Chindu Sreedharan

Professor Chindu Sreedharan

  • Professor of Journalism and Innovation
  • Weymouth House W336, Talbot Campus, Fern Barrow, Poole, BH12 5BB
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Biography

Chindu Sreedharan is Professor of Journalism at Bournemouth University. His research focuses on ‘abnormal journalisms’—reportage that extends the boundaries of conventional newswork, from crisis and post-disaster situations, news on social media, as well as new forms of nonfictional narratives.

Before moving into academics, Chindu worked as a journalist, combining reportorial and newsdesk experiences in New Delhi, Mumbai, and New York. Till 2003, he was Associate Editor for Rediff.com and India Abroad (a New York-based weekly newspaper), reporting and editing multi-chapter long narratives and political interviews.

Chindu specialised in crisis news, heading the coverage of, among others, the Kashmir conflict, the India-Pakistan Kargil war, and the Maoist insurgency in central India. He holds a PhD in journalism. His doctoral thesis was a longitudinal analysis of the news media coverage of the Kashmir conflict, and was among the first empirical investigation into this topic.

From 2015 to 2018, Chindu worked with the pro-vice-chancellor (global engagement) to contribute to BU’s international strategy...

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Research

Chindu currently leads or co-leads three research and capacity building projects that look into the role of news media in situations of deviance: Tie u Orja, Media Action Against Rape, and Aftershock Nepal.

Tie u Orja, which in Krio symbolises fortifying oneself to face a difficult time, looks to strengthen disaster-preparedness among crisis communicators in Sierra Leone. Founded on a large-scale national survey and structured interviews with journalists and disaster communicators, the study interlaces three strands of activities to support journalists, public communicators, and media educators in their communicative responses to disasters.

MAAR is a Global Challenges Research Fund initiative in partnership with UNESCO New Delhi to explore news media solutions to combat sexual violence in India. The project is currently in its final phase, having completed a multilingual, comparative content analysis on the news reporting of rape in India across six Indian languages; and recording interviews with 257 journalists working across 13 Indian languages. It has also launched NewsTracker, a single-issue web site with the tagline 'journalism on the journalism of rape'; NewsTracker Data, a searchable online database of sexual violence reportage in the Indian media; and Note This, a newsletter aimed at journalists, researchers and other stakeholders...

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Favourites

Journal Articles

Books

Chapters

  • Thorsen, E. and Sreedharan, C., 2023. Journalism, sexual violence and social responsibility. The Routledge Companion to Gender, Media and Violence. 174-184.
  • Sreedharan, C. and Thorsen, E., 2022. The Disquieting Demise of a "Watershed" Movement in India. In: Baker, A. and Rodrigues, U., eds. Reporting on Sexual Violence in the #MeToo Era. Routledge.
  • Sreedharan, C., 2021. India: A spectacle of mismanagement. Political Communication and COVID-19: Governance and Rhetoric in Times of Crisis. 123-131.
  • Sreedharan, C. and Thorsen, E., 2020. Reporting from the 'inner circle': Afno Manche and commitment to community in post-earthquake Nepal. Media, Journalism and Disaster Communities. 35-52.
  • Sreedharan, C. and Thorsen, E., 2018. Voices from Nepal: Lessons in Post-Disaster Journalism. Voices from Nepal: Lessons in Post-Disaster Journalism. CsJCC, 15-49.
  • Allan, S. and Sreedharan, C., 2016. Visualising war: Photojournalism under fire. Routlege Handbook of Media, Conflict and Security. 93-105.
  • Sreedharan, C. and Thorsen, E., 2015. Marginalised voices and the Modification of the Indian media. India Election 2014: First Reflections. Bournemouth: Centre for the Study of Journalism, Culture and Community, Bournemouth University, 7-13.
  • Thorsen, E., Sreedharan, C. and Allan, S., 2013. WikiLeaks and Whistleblowing: The Framing of Bradley Manning. In: Brevini, B., Hintz, A. and McCurdy, P., eds. eyond WikiLeaks: Implications for the Future of Communications, Journalism and Society. Palgrave Macmillan.
  • Sreedharan, C., 2013. War and Peace Journalism. In: Fowler-Watt, K. and Allan, S., eds. Journalism: New Challengeså. Centre for Journalism & Communication Research.
  • Sreedharan, C., Thorsen, E. and Allan, S., 2012. WikiLeaks and the changing forms of information politics in the ‘network society’. In: Downey, E. and Jones, M.A., eds. Public Service, and Web 2.0 Technologies: Future Trends in Social Media. IGI Global.

Conferences

  • Thorsen, E. and Sreedharan, C., 2023. ‘Bad’ journalism from good people: sexual violence, social responsibility, and change-making in Indian newsrooms. In: IAMCR 26 June-13 July 2023 Lyons.
  • Sreedharan, C. and Thorsen, E., 2022. Resilient journalism: mapping the dynamics of disaster reporting. In: Rethink Impact: 9th European Communication Conference, Risks, Threats, and Reporting Dangerously 19-22 October 2022 Aarhus, Denmark.
  • Thorsen, E. and Sreedharan, C., 2022. 'How do you talk to a rape survivor, in a society like ours?': challenges for the news media in India. In: Rethink Impact: 9th European Communication Conference, Gender and news representation 19-22 October 2022 Aarhus, Denmark.
  • Sreedharan, C., Priya, K., Thorsen, E. and Rani, P., 2022. Pandemic lessons from Kerala, the Indian state that 'slayed' coronavirus. In: Rethink Impact: 9th European Communication Conference, Complexities in Navigating Strategic Mass Communication in the Covid-19 Context 19-22 October 2022 Aarhus, Denmark.
  • Thorsen, E. and Sreedharan, C., 2022. Towards a model for understanding journalism resilience during disasters: lessons from Nepal and Sierra Leone. In: International Association for Media and Communication Research 11-15 July 2022 Online.
  • Thorsen, E. and Sreedharan, C., 2021. Preparing for the worst: a model for understanding journalism resilience during disasters. In: Future of Journalism 22 September 2021-24 October 2022 Cardiff.
  • Sreedharan, C., Thorsen, E. and Gouthi, A., 2019. The Journalism of Rape: an inquiry into how sexual violence is reported in the Indian media. In: Revisiting, Reviewing, and Restructuring Spaces for Urban Women, Gender Conference 1-3 March 2019 Pune, India.
  • Thorsen, E. and Sreedharan, C., 2019. Rape and Sexual Violence in the News: Comparing Ten Newspapers Across Six Languages in India. In: MeCCSA 2019 Conference 9-11 January 2019 Stirling.
  • Bolat, E., O'Sullivan, H. and Sreedharan, C., 2016. Radicalising the Marketing of Higher Education: Learning from students - generated social media data. In: Academy of Marketing 4-7 July 2016 Newcastle, UK.
  • Bolat, E., O'Sullivan, H. and Sreedharan, C., 2016. Listening to students' conversations and stories - how, what and where? In: Contemporary Thought in HE Marketing Colloquium. 27 April 2016 Bournemouth, UK.
  • Sreedharan, C. and Price, L., 2015. The HONY Model: Extending The Journalism Classroom Using Social Media. In: 2016 Social Media for Learning in Higher Education Conference 16 December 2015 Sheffield.
  • Sreedharan, C., 2015. Nepal earthquake: social media for crisis reporting. In: Crisis Journalsim workshop delivered at the Symbiosis School of Liberal Arts 1 September 2015 Pune.
  • Sreedharan, C., 2015. Aftershock Nepal: Reporting A Crisis. In: Crisis journalism workshop delivered at Kathmandu University 6 August 2015 Kathmandu.
  • Sreedharan, C., 2015. Twitter for Other Purposes: the rise of Twitterfiction and the story of Epic Retold. In: Media and Society Seminar Series 25 March 2015 University of Madras, Chennai.
  • Sreedharan, C., 2015. After Snowfall: Immersive Journalism After 2012. In: Solvent Research Visitors Series 18 March 2015 Southampton.
  • Sreedharan, C., 2014. Social Media for journalists. In: Nepal Press Institute 28-29 April 2014 Kathmandu.
  • Sreedharan, C., 2014. Peace Journalism: an alternate way to report wars. In: Media and Society Seminar Series 28 March-28 October 2014 University of Madras, Chennai, India.
  • Thorsen, E., Sreedharan, C. and Allan, S., 2013. WikiLeaks and Whistleblowing: The Framing of Bradley Manning. In: International Communication Association Annual Conference 17-21 June 2013 London.
  • Thorsen, E., Sreedharan, C. and Allan, S., 2011. The media politics of WikiLeaks: public service or enemy of state? In: The Media Studies Conference 6-8 July 2011 BFI, London.
  • Thorsen, E., Sreedharan, C. and Allan, S., 2011. WikiLeaks: public service or enemy of state? In: Annual MeCCSA Conference 2011 12-14 January 2011 University of Salford, England..
  • Thorsen, E., Sreedharan, C., Allan, S. and Andén-Papadopoulos, K., 2011. Truth and transparency: the media politics of Wikileaks. In: International Association for Media and Communications Research World Congress 13-17 July 2011 Istanbul, Turkey.
  • Thorsen, E., Sreedharan, C. and Allan, S., 2011. Journalism, transparency and accountability: WikiLeaks and the war in Iraq. In: The Future of Journalism Conference 8-9 September 2011 Cardiff University.
  • Watson, T. and Sreedharan, C., 2010. The Senior Communicator of the Future – Competencies and Training Needs. In: 13th International Public Relations Research Conference: "Ethical Issues for Public Relations Practice in a Multicultural World" 10-14 March 2010 University of Miami, FL, USA. Gainesville, FL, USA: Institute for Public Relations.

Reports

Internet Publications

Theses

Artefacts

PhD Students

  • Khuldiya Al-Khalifa, 2012. Politics, terrorism and the news media: a case study of Saudi Arabia (Completed)
  • Arpapat Indradat, 2015. Peace Journalism and Thailand’s southern insurgency: The case study of The Bangkok Post and The Nation (Completed)
  • Tara Douglas, 2016. Tales of the Tribe: Animation as a tool to preserve indigenous culture in North-East India (Completed)
  • Confidence Uwazuruike, 2017. Domestic Terrorism in Nigeria: News Reporting of Boko Haram (Completed)
  • Emad Moussa. Victimhood: an obstacle to settlement in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict (Completed)
  • Saba Sodhi. When women lead: an inquiry into the leadership characteristics of female journalists in Indian newsrooms (In progress)
  • Shepuya Fangwang. Audience perception and role of media in the Fulani herdsmen conflict in Nigeria (In progress)
  • Walaa Naji Salem Bajnaid. Saudi women and social media: a model for understanding communicative dynamics of online counterpublics (Completed)

Profile of Teaching PG

  • Investigative Journalism (MA Multimedia Journalism)
  • Environment, Conflict & Crisis News (MA Multimedia Journalism)
  • Digital Magazines (MA Multimedia Journalism)
  • Dissertation (MA Media & Communication)
  • Exhibition (MA Media & Communication)
  • Research Methods (MA Media & Communication)
  • News Theory (BA Multimedia Journalism)
  • Journalism in Global Contexts (MA Multimedia Journalism)
  • New Media Innovation (MA Multimedia Journalism)

Profile of Teaching UG

  • News Journalism (BA Communication & Media / BA English)
  • News Theory (BA Multimedia Journalism)

Grants

  • Rapid Intervention to Enhance News Media Response to COVID-19 and Develop Capacity for Future Disaster Resilience (RIENMR-C19) (Higher Education Funding Council for England, 10 Sep 2020). Completed
  • AFRICAB / Tie U Orja (Global Challenges Research Fund, 01 Nov 2019). In Progress
  • Media Action Against Rape and Sexual Violence In India (MAAR) (Higher Education Funding Council for England, 01 May 2018). In Progress
  • Aftershock Nepal: journalism after the earthquake (Bournemouth University, 01 Mar 2016). Completed
  • Connect India (Fusion Investment Fund: Global Engagement, 26 Feb 2015). Completed
  • This is where I study: Social Journalism on Facebook (Bournemouth University, Fusion Investment Fund, FIF strand: Co-creation and co-production, 01 Feb 2015). Completed
  • Project India (Bournemouth University, 01 Feb 2014). Completed

External Responsibilities

  • University of Bedfordshire, External Examiner (MA Journalism, 2012-16)
  • University of Madras, External Examiner (PhD, 2017)
  • University of Nottingham Trent, External Examiner (PhD, 2017)
  • University of Canterbury, External Examiner (Research Degrees, 2017-19)
  • University of Karachi, External Examiner (PhD, 2018)
  • University of Salford, External Examiner (PhD, 2019)
  • University of Huddersfield, External Examiner (BA Journalism, 2019-23)
  • Teeside University, External Examiner (MA Digital Media, 2019-23)
  • Newcastle University, External Examiner (BA Hons Journalism, 2020-23)

Qualifications

  • PGCE in Research Supervision (Bournemouth University, 2011)
  • PhD in Journalism (Bournemouth University, 2009)
  • PG Dip in Journalism and Mass Communication (Madras Christian College, 1993)
  • BA in Economics (Kerala University, 1992)

Honours

  • Best Paper in Track "HE Marketing" Award. (Academy of Marketing, 2016)
  • Vice Chancellor's Staff Award for Global Engagement (2016)
  • Vice Chancellor's Unsung Hero Staff Award for Innovation and Extra-Curricular Projects (2014)
  • Development Journalism Fellowship for reportage on children affected by Kashmir conflict (National Foundation for India, 2000)

Memberships

  • Programme Leaders' Network, Bournemouth University, Member (2015-2017),
  • International Association for Media and Communication Research, Member (2012-),
  • Faculty Research Degree Committee, Faculty of Media and Communication, Member (2010-),
  • Association of Journalism Education, Member,
  • Media and the Inner World, Member,
  • South Asian Journalists Association, Member,
  • War and Media Network, Member,

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