Research Themes and Projects
Religious Transnationalism (David Herbert)
This theme investigates changing patterns of religious transnationalism, with an initial focus on Islamic transnationalism.
Diverse Muslim groups in Europe perceive bias against Islam in Western media organizations. BBCWS - while not completely immune from such suspicions - has a unique place in the minds of Muslim listeners and viewers, being highly trusted. Arguably, this makes it the most important medium for Muslim diasporas. We examine how trust in BBCWS is constructed and maintained, in the context of the historical relationships between Britain and Muslim countries (in South Asia, Middle East, Africa) and the contemporary relationships shaped by changing geopolitical and world economic pressures. We will study religious transationalism in and across various genres and platforms (e.g. the interactivity of the "Doha Debates" about reform of the Islamic tradition, and its articulation with democracy, and other programmes linking "home" and diaspora studio audiences). We will analyse the role of journalists and presenters (of Muslim and non-Muslim backgrounds), and the participation of well-known Muslim intellectuals and commentators in BBCWS programming. We will also monitor the development of BBC Arabic TV (due in 2007).
Interviews with BBCWS audiences of various Muslim backgrounds will lead us to the texts and fora that they identify as salient to them. We will then conduct textual (critical discourse) analysis of these programmes, followed by interviews with the programme makers (in UK and abroad) and spokespersons appearing in the programmes.
My two trips to London will permit interviews with BBCWS and BBC World production and on-air staff, assuming that they are receptive to being interviewed. This will provide an opportunity to probe matters such as the choice and positioning of content as well as of interviewees, particularly leaders, intellectuals, artists and writers. I would also
hope to inquire about the ways in which disputes about programme form, content and translation and negotiated. The members of the various themese will obviously need to co-ordinate efforts with each other to avoid duplicating questions and over-accessing the same staff members.
An overarching issue that is of obvious relevance to all themes is the continuing relevance (or otherwise) to diasporic audiences of BBCWS in a global mediascape that is now filled with diasporic broadcast and Internet-based services.