Professor Martin Conboy

BA (Hons) (Durham), MA, PGCE, PhD (London), FRHistS

School of Journalism, Media and Communication

Emeritus Professor of Journalism History

m.conboy@sheffield.ac.uk

Profile

Martin read French and English at Durham University and received his MA and PhD from the Institute of Education, University of London. He lectured in the Institute for English and American Studies at the University of Potsdam, Germany for five years before moving back to Britain to develop critical linguistic and historical approaches to journalism studies. He joined the School of Journalism, Media and Communication in March 2005 and served as Professor of Journalism History, receiving emeritus status on his retirement in 2020.

He has acted as external examiner and validator for journalism degrees at 10 British universities at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels, and has acted as external examiner on over a dozen PhDs at home and abroad. He has been invited to give keynote lectures at universities around the world, from Argentina to Zurich. His research interests include historical aspects of journalism, national identity and the media, popular journalism and critical approaches to the language of journalism.

Widely published with over 60 pieces in refereed journals and edited volumes, he is the author of seven single-authored books:

The Press and Popular Culture (2002)
Journalism: A Critical History (2004)
Tabloid Britain: Constructing a Community Through Language (2006)
The Language of the News (2007)
The Language of Newspapers: Socio-historical Perspectives (2010)
Journalism in Britain: A Historical Introduction (2011)
Journalism Studies: The Basics (2012)

Martin is also the co-author with Dr Adrian Bingham of Tabloid Century (2015), the editor of How Journalism Uses History (2013), and the co-editor of The Cato Street Conspiracy (2019, with Prof Jason McElligott) and The Routledge Companion to British Media History (2015, with Dr John Steel). He is the co-editor of a series of six books entitled Journalism Studies: Key Texts.

In September 2010 he became the principal investigator on the £38,000 AHRC-funded research project 'Exploring the language of the popular in Anglo-American newspapers 1833-1988'. From 2012 to 2015 he collaborated with Professor Marcel Broersma (Groningen) on a €40,000 project sponsored by the AHRC and the Dutch NWO which investigated changing role perceptions of journalists. With Dr Adrian Bingham of the Department of History he shared responsibility for the Centre for the Study of Journalism and History at the University of Sheffield. He was awarded €7,000 by Marsh's Library, Dublin to organise a conference and publication reflecting on the 200th anniversary of the Cato Street conspiracy.

Martin is a member of eight international editorial boards including the three main journals in the field: Journalism Studies; Media History; and Journalism: Theory Practice and Criticism. In addition, he is a regular contributor to broadcast debates on popular culture and tabloid journalism.

Publications

Books

Conboy M & Steel J (2018) The Routledge Companion to British Media History (paperback) 978-0-8153-9548-5. Routledge.
Bingham A & Conboy M (2015) Tabloid Century: The Popular Press in Britain, 1896 to the Present. Oxford: Peter Lang.
Conboy M & Steel J (2014) The Routledge Companion to British Media History. Routledge.
Conboy M (2012) Journalism Studies. Routledge.
Conboy M (2012) Journalism Studies: The Basics. Taylor and Francis.
(2011) Journalism in Britain: A Historical Introduction. SAGE Publications Ltd.
Conboy M (2011) Journalism in Britain. Sage Publications Limited.
Conboy M (2010) The Language of Newspapers: Socio-Historical Perspectives. Continuum.
(2004) Journalism: A Critical History. SAGE Publications Ltd.
Conboy M (2002) The Press and Popular Culture. SAGE.
() Global Tabloid. Routledge.

Edited books

Conboy M & Bingham A (Ed.) (2020) The Edinburgh History of the British and Irish Press, Volume 3: Competition and Disruption, 1900-2017. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.
Conboy M & Steel J (Ed.) (2014) The Routledge Companion to British Media History. Routledge.
Conboy M & Steel J (Ed.) (2014) The Routledge Companion to British Media History. London: Routledge.
Conboy M (Ed.) (2012) How Journalism Uses History. Routledge.

Journal articles

Conboy M (2023) Martin Conboy 'The majority of the local press no longer functions as a resource of record'. HISTORY TODAY, 73(5), 9-10.
Conboy M (2023) Foreword. East Asian Popular Culture, Part F1456, vii-viii.
Conboy M (2022) Book Review: The Media, European Integration and the Rise of Euro-Journalism, 1950s–1970s by Martin Herzer. Journal of Contemporary History, 57(3), 836-837.
Conboy M (2022) Empire News: The Anglo-Indian Press Writes India, by Priti Joshi. Library & Information History, 38(1), 75-76.
Conboy M (2022) The Media, European Integration and the Rise of Euro-Journalism, 1950s-1970s. JOURNAL OF CONTEMPORARY HISTORY, 57(3), 836-837.
Conboy M (2021) Journalism: Why It Matters, Michael Schudson (2020). Journal of Applied Journalism & Media Studies, 10(3), 381-383.
Conboy M (2021) Freedom of the press in China: a conceptual history, 1831–1949. Media History, 27(3), 403-405.
Conboy M (2021) Barriers Down: How American Power and Free-Flow Policies Shaped Global Media. Media History, 27(1), 106-109.
Conboy M (2019) A Fleet Street in Every Town: The Provincial Press in England, 1855-1900. Library & Information History, 35(3), 176-177.
Conboy MD (2019) Journalism has no future: A hypothesis for the neo-liberal era. Journalism, 20(1), 17-20. View this article in WRRO
Conboy M (2018) Book review: Deciding What's True: The Rise of Political Fact-Checking in American Journalism. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PRESS/POLITICS, 23(3), 413-415. View this article in WRRO
Conboy M (2017) What Is Journalism? The Art and Politics of a Rupture. European Journal of Communication, 32(6), 623-626. View this article in WRRO
Conboy M (2017) Journalism and the Democratic Market Society. Journalism Studies, 18(10), 1263-1276. View this article in WRRO
Conboy M (2017) A Companion to the Australian Media. Media History, 24(2). View this article in WRRO
Conboy MD (2017) How the War Made the Mirror. Media History, 23(3-4), 451-468. View this article in WRRO
Conboy M & Tang M (2016) Core Blighty? How Journalists Define Themselves Through Metaphor: British Journalism Review 2011–2014. Journalism Studies, 17(7), 881-892. View this article in WRRO
Conboy MD (2016) “It is Nobbut (Only) an Oligarchy that Calls Itself a ‘We’”: Perceptions of journalism and journalists in Britain 1880–1900. Journalism Studies, 17(6), 730-746. View this article in WRRO
Conboy MD (2015) Locating critiques of normativity: Geo-historical perspectives. African Journalism Studies, 36(1), 77-83. View this article in WRRO
Conboy M (2014) Thematising multilingualism in the media. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 35(6), 628-630.
Conboy M & Eldridge SA (2014) Morbid Symptoms. Journalism Studies, 15(5), 566-575. View this article in WRRO
Conboy M (2014) Exploring the language of the popular in American and British newspapers 1833-1988. Journal of Historical Pragmatics, 15(2), 159-164.
Conboy M, Lugo-Ocando J & Eldridge S (2014) Livingstone and the legacy of Empire in the journalistic imagination. Ecquid Novi, 35(1), 3-8. View this article in WRRO
Conboy M (2013) The Americanization of the British Press, 1830s-1914: Speed in the Age of Transatlantic Journalism. AMERICAN HISTORICAL REVIEW, 118(2), 582-583.
Hampton M & Conboy M (2013) Journalism history-a debate. Journalism Studies.
Conboy MD (2013) Celebrity News - An Oxymoron? Forms and Functions of a Genre.. Journalism: Theory, Practice and Criticism.
Bingham A & Conboy M (2013) INTRODUCTION: Journalism and history: Dialogues. Media History.
Conboy M (2012) British Comics: A Cultural History. By James Chapman. Reaktion Books. 2011. 304pp. £25.00.. Annual Bulletin of Historical Literature, 96(1), 114-115.
Brugulat-Guiteras P, Tresserras-Gaju R, Puente-Martorell MLDL & Constante-Beitia C (2011) Introducción. Medicina Clínica, 137, 1-2.
Conboy MD (2011) Introduction: How journalism uses history. Journalism Practice, 5(5), 506-519.
Conboy MD (2011) How Journalism Uses History. Journalism Practice, 5(5), 504-622.
Conboy M (2011) Hearts exposed: transplants and the media in 1960s Britain. The Sixties, 4(1), 89-91.
Jones N, Conboy M & Lloyd J (2011) BOOK REVIEWS. Journalism Practice, 5(1), 118-123.
Conboy M (2011) The Changing Faces of Journalism: tabloidization, technology and truthiness. JOURNALISM STUD, 12(3), 399-400.
Conboy M (2011) Glimpses of potential amidst the devilish detail: Assessing research in journalism studies in the uk. Australian Journalism Review, 33(1), 45-48.
Conboy MD & Conboy MD (2010) The paradoxes of journalism history. Australian Journalism Review, 32(1), 5-13.
Cocks HG & Conboy M (2010) BOOK REVIEWS. Media History, 16(1), 135-139.
Conboy M & Steel J (2010) FROM "WE" TO "ME" The changing construction of popular tabloid journalism. JOURNALISM STUD, 11(4), 500-510. View this article in WRRO
Conboy M (2010) The Paradoxes of Journalism History. HIST J FILM RADIO TV, 30(3), 411-420.
Conboy M (2009) A parachute of popularity for a commodity in freefall?. Journalism, 10(3), 306-308.
Bingham A & Conboy M (2009) THE DAILY MIRROR AND THE CREATION OF A COMMERCIAL POPULAR LANGUAGE A people's war: a people's paper?. JOURNALISM STUD, 10(5), 639-654.
Conboy M (2008) The pursuit of public journalism. EUR J COMMUN, 23(3), 365-366.
Conboy M (2008) The Yellow Journalism: the press and America's emergence as a world power. JOURNALISM STUD, 9(1), 139-140.
Conboy M & Steel J (2008) THE FUTURE OF NEWSPAPERS Historical perspectives. JOURNALISM STUD, 9(5), 650-661.
Conboy M (2007) PERMEATION AND PROFUSION. Journalism Studies, 8(1), 1-12.
Conboy M (1999) The Discourse of Location. European Journal of Communication, 14(3), 353-377.
Conboy M () News Over Five Millennia: News Reporters, Historians, Messengers and Dramatists NEWS OVER FIVE MILLENNIA: NEWS REPORTERS, HISTORIANS, MESSENGERS AND DRAMATISTS Michael Palmer, 2023, Newcastle upon TyneCambridge Scholars Publishing, 242 pp.,ISBN: 9781527504547, Hbk £64.99. Media History, 1-2.
Conboy M () Journalism, Technology and Cultural Practice.
Conboy M () Conspiracy on Cato Street: A Tale of Liberty and Revolution in Regency London. The London Journal, 1-2.

Chapters

Conboy M (2023) United Kingdom. By Adrian Bingham (pp. 849-851). Oxford University Press (OUP)
Conboy M (2023) Journalism, Journalism, Technology and Cultural Practice (pp. 27-46). Routledge
Conboy M (2023) Television journalism, Journalism, Technology and Cultural Practice (pp. 85-107). Routledge
Conboy M (2023) The recurring issue of the image in news, Journalism, Technology and Cultural Practice (pp. 47-67). Routledge
Conboy M (2023) Print's gestation, Journalism, Technology and Cultural Practice (pp. 108-126). Routledge
Conboy M (2023) Profit and control in the digital era, Journalism, Technology and Cultural Practice (pp. 127-150). Routledge
Conboy M (2023) Print and journalism, Journalism, Technology and Cultural Practice (pp. 1-26). Routledge
Conboy M (2023) Consumption and contribution in the digital era, Journalism, Technology and Cultural Practice (pp. 151-174). Routledge
Conboy M (2023) Radio journalism, Journalism, Technology and Cultural Practice (pp. 68-84). Routledge
Conboy M (2023) FROM NEWS WRITERS TO JOURNALISTS: AN EMERGING PROFESSION?, EDINBURGH HISTORY OF THE BRITISH AND IRISH PRESS, VOL. 1 (pp. 129-147).
Firmstone J, Steel J, Conboy M, Elliott-Harvey C, Fox C, Mulderrig J, Saunders J & Wragg P (2022) Trust and Ethics in Local Journalism, Responsible Journalism in Conflicted Societies (pp. 15-29). Routledge
Conboy M (2021) Tabloid culture, Global Tabloid (pp. 1-15). Routledge
McElligott J & Conboy M (2020) 'We only have to be lucky once': Cato Street, insurrection and the revolutionary tradition Introduction, CATO STREET CONSPIRACY: PLOTTING, COUNTER-INTELLIGENCE AND THE REVOLUTIONARY TRADITION IN BRITAIN AND IRELAND (pp. 1-17).
Conboy M (2019) Journalism history, The Handbook of Journalism Studies (pp. 21-37).
Conboy MD (2017) British popular newspaper traditions: From the nineteenth century to the first tabloid In Palander-Collin M, Raita M & Taavitsainen I (Ed.), Diachronic Developments in English News Discourse (pp. 119-136). John Benjamins Publishing Company
Conboy MD & Eldridge II SA (2017) Journalism and public discourse: negotiating complexity In Cotter C & Perrin D (Ed.), The Routledge Handbook of Language and Media (pp. 164-177). Abingdon, Oxon. UK: Routledge.
Conboy M (2016) Janus and the Journalists: Discussions of British Journalism 1880-1900 In Steel J & Broersma M (Ed.), Redefining Journalism in the Era of the Mass Press, 1880-1920 (pp. 31-43). London: Routledge Taylor and Francis.
Conboy MD (2016) Residual Radicalism as a Popular Commercial Strategy: Beginnings and Endings In Brake L, Kaul C & Turner M (Ed.), The News of the World and the British Press, 1843-2011 'Journalism for the Rich, Journalism for the Poor' (pp. 117-134). Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
Bingham A & Conboy M (2015) Politics, TABLOID CENTURY: THE POPULAR PRESS IN BRITAIN, 1896 TO THE PRESENT (pp. 63-96).
Conboy MD (2015) Journalism Studies and 'The Crisis' of Journalism In O'Brien M & Rafter K (Ed.), The State in Transition Essays in Honour of John Horgan (pp. 28-52). New Island Books
Steel J & conboy M (2015) Editors' Introduction: British media and mediations of the past In Conboy M & Steel J (Ed.), Routledge Companion to British Media History (pp. 1-6). Routledge View this article in WRRO
Bingham A & Conboy M (2015) Tabloid Century The Popular Press in Britain, 1896 to the present Preface, TABLOID CENTURY: THE POPULAR PRESS IN BRITAIN, 1896 TO THE PRESENT (pp. VII-+).
Conboy M & Steel J (2015) British media and mediations of the past Introduction, ROUTLEDGE COMPANION TO BRITISH MEDIA HISTORY (pp. 1-5).
Bingham A & Conboy M (2015) Race and Nation, TABLOID CENTURY: THE POPULAR PRESS IN BRITAIN, 1896 TO THE PRESENT (pp. 199-225).
Bingham A & Conboy M (2015) Class, TABLOID CENTURY: THE POPULAR PRESS IN BRITAIN, 1896 TO THE PRESENT (pp. 165-197).
Bingham A & Conboy M (2015) Gender and Sexuality, TABLOID CENTURY: THE POPULAR PRESS IN BRITAIN, 1896 TO THE PRESENT (pp. 131-163).
Bingham A & Conboy M (2015) Introduction: The Rise of the Tabloid, TABLOID CENTURY: THE POPULAR PRESS IN BRITAIN, 1896 TO THE PRESENT (pp. 1-22).
Bingham A & Conboy M (2015) Monarchy and Celebrity, TABLOID CENTURY: THE POPULAR PRESS IN BRITAIN, 1896 TO THE PRESENT (pp. 97-130).
Bingham A & Conboy M (2015) War, TABLOID CENTURY: THE POPULAR PRESS IN BRITAIN, 1896 TO THE PRESENT (pp. 23-61).
Bingham A & Conboy M (2015) Conclusion: The Life and Death of the Tabloid Model, TABLOID CENTURY: THE POPULAR PRESS IN BRITAIN, 1896 TO THE PRESENT (pp. 227-232).
Steel J (2014) This Sporting 'Life-World': Mediating sport in Britain, The Routledge Companion to British Media History (pp. 147-159). View this article in WRRO
Conboy MD (2014) Visual Aspects of British Tabloid Newspapers: 'Image Crowding Out Rational Analysis?' In Machin D (Ed.), Visual Communication (pp. 261-280). Berlin/Boston: Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG.
Conboy MD (2014) Geoff Hurst's Ball: Popular Tabloids and Humour on the Dark Side In Korte B & Lechner D (Ed.), History and Humour British and American Perspectives (pp. 193-210). Bielefeld: transcript Verlag.
Conboy M (2014) Tabloid culture: The political economy of a newspaper style, The Routledge Companion to British Media History (pp. 215-227).
(2013) How Journalism Uses History, How Journalism Uses History (pp. 15-28). Routledge
Conboy MD (2012) Celebridade Na Cultura Tabloida Britanica In ZÚQUETE JPEDROTORRES (Ed.), A Vida Como Um Filme: Fama e Celebridade no Século XXI (pp. 123-148). TEXTO
Steel J & Conboy M (2009) The future of newspapers In Franklin B (Ed.), The future of newspapers Routledge
Conboy M (2009) Writing and journalism: Politics, social movements, and the public sphere, Handbook of Research on Writing: History, Society, School, Individual, Text (pp. 249-268).
Conboy MD (2008) A Tale of Two Battles: History in the Popular Press In Nicholas SH & O'Malley T (Ed.), Reconstructing the Past (pp. 137-152). Routledge
Conboy M () Tabloid culture, Global Tabloid (pp. 1-15). Taylor & Francis
Conboy M () Chapter 7. British popular newspaper traditions, Diachronic Developments in English News Discourse (pp. 119-136). John Benjamins Publishing Company
() The Routledge Companion to Media and Human Rights Routledge
Conboy M () Newspaper, History of John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
Jenkins S () New Media Language Routledge

Book reviews

Fell E (2017) Culture Jamming: Activism and the Art of Cultural Resistance. European Journal of Communication, 32(6), 620-622.
Conboy M (2015) Book review: Eileen Reeves Evening news: Optics, astronomy and journalism in early modern Europe. Journalism, 16(8), 1141-1142.
Conboy M (2015) Judith Rowbotham, Kim Stevenson, and Samantha Pegg. Crime News in Modern Britain: Press Reporting and Responsibility, 1820–2010.. The American Historical Review, 120(1), 332-333.

Conference proceedings papers

Firmstone J, Conboy M, Elliott-Harvey C, Fox C, Mulderrig J, Saunders J, Steel J & Wragg P (2020) Trust, ethics and responsibility in local journalism – a six-country comparison of journalists’ perceptions and ethical practices. Trust, ethics and responsibility in local journalism – a six-country comparison of journalists’ perceptions and ethical practices, 15 September 2020 - 16 September 2020.
Steel J, Conboy M, Firmstone J, Fox C, Mulderrig J, Saunders J, Wragg P & Elliott-Harvey C (2018) Defining freedom of the press: A cross national examination of press ethics and regulation. Defining freedom of the press: A cross national examination of press ethics and regulation. University of Nottingham, 8 November 2018 - 9 November 2018.

Theses / Dissertations

Allen C The Making of the Man of the Trees.

Working papers

Steel J, Conboy M, Elliott-Harvey C, Firmstone J, Fox C, Mulderrig J, Saunders J & Wragg P (2018) DFoP: Scope and parameters of the project. Defining freedom of the press: A cross national examination of press ethics and regulation. View this article in WRRO

Presentations

Firmstone J, Conboy M, Elliott-Harvey C, Fox C, Mulderrig J, Saunders J, Steel J & Wragg P Trust, ethics and responsibility in local journalism – a six-country comparison of journalists’ perceptions and ethical practices.
Firmstone J, Conboy M, Elliott-Harvey C, Mulderrig J, Fox C, Saunders J, Steel J & Wragg P MeCCSA Local and Community Media Network Conference 2020 - Responsible Journalism and Communication in Divided and Conflicted Societies: 'Trust, ethics and responsibility in local journalism – a six-country comparison of journalists’ perceptions and ethical practices'.
Firmstone J, Conboy M, Elliott-Harvey C, Fox C, Mulderrig J, Saunders J, Steel J & Wragg P MeCCSA Local and Community Media Network Conference 2020 - Responsible Journalism and Communication in Divided and Conflicted Societies: 'Trust, ethics and responsibility in local journalism – a six-country comparison of journalists’ perceptions and ethical practices'.
Steel J, Conboy M, Elliott-Harvey C, Firmstone J, Fox C, Mulderrig J, Saunders J & Wragg P Defining freedom of the press in the 21st century: Interdisciplinary approaches and comparative perspectives.
Steel J, Conboy M, Elliott-Harvey C, Firmstone J, Fox C, Mulderrig J, Saunders J & Wragg P Stakeholder workshops as a method for developing a grounded media ethics. University of Brighton.
Steel J, Elliott-Harvey C, Conboy M, Firmstone J, Fox C, Mulderrig J, Saunders J & Wragg P MeCCSA 2020 - Media Interactions and Environments: 'Stakeholder workshops as a method for developing a grounded media ethics'.
Steel J, Conboy M, Elliott-Harvey C, Firmstone J, Fox C, Mulderrig J, Saunders J & Wragg P Future of Journalism Conference 2019 - Innovations, Transitions and Transformations: 'Defining "freedom of the press": A cross-national analysis of press council codes of ethics'.
Steel J, Conboy M, Elliott-Harvey C, Firmstone J, Fox C, Mulderrig J, Saunders J & Wragg P Human dignity beyond boundaries: Revisiting global journalism ethics.
Steel J, Conboy M, Elliott-Harvey C, Firmstone J, Fox C, Mulderrig J, Saunders J & Wragg P Journalists' perceptions of press freedom in practice: Perspectives from the front-line.
Steel J, Conboy M, Elliott-Harvey C, Firmstone J, Fox C, Mulderrig J, Saunders J & Wragg P Defining 'freedom of the press': A cross-national analysis of press council codes of ethics.
Steel J, Conboy M, Elliott-Harvey C, Firmstone J, Fox C, Mulderrig J, Saunders J & Wragg P Defining freedom of the press: A cross national examination of press ethics and regulation.
Steel J, Conboy M, Elliott-Harvey C, Firmstone J, Fox C, Mulderrig J, Saunders J & Wragg P Journalism and codes of ethics.

Other

Steel J, Conboy M, Elliott-Harvey C, Firmstone J, Fox C, Mulderrig J, Saunders J & Wragg P (2020) All-Party Parliamentary Group on Religion in the Media: Inquiry into religious literacy in print and broadcast media.
Steel J, Conboy M, Elliott-Harvey C, Firmstone J, Fox C, Mulderrig J, Saunders J & Wragg P (2020) APPG on Religion in the Media Inquiry into religious literacy in print and broadcast media: Call for written evidence.
Steel J, Conboy M, Elliott-Harvey C, Firmstone J, Fox C, Mulderrig J, Saunders J & Wragg P (2020) Call for evidence to the House of Lords Select Committee on Communications and Digital - The future of journalism: Submission FOJ00032.
Steel J, Conboy M, Elliott-Harvey C, Firmstone J, Fox C, Mulderrig J, Saunders J & Wragg P (2020) House of Lords Select Committee on Communications and Digital: Written evidence submission number FOJ0032.

Teaching activities

Martin's teaching and research were more extensive than the title 'professor' might imply. Unusually for a professor, he is a qualified teacher (PGCE) and worked for over ten years in comprehensive schools in south London before developing a career as an academic. He even received an award for an aspect of his performance in one particular school but modesty prevents him revealing what precisely. Suffice to say he still has the certificate and is happy to reveal further details on request.

He qualified to teach English as a foreign language and has done so both at home and in Germany and Sudan. All his teaching emerged from his published work on the news media, especially his interests in national identity, language and tabloid and celebrity culture. In addition he is an active member of the Association of Journalism Education and has served on its committee.