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Staff Profile

Dr Murray Dick

Senior Lecturer In Multimedia Journalism

  • Telephone: +44 (0) 191 208 4640
  • Address: School of Arts And Cultures
    Armstrong Building
    Newcastle University
    Newcastle upon Tyne
    Tyne and Wear
    NE1 7RU
    United Kingdom
    NE1 7RU
Background

Introduction

I am Senior Lecturer in Multimedia Journalism, in the department of Media, Culture, Heritage.

Before moving permanently into academia (in 2009), I was a trainer in online research at the BBC, and latterly at the Centre for Investigative Journalism. I was also an occasional freelance technology journalist.

During my time at the BBC (2004-2008) I established an original training praxis in digital literacies for professional journalism. 

This knowledge informed much of my early research, including my first monograph: Search: Theory and Practice in Journalism Online (Palgrave 2013). I am currently developing a post-critical theory of misinformation and verification, drawing upon this praxis, for Palgrave Pivot.

Separately, I have an interest in data literacies. Having published a theoretical account of the historical emergence of data visualization (The Infographic, MIT Press, 2020), and various other theoretical reflections on the theme, I am currently developing an interdisciplinary theory of embodied visualization, for the Routledge Studies in Multimodality series.

Qualifications

  • PhD in Communication ('News Values in Online and Data-visual Journalism') (Brunel University, London)
  • Postgraduate Diploma in Academic Practice (Brunel University, London)
  • MSc in Information Science, with distinction (City University, London)
  • BA(Hons) in English (University of York)

Membership of scholarly societies

Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (2012-present).

Academic activities

Editorial Board member: Journalism Practice

Research

Summary

My PhD in Communication ('News Values in Online and Data-visual Journalism' [2015]) is concerned with how news values are operationalized in online journalism and in visual data journalism. This early phase in my research involved reflexive and ethnographic methods, with a particular focus on newsroom ethnography.

More recently my research has shifted towards visual methods. Over the last few years I have devised and developed a new (multilevel discursive) theoretical framework for exploring data visualizations.

I have written a number of articles, chapters and reference works on this topic, and, in 2020, a monograph: The Infographic: A history of data graphics in news and communications, with MIT Press.

An excerpt from this book has been re-published by TIME magazine, and by Popular Science.

I am currently undertaking a number of projects concerned with applying cognitive psychological and linguistic methods to data visualizations.


ORCID ID: 0000-0002-1529-6241

Teaching

Teaching roles

Since starting at Newcastle in 2014, I have led and/or designed nine modules (seven undergraduate, and two post-graduate taught): MCH1030 (led); MCH1036 (designed); MCH2220 (led); MCH2059 (led); MCH2060 (designed); COM2068 (led); MCH3079 (designed); MCH8057 (led); MCH8104 (designed).

I currently lead the following modules:

I also contribute to teaching, and supervise students on the following modules:

Administrative roles

I am currently Admissions Tutor for our MA degree programs.

Publications