Dr Michael Sunderland
- 01202 965394
- msunderland at bournemouth dot ac dot uk
- Associate Dean Global and Strategic Partnerships
- WH
Biography
I am the Associate Dean for Global and Strategic Partnerships in the Faculty of Media, Science and Technology. My primary focus is on developing and implementing global and regional partnership strategies to enhance student experience, recruitment and mobility. I also work to integrate global perspectives into our teaching, research, and professional practice.
My research interests focus on humanitarian communications, community engagement, and media advocacy. My PhD thesis examined the political and financial accountabilities affecting how aid agencies communicate about crises in the media.
Following an MA in International Journalism, I started my career as a foreign news producer at Sky News and later became a freelance video journalist covering East and Central Africa. I spent much of my earlier career in Africa, both as a journalist and during two stints managing media relations for Save the Children.
I maintain close links to the non-profit sector and currently serve on the boards of two campaigning organisations... I also co-founded the Youth Disability Advocacy and Research (YDAR) network.
moreJournal Articles
- Bissell, A., Fowler-Watt, K., Phillips, M., Brine, D., Sunderland, M., Majin, G. and Murphy, J., 2020. Reflections on the shifting shape of journalism education in the Covid-19 pandemic. Digital Culture and Education.
Chapters
- Cownie, F. and Sunderland, M., 2023. Integrating journalism education and the sustainability agenda. Challenges and New Directions in Journalism Education: Reflections. Routledge.
Conferences
- Sunderland, M., 2023. Aid & the news agenda: examining the forces shaping NGO-produced humanitarian news. In: IAMCR 2023 9-13 July 2023 Lyon.
- Sunderland, M., 2022. Exploring the key forces controlling media coverage of humanitarian crises in East, West and Central Africa. In: 2022 ECREA Conference 19-22 October 2022 Aarhus, Denmark.
Reports
- Sreedharan, C., Thorsen, E., Miles, L., Matthews, J., Sunderland, M. and Baker-Beall, C., 2021. Impact of Covid-19 on journalism in Sierra Leone. Freetown: Sierra Leone Association of Journalists. Available from: https://slaj.sl/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Sierra-Leone-National-Survey-Report-English-with-APPENDIX.pdf.
Theses
- Sunderland, M., 2024. Aid and the news agenda: Exploring the forces shaping NGO-produced humanitarian media. PhD Thesis. Bournemouth University, Faculty of Media and Communication.
Films
- Deterrence: a documentary about European security in the 21st century, 2020. Film. Available from: https://www.deterrencethemovie.com/.
PhD Students
- Bukola Adewumi. Media Responses to Crisis: An In-depth Investigation into the Application of Development Journalism in the Context of Food Security Reporting in Nigeria, (In progress)
Profile of Teaching PG
- Digital Journalism
- Multimedia Reporting Skills
- Documentary Journalism
- Journalism in Global Contexts
- Journalism Project
Profile of Teaching UG
- Video Journalism
- Broadcast Journalism
- Major Multimedia Projects
- Converged Journalism
- Dissertations
- Broadcast Journalism 2
- Reputation Management and Crisis Communication
Grants
- Developing Capacity for Youth Disability Advocacy through Networking in East Africa (Arts and Humanities Research Council, 01 Feb 2023). Completed
- AFTERCAB (Global Challenges Research Fund, 01 Jan 2020). Completed
External Responsibilities
- University of Brighton, External Examiner (2025-)
- Love the Oceans, Global Advisory Board Member (2024-)
- University of Central Lancashire, External Advisor, Curriculum Approval (2024)
- Nottingham Trent University, External Examiner (2022-)
- Avaaz Campaigns UK, Director (2021-)
Journal Reviewing/Refereeing
- Journalism Studies, Anonymous peer review, 01 Oct 2024
Memberships
- European Communication Research and Education Association, Member,
- Higher Education Academy, Fellow,
- International Association for Media and Communication Research, Member,
- Media, Communication and Cultural Studies Association, Member,
Networks
- Youth Disability Advocacy and Research
Social Media Links
- Twitter, @mikejsunderland