St Mary's Lecturer to co-host the UK's first conference on Ethics in Sports Journalism

Programme Director and MA Sports Journalism course leader at St Mary’s University, Twickenham, Dr Daragh Minogue is collaborating with Tom Bradshaw, Senior Lecturer in Sports Journalism at the University of Gloucestershire and the Institute of Communication Ethics, to stage the UK's first conference dedicated to ethics in sports journalism.

Daragh Minogue commented, “Conferences on similar topics have been organised in the USA in recent years, but not here in Britain - yet academic research in sports communications is flourishing right now.”

"Tom and I are keen to showcase this work, especially in the area of ethics. We also want to dispel some myths about the profession and highlight that sports journalists take ethics just as seriously as news reporters.”

The conference, Sports Journalism: Ethical Vacuum or Ethical Minefield?, will take place at London's Frontline Club in central London on Friday 27th October and will be attended by approximately 50 academics and sports journalists. You can follow the conference on social media using the hashtag #ICE2017.

Sky Sports News Editor, Andy Cairns will give the keynote address on the major ethical challenges sports broadcasters face in an uncertain digital climate. Delegates can also look forward to research papers on the ethics of Silicon Valley, clickbait culture, self-censorship, changes to industry codes of practice and the emergent problems in sports PR.

St Mary’s MA Sports Journalism is a one-year practical sports journalism course that is professionally accredited by the National Council for the Training of Journalists.

The course offers one of the best routes into the industry, aiming to train students to become journalists for the digital age covering everything from the traditional match report to the latest skills in multimedia journalism.

As part of a suite of new undergraduate communications programmes, next September will see the launch of BA in Sports Communications and Marketing. Designed in collaboration with industry experts, it reflects the growing demand for creative and digitally literate graduates with strong marketing communication skills keen to work in the sports industries.

Through the Sports Communications and Marketing programme, St Mary’s will work closely with some of the leading sports communication and marketing companies in London.