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Dr Tom Bradshaw

Associate Professor Of Media Ethics & Practice

I’m a sports journalist, author, broadcaster and media academic. My research is focused on investigating the many ethical issues faced by the media, and also exploring literary journalism. I also supervise PhD students, which I find hugely rewarding. In addition, I am passionate about building…

Biography

Tom Bradshaw is a writer and academic, based in Gloucestershire but working internationally. As an award-winning sports journalist, he has covered major events and stories across the globe, including spells in Japan and France. His journalism has appeared in a wide range of publications, including The Times, Guardian/Observer, Times Literary Supplement and RugbyPass. He appears regularly on BBC radio as a pundit and co-commentator.

Tom is a passionate advocate of press freedom and has conducted extensive research into freedom of expression and censorship. He is joint editor of Ethical Space: The International Journal of Communication Ethics.

He has published a wide variety of book chapters and papers in peer-reviewed academic journals, and his book Sports Journalism: The State of Play (Routledge) was described by one critic as “a brilliantly well-researched, uber-contemporary, rip-roaring read”.

Tom designed and launched the University’s hugely successful BA Sports Journalism programme in 2013. His “outstanding and original” teaching led to him receiving a University Teaching Fellowship in 2016.

Qualifications

  • MA (Hons): Philosophy, Cambridge University, 2000
  • PG Dip, Print Journalism, University of Central Lancashire, 2001
  • PGCert: Post Graduate Certificate in Academic Practice, University of Gloucestershire, 2015
  • PhD: Journalism and Communications, University of Gloucestershire, 2020

Awards

Sports Journalist of the Year at EDF South West Media Awards 2010

Sports Journalist of the Year at EDF South West Media Awards 2011

Accreditation

Tom is a fully-qualified National Council for the Training of Journalists-trained journalist

Membership of professional bodies

Fellow of the Higher Education Academy

Member of Rugby Union Writers’ Club

Teaching & Research

Teaching

Tom supervises PhD candidates and also teaches research methods on undergraduate and postgraduate courses. He also passes on his extensive match reporting experience on BA Sports Journalism’s Live Sports Coverage module.

Research

His research seeks to bring together journalism studies, philosophy and literary criticism. He focuses on freedom of expression and its limits, as well as creative non-fiction writing. He is currently writing a book for Palgrave Macmillan on literary sports journalism, due for publication in late 2024.

Publications

More publications from Dr Tom Bradshaw can be found in the Research Repository.

External responsibilities

Tom provides consultancy services on supporting media freedoms across the globe.

Subject for media interview

Media ethics; Freedom of expression; Censorship; Sports journalism; Literary criticism