School of Film, Media and Journalism Appoints New Industry Staff

The University of Lincoln’s growing reputation as a leader in journalism education has been further enhanced by the appointment of two new lecturers straight from the national and international media.

Erica Stephenson has joined the School of Film, Media and Journalism after four years as a senior media content specialist for the FIFA World Cup in Qatar. She had previously worked for the BBC, Al Jazeera and NHK-Japan.

Colin Drury, meanwhile, arrives from The Independent, where he was North of England correspondent for almost five years. Before that he had been a freelance feature writer producing long-reads for platforms such as The Times, The Guardian and The Daily Mirror.

The appointments come shortly after The Guardian named the university’s journalism offering in the top 15 per cent of such courses across the UK.

Professor Mette Hjort, Head of School, said: “The School of Film, Media and Journalism is delighted to have been able to recruit Erica Stephenson and Colin Drury. The breadth and strength of their professional profiles complement existing expertise in the School beautifully and will enable us to break new ground as we seek to ensure that our journalism students benefit from engaging, industry-relevant teaching of the highest possible standard.”

Over the last five years, the school has produced an array of young journalists who have gone onto establish themselves at major national and regional outlets including Sky Sports News, the BBC, PA, Surrey Live and The Nottingham Post.

Professor Hjort said the two new appointments would now help to further elevate the school’s offering by bringing with them a wealth of experience, an array of diverse journalistic skills, and contact books jam-packed with big industry names.

She said: “Students benefit in countless ways when they are taught by professional journalists with a vast, nationally dense, but also truly global network of contacts. Erica and Colin are committed to ensuring that their networks become part of the teaching and learning environment in our School.

“With the help of technology, we can “shrink” the world and bring journalists located on the other side of the planet into our classrooms. I assure you, students are going to be incredibly excited when they discover what’s being planned and organised for them.”

Erica, who is originally from Lincolnshire, said: “I feel very privileged to be back in my home county, working with such an incredible team of journalists and academics. I’ve been so impressed by the talent and drive shown by the students I’ve taught so far and I’m looking forward to preparing them to thrive in a rapidly evolving news industry.”