“EA Birmingham” is a new initiative linking the news and analysis of EA WorldView with the research, teaching, and public engagement of the University of Birmingham, one of the leading academic institutions in Britain and the world.
We have always been proud of our connection with Birmingham, where I have been an academic — first in Modern History, then American Studies, and now Politics and International Studies — since 1989. Birmingham hosted the predecessors of EA WorldView, from initial experiments in blogging and academic analysis in 2003 to the website Libertas, part of the Center for US Foreign Policy, in 2007-2008.
The University’s commitment to public engagement and dialogue has spurred many of those who have written for EA WorldView since our launch in November 2008. It has also encouraged colleagues to write for print and electronic media through the world and to spread ideas through podcasts and videos.
“EA Birmingham” will bring together some of this analysis and commentary. It will include the contributions of Birmingham academics to The Conversation and other websites; the new podcast series “Political WorldView”, from the Department of Politics and International Studies; the video presentations at Birmingham’s TEDx 2015; and guest articles for EA WorldView.
We look forward to this as the start of a new, dynamic approach bearing out the philosophy of one of our first entries, “Brave New (Media) World: How to Become an Academic/Journalist/Activist“:
Social media has reconfigured “journalism” and, in the process, empowered each of us to be involved in reporting and analysing. No longer are we bystanders or passive recipients of “news”. This is not a Utopian view. The tools in social media do not inevitably lead to a world of progress and peace…..
But at the same time, there is hope. The recognition of those who pursue peaceful resolution, justice, and reforms is not hidden. The voice of dissent is not silent.
