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Simon Cottle BA Hons (Sussex), M.Soc.Sc (Birmingham),PGCE (Cardiff), PhD (Leicester)

Professor Simon Cottle

(he/him)

BA Hons (Sussex), M.Soc.Sc (Birmingham),PGCE (Cardiff), PhD (Leicester)

Professor Emeritus Media and Communication

School of Journalism, Media and Culture

Email
CottleS@cardiff.ac.uk
Campuses
Two Central Square, Central Square, Cardiff, CF10 1FS

Overview

Summary

Simon Cottle is Professor Emeritus, Media and Communication, in the School of Journalism, Media and Culture (JOMEC) at Cardiff University where he was Head of School (2013-2015) and Deputy Head of School (2008-2013). Before this he was Inaugural Chair and Head of the Media and Communications Program at the University of Melbourne and he has held honorary professorships at various universities internationally.

He is the author of 14 books and c150 articles, chapters and reports on media, conflicts and global crises and 1 further book under preparation. Recent books include: Communicating a World-in-Crisis (Ed. in press), Reporting Dangerously: Journalist Killings, Intimidation and Security (with R.Sambrook and N.Mosdell)(2016), Humanitarianism, Communication and Change (Ed. with G.Cooper)(2015), Disasters and the Media (with M. Pantti and K.Wahl-Jorgensen)(2012), Transnational Protests and the Media (Ed. with L.Lester)(2011), Global Crisis Reporting (2009), Mediatized Conflicts (2006) and The Racist Killing of Stephen Lawrence: Media Performance and Public Transformation (2004).  

Current Research

Simon is now writing and lecturing on ecological and civilizational collapse and how journalism can and must perform better in communicating pathways to transition and processes of societal transformation. He is currently writing Reporting Civilizational Collapse: A Wake-Up Call (Routledge 2024) and contemplating a further volume, The Owl of Minerva takes Flight at Dusk: Communicating Deep Ecology in an Age of Transformation. Simon offers guest lectures to universities around the world on these subjects.

Global Crises and the Media Series

Simon is also Series Editor of the Global Crises and the Media series published by Peter Lang - a series of research monographs and edited volumes. The series aims to examine and theorize the complex roles and current performance of media and communications in some of the most profound challenges confronting the world today. Prospective authors are welcome to get in touch to discuss their ideas for a research monograph or edited volume (CottleS@cardiff.ac.uk). 

Series titles to-date include the following:

1)  Citizen Journalism: Global Perspectives. (2009) (Eds.) S. Allan & E. Thorsen.

2)  Terror Post 9/11 and the Media. (2009) D. Altheide.

3)  Climate Change and the Media. (2009) (Eds.) T. Boyce & J.Lewis..

4)  Transnational Protests and the Media. (2011) (Eds.) S. Cottle & L. Lester.

5)  Migrations and the Media (2011) (Eds.) K. Moore, B. Gross & T. Threadgold.

6)  Disasters and the Media. (2012) M. Pantti, K. Wahl-Jorgensen & S. Cottle.

7)  Environmental Conflict and the Media (2013) (Eds.) L. Lester & B. Hutchins.

8)  Global Journalism: Theory and Practice (2013) P. Berglez.

9)  Citizen Journalism: Global Perspectives, Volume II. (2014) (Eds.) E. Thorsen & S. Allan.

10) Pandemics and the Media (2015) M. Levina.

11) Patents, Pills and the Press: The Rise and Fall of the Global HIV/AIDS Medicines Crisis in the News. (2015) T. Owen.

12) Global News: Reporting Conflicts and Cosmopolitanism (2015) A. Robertson.

13) Worker Resistance and Media: Challenging Global Corporate Power in the 21st Century. (2015) L.Dencik & P. Wilkin.

14) The Dynamics of Mediatized Conflicts. (2015) (Eds.) M. Eskjær, S. Hjarvard & M. Mortensen.

15) Humanitarianism, Communications, and Change. (2015) (Eds.) S. Cottle &  G. Cooper.

16) Human Rights and the Media. (2016) S. Dias

17) Climate Change and the Media, Volume II. (2016) (Eds.) B.Brevini & J.Lewis.

18) Communication and Political Crisis: Media and Governance in a Globalized Public Sphere. (2016) B. McNair.

19) Media and the Ukraine Crisis: Hybrid Media Practices and Narratives of Conflict, (2016)(Ed.) M. Pantti.

20) Mourning News: Reporting of Violent Death in the Global News. (2017) T. Morse.

21) Media and Transnational Climate Justice. (2018) (Eds.) A.Roosvall and M.Tegelberg.

22) Debating Migration as a Public Issue. (2018) (Eds.) C.Beciu, M, Ciocea, I.Madroane, & A. Carlan.

23) The Mediation of Financial Crises. (2020) S. Knowles.

24) The Ethics of Sustainable Communication. (2023) U.Olausson.

25) Media and the War in Ukraine. (2023)(Eds.) M.Mortensen & M.Pantti.

26) Green Lawfare: The Strategic Use of Law in Mediatized Environmental Conflict. (2024) C.Konkes.

27) Communicating a World-in-Crisis. (Ed.) S.Cottle.(in press)

28) Citizen Journalism: Global Perspectives, Volume III. (Eds.) S.Allan & E. Thorsen. (forthcoming)

 

Publication

2023

2021

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

  • Cottle, S. 2012. Mediatized disasters in the Global Age: on the ritualization of catastrophe. In: Alexander, J. C., Jacobs, R. and Smith, P. eds. The Oxford Handbook of Cultural Sociology. Oxford Handbooks in Politics & International Relations Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 259-283.
  • Cottle, S. 2012. Series Editor's Preface. In: Moore, K., Gross, B. and Threadgold, T. R. eds. Migrations and the Media. Global Crises and the Media Vol. 6. Oxford: Peter Lang, pp. ix-x.
  • Pantti, M., Wahl-Jorgensen, K. and Cottle, S. 2012. Disasters and the media. Global Crises and the Media Vol. 7. New York: Peter Lang.

2011

2010

  • Cottle, S. 2010. Global cries and world news ecology. In: Allan, S. ed. The Routledge Companion to News and Journalism. New York, NY: Routledge, pp. 473-484.
  • Cottle, S. 2010. Foreward. In: Matthews, J. ed. Producing Serious News for Citizen Children: A Study of the BBC’s Children’s Program 'Newsround'. Lewiston: Edwin Mellen Press, pp. v-ix.
  • Cottle, S. 2010. Global crises and world news ecology. In: Allan, S. ed. The Routledge Companion to News and Journalism. Oxford: Routledge, pp. 473-484.
  • Cottle, S. 2010. Forward. In: Samuel-Azran, T. ed. Al Jazeera and US War Coverage. New York: Peter Lang, pp. ix-xi.
  • Rai, M. and Cottle, S. 2010. Global news revisited: mapping the contemporary landscape of satellite television news. In: Cushion, S. and Lewis, J. M. W. eds. The Rise of 24-Hour News Television: Global Perspectives. New York: Peter Lang, pp. 51-79.

2009

2008

2007

2006

2004

1998

Articles

Book sections

Books

Conferences

Research

Current Research

Simon's current research builds on his work on global crisis reporting. He now writes and lectures on ecological and civilizational collapse in a world-in-crisis, and how journalism can and must perform better in communicating pathways to transition and processes of societal transformation. He is currently writing Reporting Civilizational Collapse: A Wake-Up Call (Routledge - forthcoming), and has recently completed Communicating a World-in-Crisis (in press - Peter Lang 2024). Recent publications also include articles on the deepening and accelerating convergence of systemic global crises in today's unprecedented world-in-crisis, ecological dissimulation in war reporting, communicative and creative resilience, and journalism and emotions in a world-in-crisis, and before this on historically changing registers of represented atrocity. Simon offers guest lectures to universities around the world on these and other subjects.

Simon’s views on the unprecedented and catastrophic nature of global crises and their critical dependence on rapidly changing media and communications, are found in his book Global Crisis Reporting: Journalism in the Global Age (Open University Press 2009) and, in respect of today's world-in-crisis (or planetary emergency, global polycrisis, permacrisis, meta-crisis or civilisational collapse), in the following:

(2026) Reporting Civilizational Collapse: A Wake-Up Call.' (Routledge, forthcoming)

(2024) Communicating a World-in-Crisis. (Ed. Peter Lang, 2024, in press)

(2024) 'Reporting a World-in-Crisis: It's Going to be Emotional!' in M.Safiel and V.Salojarvi (Eds.) Handbook of Journalism and Emotion. London: Routledge (in press)

(2023) 'Reporting Civilisational Collapse: Research Notes from a World-in-Crisis.' Global Media and Communication, 19(2): 269-288. https://doi.org/10.1177/17427665231186934

(2024) 'Communicative Resilience in a World-in-Crisis. It Gets Personal! Part 1' Resilience. https://www.resilience.org/stories/2024-07-05/communicative-resilience-in-a-world-in-crisis-it-gets-personal-part-1/

(2024) 'Creative Resilience in a World-in-Crisis. It's more than Doomerism! Part 2.' Resilience. https://www.resilience.org/.../creative-resilience-in-a.../

(2023) 'Living in a World-in-Cisis: Thinking Beyond Catastrophism. Part 1.' Resilience. https://www.resilience.org/stories/2023-10-16/living-in-a-world-in-crisis-thinking-beyond-catastrophism-part-1/

(2023) 'Reporting a World-in-Crisis: The Axial Crisis of Perception and Beyond. Part 2.' Resilience. https://www.resilience.org/stories/2023-10-18/reporting-a-world-in-crisis-the-axial-crisis-of-perception-and-beyond-part-2/

(2023) 'Reporting the War in Ukraine: Ecological Dissimulation in a Dying World.' pp.195-213. In M.Mortensen and M.Pantti (Eds.) Media and War in Ukraine. New York: Peter Lang. 

(2022) 'On the Edge of the World: Peace and Conflict Reporting in a World-in-Crisis' pp.10-31. In K.Orgeret (Ed.) Insights on Peace and Conflict Reporting.' London: Routledge.

(2011) ‘Taking Global Crises in the News Seriously: Notes From the Dark Side of Globalization’, Global Media and Communication, 7(2): 77-95.

Other recent publications include:

(2023)  ‘Protests, Publics and Participation (still in an Environmental Age)’ With L. Lester in A. Hansen and R. Cox (Eds.) Routledge Handbook of Environment and Communication. London: Routledge 2nd revised edition. 

(2021) ‘Humanitarian Imagery: Historical Registers in the Representation of Atrocity’  pp. 351-372 in L.Chouliaraki and A.Vestergaard (Eds.) Handbook of Humanitarian Communication. London: Routledge.

(2021) ‘COVID-19: A Wake-Up Call. But Who’s Listening?’ Three-D Issue 35, Media, Communication and Cultural Studies Association (MeCCSA), pp.5-6 (10.3.21) https://www.meccsa.org.uk/nl/three-d-issue-35-a-wake-up-call-but-whos-listening/
or: https://www.dropbox.com/s/2om9icsxet2ewu5/MeCCSA-ThreeD-Issue35-v1.pdf?dl=0

(2020) ‘Reporting Covid-19: A Wake-Up Call? InPublishing 14/12/2020 (https://www.inpublishing.co.uk/articles/reporting-covid-19-a-wake-up-call-17028)

(2020) ‘Reporting COVID-19: A Wake-Up Call to our World-In-Crisis?’ in J. Mair. (Ed) The Pandemic, Where are we still Going Wrong: A Very Public Inquiry ? pp.187-192.  Goring: Bite Sized Books.

(2019) ‘Journalism Coming of (Global) Age? II.’ Journalism: Theory, Practice & Criticism, 20(1): 102-105.

(2019)  ‘Beyond Rwanda? Reporting Atrocity in a Changing Communication Environment.’ pp. 159-181. In A. Thompson (Ed.) Media and Mass Atrocity: The Rwanda Genocide and Beyond. Canada: CIGI Press. 

(2017) ‘Journalist Killings and the Responsibility to Report’ pp.21-32 in Ulla Carlson and Reeta Pöyhtäri (Eds.) The Assault on Journalism. Building Knowledge to Protect Freedom of Expression. Gothenburg: Nordicom.  

(2017) ‘Communication, Human (In)Security and the Responsibility to Protect’ pp.321- 333 in P. Robinson, P. Seib & R. Fröhlich, (Eds.) Routledge Handbook of Media, Conflict and Security. London: Taylor and Francis. 

Teaching

Simon has taught and written extensively on conflict and global crisis reporting, including environment, ecology and climate change; transnational protests and demonstrations; riots and civil insurrection;  wars and terror; ethnicity and racism; and disasters and humanitarian catastrophes. He now lectures and writes on ecological and civilizational collapse and how journalism can and must perform better in communicating pathways to transition and processes of societal transformation. He is currently writing Reporting Civilizational Collapse: A Wake-Up Call (Routledge 2026) and Communicating a World-in-Crisis (Peter Lang 2024) and contemplating writing a third volume, The Owl of Minerva takes Flight at Dusk: Communicating Deep Ecology in an Age of Transformation. Simon offers guest lectures to universities around the world on these subjects.

Biography

Simon Cottle is Professor Emeritus of Media and Communication in the School of Journalism, Media and Culture (JOMEC) at Cardiff University where he was formerly Head of School (2013-2015) and Deputy Head of School (2008-2013). Before this he was Inaugural Chair and Head of the Media and Communications Program at the University of Melbourne and has held honorary professorships at various universities internationally.

As well as writing, lecturing and series editing, Simon is also part of the musical duo - Kahlo - After Frida - playing flamenco inspired guitar and performing original songs about ecology and climate change at festivals and select venues around Wales and the UK South West. ( http://www.kahloafterfrida.com ) He is also performs as guitarist in residence across the summer months at the Wye Valley Sculpture Garden. For a personal take on song writing as creative resilience see:

(2024) 'Creative Resilience in a World-in-Crisis: It's more than Doomerism! Part 2.' https://www.resilience.org/.../creative-resilience-in-a.../

 

 

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Research themes

Reporting Dangerously: Journalist Killings, Intimidation and Security

Reporting Dangerously: Journalist Killings, Intimidation and Security

19 June 2016

External profiles