Research blog

For many years I have attended the Children’s Media Conference and talked to industry colleagues who are aware of research but cannot always access it and this has been a major cause of frustration. Blogs are so easily updated and everyone can hop on to them, so what better way of getting research out there to the people who can use it?

The CMF Research Blog will share relevant and robust research relating to children and media in a timely and accessible form. The aim is to improve the quality of debate about children’s media and ensure that there is an outlet for research in a central and publicly available space. For media industry professionals, teachers, journalists, policy makers and politicians this will be a key reference point where they will be able to search for digests of research that might support and inform their work, prompt discussion or challenge some often stated ‘wisdoms’. CMF supporters and patrons will also be able to discuss and comment on blog entries, informing the research community of their concerns and priorities.

Initiated by Professor David Buckingham and developed by Colin Ward and co-editors Claudio Franco and myself, the blog includes contributors who are interested in children and young people of different ages. Areas of expertise range from film, television and games as well as literacy, learning and play.

Claudio, digital media practitioner and PhD researcher at the University of Bedfordshire, said:

It’s essential for academia to link out and engage with the "worlds" of industry, journalism and politics. The blog is a platform for fruitful and informed debate that will hopefully inform practice, media coverage and policy in the children's media sector.

The blog can be accessed now via the CMF website and there are already brilliantly provocative entries from Professor Cathy Burnett from Sheffield Hallam University, Cary Bazalgette from the Institute of Education and Professor David Buckingham from the University of Loughborough. Topics range from 2 year olds engaging with television through to digital texts in the literacy curriculum and censorship in children’s film. So come and join the discussion!

Becky, Claudio and Colin will all be at the Children’s Media Conference to promote the blog and ensure that they are up to date with what conference delegates see as priority areas. Get in touch if you would like to make your views known.