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Dr James Rodgers

Reader in International Journalism and Assistant VP (Global Engagement)

School of Communication & Creativity Department of Journalism

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About

Overview

Dr James Rodgers is Reader (Associate Professor) in International Journalism).

In the academic year 2025-26, he will be leading the Erasmus Mundus MA in Journalism, Media and Globalisation, and also teaching on the MA International Journalism (International News), and the BA Journalism (Reporting Conflict, Introduction to Newswriting), as well as supervising PhD students and postgraduate and undergraduate dissertations. 

James' particular areas of interest in international journalism are Russia, and the Middle East. Much of his research has a historical focus, seeking to understand the way that history influences narratives and reporting of current events. 

James especially welcomes PhD proposals related to these areas.

He is the author of four books on international affairs. His latest is 'Assignment Moscow: reporting on Russia from Lenin to Putin' (I.B Tauris, 2020; new edition published by Bloomsbury in May 2023).

James' next book, on Russia and the West, is due to be published in January 2026 by Yale University Press. 

Before entering Journalism academia full time in 2010, James was a journalist for twenty years. He spent fifteen years at the BBC, completing correspondent postings in Moscow, Brussels, and Gaza, as well as numerous other assignments. These included reporting from New York and Washington after 9/11, and covering the war in Iraq in 2003 and 2004.

In addition to his academic work, James still works as a journalist, contributing print, web, and broadcast work to news outlets in Britain and the United States. In the last 12 months, he has contributed to the BBC, NBC Think, Al Jazeera English, History Today, and The New European.

In spring 2020, he was awarded the John C. Hartsock prize for his article “Making Space for a New Picture of the World: Boys in Zinc and Chernobyl Prayer by Svetlana Alexievich,” published in Literary Journalism Studies (Vol. 11, No. 2, December 2019).

In May 2021, James was elected a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, in recognition of his contribution to the discipline of History.

He has been a member of the Society of Authors since 2015, and a member of the National Union of Journalists since 1992.

Qualifications

  • Fellow, Royal Historical Society, United Kingdom, May 2021
  • PhD by prior output 'Reflective Journalistic Practice in an Environment of Uncertainty and Change', London Metropolitan University, United Kingdom, 2012 - 2013
  • PG Cert Teaching and Learning for Higher Education, London Metropolitan University, United Kingdom, 2012
  • BA (Hons) Modern Languages (Russian & French), MA, University of Oxford, United Kingdom, 1984 - 1988

Languages

Danish (can read, speak, understand spoken), French (can read, write, speak, understand spoken), German (can read, speak, understand spoken) and Russian (can read, write, speak, understand spoken)

Teaching

MA International Journalism: Journalistic Storytelling; International News; Dissertation.
Erasmus Mundus Masters: Journalism, Media and Globalisation.
BA Journalism: Reporting Conflict.

Research

Research interests

- The journalism of armed conflict
- The History of Journalism
- Western reporting of Russia and the Soviet Union, Israel-Palestine, and Iraq
- Relations between political power and news organizations

Research students

1stsupervisor

  • Pauline Renaud, Research Student

Publications

Publications by category

Books (6)

  • Rodgers, J. (2026). The Return of Russia From Yeltsin to Putin, the Story of a Vengeful Kremlin. Yale University Press. ISBN 9780300270815.
  • Rodgers, J. (2023). Assignment Moscow Reporting on Russia from Lenin to Putin. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 9781350356108.
  • Rodgers, J. (2020). Assignment Moscow Reporting on Russia from Lenin to Putin. I.B. Tauris. ISBN 9780755601158.
  • Rodgers, J. (2015). Headlines from the Holy Land. Palgrave Macmillan UK. ISBN 9781349562497.
  • Rodgers, J. (2013). No Road Home: Fighting for land and faith in Gaza. Bury St Edmonds: Abramis. ISBN 9781845495800.
  • Rodgers, J. (2012). Reporting Conflict. Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 9780230274464.

Chapters (16)

  • Rodgers, J. (2025). ‘The next most important British personage in Moscow’? The BBC and Soviet Union during the Early Decades of the Cold War. In Hochscherf, T. and Aleknonis, G. (Eds.), Conflict Resolution and the Cold War: Media Encounters Across the Iron Curtain (pp. 41-54). Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 9798765127148.
  • Rodgers, J. (2025). Criminalizing independent journalism. Kremlin Media Wars (pp. 11-21). Routledge.
  • Rodgers, J. (2017). Limited Perspectives: Reporting Gaza. Reporting the Middle East: The Practice of News in the Twenty-First Century (pp. 123-141). London: I. B. Tauris. ISBN 9781784532727.
  • Rodgers, J. (2015). The downfall of the News of the World: the decline of the English newspaper and the double-edged sword of technology. In Brake, L., Kaul, C. and Turner, M.W. (Eds.), The News of the World and the British Press, 1843-2011 (pp. 266-279). Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 9781137392039.
  • Rodgers, J. (2015). The Roadmap, Reporting, and Religion. HEADLINES FROM THE HOLY LAND: REPORTING THE ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN CONFLICT (pp. 79-97). ISBN 9781137395122.
  • Rodgers, J. (2015). The Ambassador's Eyes and Ears. HEADLINES FROM THE HOLY LAND: REPORTING THE ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN CONFLICT (pp. 126-148). ISBN 9781137395122.
  • Rodgers, J. (2015). Social Media: A Real Battleground. HEADLINES FROM THE HOLY LAND: REPORTING THE ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN CONFLICT (pp. 149-169). ISBN 9781137395122.
  • Rodgers, J. (2015). Six Days and Seventy-Three. HEADLINES FROM THE HOLY LAND: REPORTING THE ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN CONFLICT (pp. 40-58). ISBN 9781137395122.
  • Rodgers, J. (2015). Reporting from the Ruins The End of the British Mandate and the Creation of the State of Israel. HEADLINES FROM THE HOLY LAND: REPORTING THE ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN CONFLICT (pp. 8-39). ISBN 9781137395122.
  • Rodgers, J. (2015). Holy Land. HEADLINES FROM THE HOLY LAND: REPORTING THE ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN CONFLICT (pp. 170-189). ISBN 9781137395122.
  • Hollis, R. (2015). Headlines from the Holy Land Reporting the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Foreword. HEADLINES FROM THE HOLY LAND: REPORTING THE ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN CONFLICT (pp. VIII-X). ISBN 9781137395122.
  • Rodgers, J. (2015). Going Back Two Thousand Years All the Time. HEADLINES FROM THE HOLY LAND: REPORTING THE ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN CONFLICT (pp. 98-125). ISBN 9781137395122.
  • Rodgers, J. (2015). Any Journalist Worth Their Salt. HEADLINES FROM THE HOLY LAND: REPORTING THE ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN CONFLICT (pp. 59-78). ISBN 9781137395122.
  • Rodgers, J. (2014). From Perestroika to Putin: Journalism in Russia. In Bennett, J. and Strange, N. (Eds.), Media Independence: Working with Freedom or Working for Free? (pp. 223-242). Abingdon: Routledge. ISBN 9781138023482.
  • RODGERS, J. (2011). 'The fog of propaganda: attempts to influence the reporting of the Arab Spring, and how journalists should see through it'. In Mair, J. and Keeble, R.L. (Eds.), Mirage in the Desert? Reporting the 'Arab Spring' (pp. 94-100). Abramis. ISBN 9781845495145.
  • Rodgers, J. and Thurman, N. Citizen Journalism in Real Time? Live Blogging and Crisis Events. Citizen Journalism: Global Perspectives, Volume Two New York: Peter Lang.

Conference papers and proceedings (5)

  • Rodgers, J. (2014). From Perestroika to Putin: journalism in post-Soviet Russia. 25 Years After: The Challenges of Building the Post-Communist Media and Communication Industries 20-22 November, Prague.
  • Rodgers, J. (2013). From Stalingrad to Grozny: patriotism, political pressure, and literature in the war reporting of Vassily Grossman and Anna Politkovskaya. Media, War & Conflict's Fifth Anniversary Conference 11-12 April, Royal Holloway, University of London.
  • RODGERS, J. (2012). They want it yesterday: 24-hour, multiplatform, news and the editorial process. Social Media, Journalism and Communication Practitioners - International Symposium’ 7 September, Canterbury Christ Church University.
  • RODGERS, J. (2012). Let journalists be journalists, and let lawbreakers be prosecuted: why statutory regulation should not be a consequence of the hacking scandal. After phone hacking, what next? 29 May, University of Westminster.
  • RODGERS, J. (2012). The decline of the English newspaper: the press turned secret police. The double-edged sword of technology, and the downfall of the News of the World. News of The World study day 24 February, King's College, London.

Journal articles (19)

Professional activities

Events/conferences (2)

  • Future of Journalism 2021. (Conference) Cardiff University--online (2021).
    Paper: ‘No News From Petrograd Yesterday’: historical perspectives on, and future challenges of, reporting Russia.
    Author: Rodgers, J.
  • From Perestroika to Putin: ideas of Independence in Post-Soviet Russian Journalism. Prague (2014).
    Description: 25 Years After: The Challenges of Building the Post-Communist Media and Communications Industries

Media appearances (3)

  • 'Global' BBC World News. I appeared on BBC World News to discuss the challenges of reporting on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
  • BBC World Service Newshour. I took part in a studio discussion about Russia and the West after the suspected shooting down of flight MH17 over Ukraine. The programme is available here http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p022tlh3
  • BBC Radio 4/ BBC World Service 'From our own Correspondent'. I contributed a report about Britain, the Middle East, and the First World War. The World Service version is available here http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01t7gr6

Online articles (8)

  • Where are the diplomats, policy-makers and peace envoys? They're not in Gaza. (2014). New Statesman website Available at http://www.newstatesman.com/world-affairs/2014/07/where-are-diplomats-policy-makers-and-peace-envoys-theyre-not-gaza
  • Ancient ideas of land and faith must underpin a new Middle East peace initiative. (2013). New Statesman http://www.newstatesman.com/middle-east/2013/07/ancient-ideas-land-and-faith-must-underpin-new-middle-east-peace-initiative
  • "It’s the occupation, stupid”: what went wrong in Iraq. (2013). New Statesman http://www.newstatesman.com/voices/2013/03/its-occupation-stupid-what-went-wrong-iraq
  • With Israel and Gaza, separation is no guarantee of solution. (2012). New Statesman http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2012/11/israel-and-gaza-separation-no-guarantee-solution
  • Is Vladimir Putin's adolescent Russia ever going to grow up? (2012). New Statesman http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/politics/2012/09/vladimir-putins-adolescent-russia-ever-going-grow
  • Despite Putin, change is underway in Russia. (2012). New Statesman http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/the-staggers/2012/03/russia-putin-whacks-moscow
  • Russia's post-election protests: a "no" to nihilism. (2011). New Statesman http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/the-staggers/2011/12/russia-post-believe-starting
  • Getting your boots dirty.The Journalist October/November 2012

Radio programmes (2)

  • The PR War for the Caucasus. BBC World Service (2008). The South Ossetian conflict, which began in early August this year, not only sparked a military war between Russia and Georgia, but a propaganda battle. It even made the front-page of PR Week magazine in the UK. Both countries have hired Western PR companies to help put across their messages. Georgia was first off the mark with what many say is a concerted effort to portray its fight with Russia as a conflict between "David and Goliath" and Russia as the major aggressor.
  • The Middle East and Home. BBC World Service (2004). The BBC's Gaza correspondent, James Rodgers, talks to both sides in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict about their ideas of who has the right to call where 'home'.

Television programme

  • Warm Russia. BBC World News (2009). The BBC's James Rodgers travels to the northern Russian port of Archangel to investigate how the changing climate is altering people's lives. He discovers that the inhabitants of Russia's north no longer know what to expect - either at work, or at play.