School of Creative Arts, Film and Media (SCAFM)
Dr Graham Spencer
Reader in Politics, Conflict and the Media
Creative Arts, Film and Media
St. George's Building
141 High Street
Old Portsmouth
Hampshire
PO1 2HY
Profile
| BA (Polytechnic of Central London) | MSc | PGCE | PhD (Portsmouth) | FRSA |
I am Reader in Politics, Conflict and the Media and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. My research, which has attracted substantial AHRC and British Academy support, is concerned with conflict/conflict resolution and I have particular experience in researching Northern Ireland. My current projects are concerned with Protestant identity and peacemaking, and forgiving and remembering. I have been actively involved in peace politics in Northern Ireland and am a regular commentator in the print and broadcast media. I am currently working with a range of organisations to help facilitate cross-community projects and reconciliation awareness.
Current Research
My current research is concerned with the shift from conflict to ‘post-conflict’ society in Northern Ireland and is based on working in Northern Ireland on anti-sectarianism, reconciliation, confidential dialogue and inclusivity. This work carries significant depth and reach in terms of knowledge transfer and exchange. It has resulted in working for the British, Irish and American governments as well as a range of groups and high-level contacts in Northern Ireland. It has resulted in currently working with key individuals from the Thatcher, Major and Blair administrations on the role of successive British governments in Northern Ireland (to culminate in an edited book The British and Peace in Northern Ireland, Cambridge University Press, 2014).
Books[Back to top]
Protestant Identity and Peacemaking in Northern Ireland, Basingstoke: Palgrave (2012).
Ulster Loyalism Since the Good Friday Agreement (edited collection with James W. McAuley), Basingstoke: Palgrave (2011).
Forgiving and Remembering in Northern Ireland (editor) London: Continuum (2011).
The State of Loyalism in Northern Ireland, Basingstoke: Palgrave (2008) ISBN 9781403999758 (nominated for the W.J.M. Mackenzie Prize).
Commissioned Books[Back to top]
‘Sectarianism and Metaphor’ in The International Book of Hate Crime (Routledge) due 2013
Modern Republican Identity in Northern Ireland, London: Continuum (due 2014).
The British and Peace in Northern Ireland (Cambridge University Press, 2014)
The UDA and the Future of Loyalism, Liverpool, Liverpool University Press (2015).
Publications[Back to top]
Books[Back to top]
Spencer, G. (2005). The media and peace: from Vietnam to the ‘War on Terror’. Basingstoke: Palgrave. ISBN 1403921806. (Released in paperback April 2008).
Spencer, G. (2005). Omagh: Voices of Loss, Belfast: Appletree Press. ISBN 0862819784.
Spencer, G. (2000). Disturbing the peace? Politics, television news and the Northern Ireland peace process. Aldershot: Ashgate. ISBN 0754615227.
Book Chapters[Back to top]
‘Loyalist Perspectives on Apology, Regret and Change’ in Ulster Loyalism Since the Good Friday Agreement (Eds.) J.W. McAuley and G. Spencer, Basingstoke: Palgrave (2011)
‘The Political Development of the Progressive Unionist Party (with Billy Hutchinson)’ in Ulster Loyalism Since the Good Friday Agreement (Eds.) J.W. McAuley and G. Spencer, Basingstoke: Palgrave (2011)
‘Loyalist Former Prisoners and Community Development (with Tom Roberts)’ in Ulster Loyalism Since the Good Friday Agreement (Eds.) J.W. McAuley and G. Spencer, Basingstoke: Palgrave (2011)
‘The Contemporary Politics of the Ulster Defence Association (with Jackie McDonald)’ in Ulster Loyalism Since the Good Friday Agreement (Eds.) J.W. McAuley and G. Spencer, Basingstoke: Palgrave (2011).
‘Forgiving and Remembering in Northern Ireland’ in Forgiving and Remembering in Northern Ireland (Ed.) G. Spencer, London: Continuum (2011).
‘Understanding Through Collaboration and Friendship: an interview with Jo Berry and Patrick Magee’ in Forgiving and Remembering in Northern Ireland (Ed.) G. Spencer, London: Continuum (2011).
‘The Possibility of Forgiveness: an interview with Duncan Morrow’ in Forgiving and Remembering in Northern Ireland (Ed.) G. Spencer, London: Contiuum (2011).
‘The Release and Gift of Forgiving: an interview with Richard Moore’ in Forgiving and Remembering in Northern Ireland (Ed.) G. Spencer, London: Continuum (2011).
Articles[Back to top]
‘Managing a Peace Process: an interview with Jonathan Powell’, Irish Political Studies,(2010) 25(3) 437-455.
‘Free Presbyterianism and Political Change in Northern Ireland’, Irish Political Studies, (2009) 24(3) 365-384.
‘Containing Dialogue: The British Government and Early Talks in the Northern Ireland Peace Process’, British Journal of Politics and International Relations (2008) 10(3) 452-471.
‘Sinn Fein and the media in Northern Ireland: the new terrain of policy articulation’, Irish Political Studies (2006) 21(3) 355-382.
‘The decline of Ulster Unionism: the problem of identity, image and change’, Contemporary Politics (2006) 12(1) 45-63.
‘Reporting Inclusivity: the Northern Ireland Women’s Coalition, the news media and the Northern Ireland peace process’, Irish Journal of Sociology (2004) 13(2) 43-65.
‘Constructing Loyalism: public communications and the Northern Ireland peace process’, Contemporary Politics (2004) 10(1) 37-55.
‘The impact of television news on the Northern Ireland peace negotiations’, Media, Culture and Society (2004) 26(5) 603-23.
‘Pushing for Peace: the Irish Government, television news and the Northern Ireland peace process’, European Journal of Communication (2003) 18(1) 55-80.
‘Keeping the peace? politics, news and the Northern Ireland peace process’, Irish Journal of Sociology (2001) 10(2) 57-76.
‘Negotiating peace: political communications, television news and the Northern Ireland peace process’, Irish Studies Review (2000) 8(2) 219-31.
‘Talking peace: political communications through the television news media and the Northern Ireland peace process’, Contemporary Politics (1997) 3(3) 267-76.
Conference and Talks[Back to top]
‘Loyalist-Republican Interfaces: The Road to the Peace Process’ paper with James W. McAuley presented at Irish Studies Department, Queen’s University, Belfast, 4 March 2011 (invited speaker).
‘Apology and Regret in Northern Ireland’ paper presented at European Conflict Resolution and Peace Implementation: Skills, Practice and Understanding Symposium, Falstad Memorial Centre, Norway, 19-23 April 2010 (invited speaker).
‘Loyalism in Northern Ireland: the gap between criminality and politics’ paper presented at Repertoires of Violence Conference, York St John’s University, 1-2 July 2009.
‘Forgiveness and reconciliation in Northern Ireland’ paper presented to Centre for Social Sciences, University of Hull, 18 February 2009 (invited speaker).
‘From war to peace: the politics of reporting the Northern Ireland peace process’ paper presented to Centre for Research in Film and Audiovisual Cultures, Roehampton University, 11 February 2009 (invited speaker).
‘Protestantism and peacemaking in Northern Ireland: forgiveness, reconciliation and inter-church dialogue’, paper presented at Encounters and Intersections: Religion, Diaspora and Ethnicities Conference, St Catherine’s College, Oxford, 9-11 July 2008.
‘Faith, Politics and Peace in Northern Ireland’, paper presented at Divinity School, St. Edmund’s College, Cambridge, 19 June 2008 (invited speaker).
‘Putting away the guns: the problem of ending Loyalist paramilitarism’, paper presented at Political Studies Association 58th Annual Conference: Democracy, Governance and Conflict, ay Swansea University, 1-3 April 2008.
‘Where to now for paramilitary Loyalism?’, paper presented at Global Social Justice in Theory and Practice Conference, Global Studies Association, at University of Birmingham, 3-5 September 2007.
‘Current debates about change within paramilitary Loyalism’, paper presented at ‘Reviewing the Good Friday Agreement: Effects, Impact and Prospects’ conference, University of Wolverhampton, 27-28 June 2007.
‘Recent debates and developments within paramilitary Loyalism’, paper presented at London School of Economics as part of Irish seminar series, 25 October 2006 (invited speaker).
‘The media and resolving conflict: an uneasy relationship’, paper presented at Global Studies Association 6th Annual Conference ‘Peace in Our Time? Peace, Resolution and Conflict in a Globalised World’, Roehampton University, 4-6 September 2006.
‘The role of television news in the Northern Ireland peace process’, paper presented at Irish Studies Conference: The Word, The Icon and The Ritual, University of Sunderland, 12-14 November 2004.
‘Diplomatic signalling, television news and the Northern Ireland peace process’, paper presented at Dublin College University, 25 March 2004.
‘Disturbing the peace? politics, television news and the Northern Ireland peace process’, paper presented at University College Dublin, 16 May 2001 (invited speaker)
Press Articles[Back to top]
‘University appeal to victims and offenders of crime’, Portsmouth News 6 May 2011
‘New book recalls Richard Moore’s powerful story of forgiveness’ Derry Journal 1 April 2011
‘We have hope of escape from prison of our past’ The Irish News 31 March 2011
‘Not every victim wants to forgive’, Belfast Newsletter 29 March 2011
‘The value of cross-community dialogue’, Belfast Newsletter, 12 June 2010.
‘Towards a loyalist endgame’, Belfast Telegraph, 12 March 2009
‘Why loyalism needs role in peace process’, Belfast Telegraph, 18 March 2008
‘Memories of a bombing horror that were just too harrowing for words’, Portsmouth News, 2 December 2005.
“I’ll never go back to Omagh…”, Belfast Telegraph, 25 October 2005.
‘Author plans tribute to victims of Omagh bombing’, Ulster Herald, 17 July 2003.
Television and Radio Appearances[Back to top]
17 March 2008, ‘Hearts and Minds’, BBC1 Northern Ireland (interview about contents of loyalism book and assessment of loyalism’s relationship with peace).
27 October 2005, Galway Bay FM, Ireland (interview on Omagh book).
20 October 2005, Downtown Radio, Northern Ireland (interview on Omagh book).
19 October 2005, BBC Radio Foyle, Derry, Northern Ireland (interview on Omagh book).
16 June 2005, ‘Hearts and Minds’, BBC1 Northern Ireland (interview about work on the media and peace in Northern Ireland).
11 April 2005, BBC Radio 5 Live (interview on comedy, politics and elections).
9 July 2003, BBC Radio Foyle, Derry, Northern Ireland (interview on Omagh research).
8 July 2003, Q101.2 FM, Radio Omagh, Northern Ireland (interview on Omagh research).
1 April 2003, Q101.2 FM, Radio Omagh, Northern Ireland (interview on Omagh research).
Grants[Back to top]
British Academy (2008-9) £6050.00 towards travel and research costs for book ‘Protestant Identity and Peacemaking in Northern Ireland’ (Palgrave) submission 2010.
British Academy (2006) £6825.00 towards travel and transcription costs for book ‘The State of Loyalism in Northern Ireland’ (Palgrave) submission 2007.
AHRC funded sabbatical to complete ‘The State of Loyalism in Northern Ireland’ (12/02/07-12/06/07).
K. Blundell Trust (2001) £1000 Writers Award for future work.
Professional Memberships[Back to top]
Fellow for the Royal Society of Arts (from May 2010)
Political Studies Association (PSA)
British Association for Study of Spirituality (BASS)
Media, Communications and Cultural Studies Association (MeCCSA)
Editorships[Back to top]
Non-killing Media Studies Research Committee, Centre for Global Non-killing
Book Endorsements[Back to top]
The Media and Peace
‘Graham Spencer has written a scholarly review of the media to violent conflict over recent decades. From Vietnam to Iraq, via Rwanda, the Balkans and beyond, he explores the way the media has helped and, alas, mostly hindered efforts for peace. Wrestling with the dilemma of “objectivity” versus “peace journalism”, he asks whether the media can ever play a constructive role in conflict resolution. A very valuable contribution in an emerging field of study.’
Anthony Borden, Executive Director, Institute for War and Peace Reporting, UK
‘Graham Spencer presents a compelling argument that the news media are political players with political responsibilities. This thoughtful book will be a valuable resource for anyone interested in how journalism affects nations’ approaches to war and peace.’
Philip Seib, Professor of Journalism and Public Diplomacy, University of Southern Carolina, USA.
‘A timely and serious contribution on the media’s role in peace and peace processes – something which has not, until now, received the attention it deserves from the conflict resolution community.’
Antonia Potter, Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, Geneva, Switzerland.
The State of Loyalism in Northern Ireland
‘The State of Loyalism in Northern Ireland is the most important treatment of its subject undertaken in recent years. Graham Spencer has produced a book which must be read by all serious scholars of Northern Ireland’s politics and society. A definitive book on Loyalist politics and an essential addition to any reading list.’
Professor Jon Tonge, Chair of the Political Studies Association of the UK, University of Liverpool, UK
‘A timely and important analysis of the role played by loyalism in the Northern Ireland peace process. Drawing on interviews with key actors, Graham Spencer has produced an intelligent, engaging and necessary study on loyalism and political change in Northern Ireland.’
Professor John Grieve, Independent Monitoring Commission, Belfast.
Forgiving and Remembering in Northern Ireland
‘For church, state and academia the painful legacy of our violent past has proved a stumbling-block in the way of peace, stability and reconciliation. Graham Spencer has challenged some of the most notable thinkers and practitioners in Northern Ireland to quarry into their own experience and understanding. The result of this assembly of contributions ranges from theology to urban planning and post-traumatic stress disorder. It holds together the individual and communal elements of remembering and forgiving, and is essential reading for anyone who is not prepared to simply turn away from “the past” because it is so difficult. You will find yourself challenged and moved and, while you will not find easy solutions, you will be rewarded with substantial sign-posts for your thinking and your faith.’
John Alderdice, Baron Alderdice of Knock, former Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly and Convenor of the Liberal Democratic Party, House of Lords
‘Graham Spencer and his fellow writers deserve our thanks for their contributions to peace in Forgiving and Remembering in Northern Ireland. I particularly welcome the pursuit of forgiveness to achieve peace and reconciliation. I congratulate Graham Spencer and his team and I hope this book will be widely read and prove a stimulus to serious discussion.’
Cardinal Sean Brady, Archbishop of Armagh
‘Spencer is to be congratulated on producing and providing an important contribution to a subject of relevance far beyond Northern Ireland.’Very Revd Nicholas Fraying, Dean of Chichester
Protestant Identity and Peace in Northern Ireland
‘Graham Spencer has brought us an important and thoughtful contribution with regard to ‘Protestant Identity and Peace in Northern Ireland’. It is a challenging read and, I believe, will encourage the reader to critically review how they relate propositional truth in the process of loving our neighbour and living peacefully in our shared space.’
Rt Rev Dr Ivan Patterson
Moderator, Presbyterian Church in Ireland
‘Graham Spencer’s work to date has made a vital contribution to understanding the complexities and struggles that pervade the transition from conflict to post-conflict society in Northern Ireland. Here, Graham makes the case for a greater involvement by the churches in dialogue, reinforcing progress made in the political realm. The testimony he elicits from Protestant clergy reveals a multi-layered picture of identity, but the argument he puts forward for transforming exclusive narratives into inclusive ones is a compelling and profound one. This is a necessary work for understanding the role of the churches in Northern Ireland today.’
Duncan Morrow
Chief Executive Officer of the Northern Ireland Community Relations Council
‘As a well-informed objective observer, Graham Spencer provides a ‘not-before-time’ challenge to the churches to a process of critical self-reflection and a re-discovery of the significant but distinctive contribution of the Christian story to the complex and difficult issues of forgiveness and reconciliation in a post-conflict situation. Of particular importance is Graham’s emphasis on how the distinctive characteristics of ‘fundamentalism’ and ‘liberalism’ impact either negatively or positively upon the socio-political and psychological life of a community, the causes of conflict and the search for a just and lasting peace. Here are lessons for any society in which religion has had a significant influence for good or ill, as it has in Northern Ireland.’
Rev Dr Harold Good, Former President of the Methodist Church in Ireland, OBE
‘Graham Spencer has done us a particular service in enabling Anglicans and Protestants in Ireland to see themselves not only as others see them, but also as they see themselves. Through the context, substance and tenor of the interview and the responses of the interviewee one begins to see things through the eyes of others and confront what others perceive to be the marks of one’s character and identity. In this way a door is opened for the examination of the unexamined and a testing of the authenticity of one’s own self-image. Graham Spencer’s study enables each of the denominations under scrutiny to confront those issues. It is a bracing exercise but essential, especially in the context of the search for a sustainable peace with justice in Northern Ireland. We owe Graham Spencer a great debt in so stimulating and provoking us.’
The Most Revd Alan Harper, OBE, Archbishop of Armagh, Primate of All Ireland and Metropolitan