Mark Margaretten
Lecturer in Journalism
Mark’s role as Lecturer of Journalism in the School of Culture and Communications involves research and delivering units, including undergraduate feature writing, communications theory, and postgraduate media theory and multiplatform journalism.
Mark completed his PhD at the University of Sussex, and his MSc at the London School of Economics in Politics and Communications both with a focus on how authentic talk manifests in the practice of political communication by Scottish MPs on Twitter.
His ongoing research interests examine social media, the UK Parliament, authenticity, datamining, new forms of journalism, and how a mediatized polity engages with and encourages new forms of civic participation. He has also been a panellist at Parliament on social media and search neutrality, and has spoken at the LSE, City, and MeCCSA.
Prior to his return to academia, Mark spent time in the media technology sector delivering content for interactive television and large-scale web applications. He was awarded a patent during his work building interactive television applications for Microsoft, AT&T Digital, ESPN, J. Walter Thompson and Hewlett Packard. Mark was also a sports journalist in the billiard world, covering multiple US Opens; Hall of Fame inductions; and world, national and amateur championships.
His extensive web application background dates back to the early days of the web, when his internet business was acquired in the mid-90s by Pennwell Publishing. He stayed on after the sale to lead their online migration and development of 21 monthly B2B magazines. Mark’s web experience dates back to 1992, and his work has been written about in multiple magazines, books, newspapers, and academic journals.
In the years before the world wide web, Mark worked in the TV and Video industry as an editor and sales engineer, specializing in non-linear editing on Avid Media Composers, Digital F/X, and Sony systems in both the Florida and Colorado broadcast markets.
Mark enjoys Jazz and Blues music, B&W photography, horology, fountain pens, the culinary arts, a heavy glass of Bourbon, and competitive napping. He also misses the Great State of Colorado.
Qualifications
- 2018 – PhD Political Communication and Social Media, University of Sussex
- 2010 – MSc Politics and Communication, London School of Economics
- 2009 – BA Political Science (Summa Cum Laude), Metro Statue University of Denver
Research Interests
- Social media
- UK Parliament
- Authenticity
- Datamining
- New forms of journalism
- How a mediatized polity engages with and encourages new forms of civic participation
Publications
- Mark Margaretten, Ivor Gaber; The Crisis in Public Communication and the Pursuit of Authenticity: An Analysis of the Twitter Feeds of Scottish MPs 2008–2010. Parliam Aff 2014; 67 (2): 328-350. doi.org/10.1093/pa/gss043
Patents
- Interactive game via set top boxes. Publication number US 20020034980 A1, March 2002 www.google.co.uk/patents/US20020034980
Lectures
- MeCCSA Annual Conference 2012 – Authentic Talk in Political Communications on Twitter
- MeCCSA Annual Conference 2017 – Authentic Talk in Political Communications on Twitter: Case Study of Lynne Featherstone MP
- Center for Ethics in Politics Annual Conference 2015 – Authentic Talk on Twitter: Case Study of Julian Huppert MP
- UK House of Commons – PICTFOR Twitter Lecture & Training for MPs 2014
- UK House of Commons –Search Neutrality Lecture 2012
- London School of Economics 2011– Media Theory Labs
- City University London Journalism School 2011, 2012 – Political Journalism
- University of Bedfordshire 2012 – Political Economy of New Media & Journalism – RIMAP seminar
- University of Bedfordshire 2012 – Political Communications and Parliamentary Social Media Use – RIMAP seminar
- SWPSA Southwestern Political Science Association Annual Conference 2008 Civic Engagement and New Media: Tracking the Debate