JULIE FIRMSTONE - RESEARCH FELLOW Julie Firmstone is an Associate Director at EurPolCom and a Lecturer in Communications Research at the Institute of Communications Studies, University of Leeds. She has worked on the Centre's research projects since 2001 and is co-applicant of the Centre's ESRC/ESF project "The Impact of EU 'Constitutionalisation' on Public Claims-Making over Europe" (RES-000-23-0886). The project explores the role of civil society organisations in mediating the preferences of citizens to the EU and examines public claims making in the media over issues related to the future of Europe. Her research also investigates the role of the media in the communication of European politics, the representation of European news and opinion in the media, and journalism. She is also working on a media content analysis project about the representation of migrants, minorities and diversity issues in the British press funded by the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (with Dr Myria Georgiou, ICS, University of Leeds and Professor Charlie Husband, Bradford University). Her PhD was in the area of the sociology of journalism and political communications. In the past she has also worked on a longitudinal study of the social implications of new communications technologies, and has contributed to various audience research projects for UK broadcasting regulators. Several of these projects explored audience perceptions of violence in the media and she has published on this topic. Address: Institute of Communications Studies Houldsworth Building University of Leeds LS2 9JT United Kingdom Email: j.a.firmstone@leeds.ac.uk Publications: Books/book chapters: Firmstone, Julie (Forthcoming in 2008/9), "Influences on the editorial opinions of the British press towards the EU", chapter in 'Media in the Enlarged Europe' (Edited by Alec Charles and Jason Wilson), Bristol: Intellect. Firmstone, Julie (2002),Discerning Eyes: Viewers on Violence, University of Luton Press. http://www.ulp.org.uk/books/catagories/mediaaudiences/discerningeyes.html Articles include: Firmstone, J. (2008) 'Approaches of the transnational press to reporting Europe', Journalism, 9(4). Firmstone, J. (2008) 'The editorial production process and editorial values as influences on the opinions of the British press towards Europe', Journalism Practice 2(2). Firmstone, J. and Statham, P. (2007) 'Mediated debates about the EU and ratification of the European Constitution in the British Public Sphere', EurPolCom working paper 15/07. paper_15.pdf Firmstone, Julie (2003),'Britain in the Euro?' British newspaper editorial coverage of the introduction of the Euro', EurPolCom working paper 5/03 paper5.pdf Morrison, David and Firmstone, Julie (2000) 'The Social Function of Trust and Implications for E-commerce', International Journal Of Advertising, 19(5). IJA1.pdf Project reports: Firmstone, Julie (August 2004), Final case report on communication strategies of the media: EU level, Europub.com project report, available at http://europub.wz-berlin.de Firmstone, Julie (May 2004), Final case report on communication strategies of the media: United Kingdom', Europub.com project report, available at http://europub.wz-berlin.de Firmstone, Julie (April 2004), 'Final case report of analysis on newspaper editorials: United Kingdom, Europub.com project report, available at http://europub.wz-berlin.de PhD Thesis: Firmstone, J. (2007). The Editorial Opinions of the British Press on European Integration (PhD Thesis). University of Leeds, Leeds. Please email for an electronic copy.