Dr Paul Reilly

Lecturer in Media and Communication

BA Media and Sociology Programme Director

BSc Communications, Media and Society Programme Director

Room 305, Bankfield House

Telephone : 0116 252 2829

e-mail : pr93@le.ac.uk

MA (Hons) International Relations and Modern History, University of St Andrews, 2001.

PhD Politics, University of Glasgow, 2008.

                                          Fellow, Higher Education Academy 2012

Career Experience

Prior to my appointment at Leicester I was a part-time lecturer in Politics (teaching only) at the University of Glasgow, delivering a number of modules on the MSc Political Communication and contributing towards the Media, Conflict and Change undergraduate module. I joined the Department of Media and Communication in November 2009 and am currently Postgraduate Admissions Tutor on the MA Mass Communications and MA Dissertation Tutor. I also co-organise the IDeoGRAMS research group with Dr Anna Claydon.

Research Interests

Northern Ireland:

• Political Fronts and the Internet, Intergroup contact in online spaces, Police use of social media for public engagement, Social media and anti-social behaviour, Web 2.0 communication strategies of Northern Irish parties.

Politics and New Media:

• Sovereignty and Internet Governance, Web 2.0 and ethnopolitical mobilisation.

Terrorism:

• Terrorism and the Media, Terrorism and the Internet, Search Engine Technology and Terrorism.

My current research focuses on the role of Web 2.0 in the ongoing processes of conflict transformation in Northern Ireland. I am particularly interested in how social media is used by young people to organise street riots and the response of police and other key stakeholders to these anti-social behaviours. My previous research focused on the website strategies adopted by civil and uncivil actors in Northern Ireland and the visibility of terrorist websites on Internet search engines.

Publications

My book Framing the Troubles Online: Northern Irish groups and website strategy was published by Manchester University Press in 2011. See attached list for full details of my other publications

Teaching and Supervision

I teach on the following modules:

Undergraduate

▪ MS3022 Activism and Protest in the Information Age

Postgraduate

▪ MS7027 News Management, Communication and Social Problems

▪ MS7302 New Media Theories and Concepts

▪ MS7303 New Media Cultures

I also supervise BSc and MA dissertation students and am particularly interested to hear from prospective students who wish to undertake research related to the following areas:

▪ Alternative media activism

▪ Social media and anti-social behaviour e.g. rioting

▪ Terrorism and New Media

▪ Web 2.0 and conflict transformation

▪ Young people and Social Networking Sites 

Professional Activities

I am currently a member of the following professional bodies:

▪ British International Studies Association (BISA)

▪ Political Science Association Ireland (PSAI)

▪ Conflict Research Society