An ongoing area of research for me examines the ways in which non-governmental organizations, governments, media and popular actors represent global justice issues to audiences in the global North. I’m particularly interested in the balance between communications and public engagement strategies that motivate ordinary people to become interested in global justice issues and the ethical representation of people and countries in the global South. I’ve written critically about strategies that mis-represent development issues (sex, guilt) as well more optimistically about strategies that hold promise for change (humour, hope).

Please see my latest research:

• Music structure in NGO Videos
• Summary of participants in research on ethics vs. effectiveness in international development communications

Please check out the ‘publications’ tab for articles on this topic, including: “Development Made Sexy” (2008) & “Can Poverty be Funny?” (2015).