Press Releases
Website promotes research into terrorism, security and the media
Release Date : 12 March 2010
University of Reading researchers examining the legislation around terrorism and security issues and how they are reported in the media have launched a website to disseminate their work more widely.
The website - www.reading.ac.uk/LTRK - is of particular interest to lawyers specialising in human rights, the media and crime, to security and crime journalists and government departments.
Dr Lawrence McNamara, from the School of Law at the University of Reading, is conducting a three-year research programme, entitled Law, Terrorism and the Right to Know, funded by a £300,000 joint award from two UK government research councils, the ESRC and AHRC.
The programme explores democratic traditions of media freedom, and the contemporary demands of national and international security. It looks especially at the impact of counter-terrorism legislation and the ways governments and courts deal with security-related matters. The programme also focuses on the relationships between the state and the media.
Dr McNamara said: "Our new website will enable us to publicise our work more widely to people working within the national security, law and media world.
"Our project examines how different parties in the processes see the balance between openness and secrecy. It aims to ascertain how security-related information is managed by government, the courts and agencies involved in the investigation and prosecution of terrorism offences, and to analyse how that information is accessed and reported by the media. It looks at the ways that media management and reporting affects both liberty and security."
Please contact Dr McNamara at l.mcnamara@reading.ac.uk to discuss opportunities for involvement in the programme or collaborative work.
ENDS
For more information, please contact Rona Cheeseman, Press officer, on 0118 378 7388 or email r.cheeseman@reading.ac.uk.
Notes to editors
The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) funds research and training in social and economic issues. It is an independent organisation, established by Royal Charter, but receives most of its funding through the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. Its planned expenditure for 2009/10 is £204 million, which funds over 2,500 researchers in academic institutions and policy research institutes throughout the UK.
The Arts and Humanities Research Council [AHRC] supports world-class research that furthers understanding of human culture and creativity. The research it funds can lead to improvements in social and intellectual capital, community identity, learning skills, technological evolution and the quality of life of the nation.
The School of Law is ranked joint 7th (along with Cambridge) for world-leading research and international excellence and 11th out of 67 university Law Schools across all research categories. Its strong performance in the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise reflects the high academic standing of the School of Law's staff and impacts positively on the quality of both undergraduate and postgraduate teaching.
University of Reading is rated as one of the top 200 universities in the world (THE-QS World Rankings 2009).
• The University of Reading is one of the UK's top research-intensive universities. The University is ranked in the top 20 UK higher education institutions in securing research council grants worth nearly £10 million from EPSRC, ESRC, MRC, NERC, AHRC and BBSRC. In the RAE 2008, over 87% of the university's research was deemed to be of international standing. Areas of particular research strength recognised include meteorology and climate change, typography and graphic design, archaeology, philosophy, food biosciences, construction management, real estate and planning, as well as law.
• Standards of teaching are excellent - the University scored highly in the National Student Survey 2009. 87% of Reading students responding to the survey stated they were satisfied with the quality of their course.
• The University is estimated to contribute £600 million to the local economy annually.
• University of Reading is a member of the 1994 Group of 19 leading research-intensive universities. The Group was established in 1994 to promote excellence in university research and teaching. Each member undertakes diverse and high-quality research, while ensuring excellent levels of teaching and student experience. www.1994group.ac.uk
• More information at www.reading.ac.uk