Lecturer in Journalism and Course Leader for International Journalism at the University of Lancashire. He is also a member of the Media Innovation Studio research group, where his current work explores how journalistic professionalism is understood and taught within UK higher education. His forthcoming book, Journalistic Professionalism in Higher Education, builds on his PhD research in this area.

Ato’s broader interests include journalism education, media law and approaches to public interest storytelling. He is the host and producer of Newsdesk Law, a podcast that explains legal concepts for journalists and content creators. He aims to develop this work into a research project that examines the accessibility and effectiveness of media law and ethics education.

He is currently in the early stages of co-developing a project that documents the experiences of bereaved parents in their interactions with the media. He is also collaborating on an international partnership with Uzhhorod National University in Ukraine, exploring democratic engagement through the lived experiences of veterans in the UK and Ukraine.

Ato is committed to research that is both reflective and practice-informed, with a strong focus on the role of media in public life.

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