Carl Hartley

Profile

I am a full-time lecturer in journalism at the University of Leeds, bringing 25-years of industry experience to the classroom.

I also continue to work in the broadcast industry as a senior journalist, broadcaster, and media consultant.

TEACHING

I teach broadcast and digital journalism within the School of Media and Communication.

I have a post graduate certificate in Academic Practice from the University of Leeds and I have been awarded a teaching Fellowship in Higher Education from Avance HE after demonstrating how my professional practice met the requirements of the Professional Standards Framework 2023.

As an educator, I prioritise student-centered learning by cultivating an environment that emphasises active engagement, experiential learning, critical thinking, and autonomy in the learning process. I adopt a 'students as partners' approach to the teaching, encouraging learners to take meaningful ownership of their educational journey by actively engaging them in the design, delivery, and evaluation of their learning experiences.

• Research, innovation, presentations and publications.

- NewsdayVR Project
Working alongside Learning Technologists Dan McKinnie and Dr. Danielle Millea, we have developed a multi‑phase Virtual Reality (VR) teaching resource – NewsdayVR – designed to embed trauma‑aware reporting skills and support journalism students’ wellbeing as they prepare for industry practice.

The project began in 2024 with a proof‑of‑concept immersive breaking‑news simulation inspired by similar work done at the University of Sheffield. We created a realistic crime scene inside VR and tasked students with covering the unfolding story using standard journalistic workflows. This pilot not only demonstrated the pedagogical value of immersive environments for developing practical reporting skills, it was also featured in industry publications (virtual reality crime scene) and achieved university recognition, winning the AHC Partnership Award for Innovation (2025) and being shortlisted for a Leeds Partnership Award (2025).

In February 2026 we introduced the next phase of the project into my teaching. NewsdayVR 2.0 was informed by my own experience in journalism, that of other journalists, and work highlighting the need for better support around journalists’ mental health and trauma exposure (Media Strong; Tamara Cherry). This new stage uses a blended teaching approach including VR to explore the emotional and psychological impact of reporting on traumatic events – for both journalists and contributors – within a controlled and supported teaching environment. Students develop skills in interviewing, decision‑making, reporting live, and ethical judgement in high‑pressure scenarios while also learning strategies to manage emotional load, reflect on personal responses, and safeguard their wellbeing as they transition into professional roles.

This trauma‑focused phase has been shortlisted for an AHC Partnership Award for Wellbeing (2026), reflecting its contribution to wider industry debates around trauma‑informed journalism and to pedagogical discussions about the role of immersive technologies in higher education.

The broader NewsdayVR project has also been shortlisted for a Teaching Innovation Award at the ENAs (2026), further recognising its impact. Over the next 18 months, we plan to publish findings from the project to support ongoing academic and industry conversations around trauma‑aware journalism training and the integration of VR within education.

We’ve spoken about NewsdayVR at various internal conferences and events at the University of Leeds, the Seamless Learning Conference (2025) in Vienna and the EmpowerEd Webinar (Feb 2026).

- Flipped Approach Teaching
In 2024 I carried out a small-scale research project in to ‘flipped learning’ a pedagogical approach (teaching method) that supports my philosophy of ‘student-centred’ and ‘active’ learning. The student perception was positive, with most students saying it better prepared them for the in-person workshops, building confidence to independently explore the tasks set, resulting in a richer learning experience. I presented my findings through a poster presentations at various events within the University of Leeds.

INDUSTRY WORK & PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

Alongside my academic role, I continue to work in the media industry as a Senior Journalist at the BBC and Bauer Media Group. It’s here that I regularly present UK, national and local news bulletins for BBC Radio 5 Live, the BBC’s Central News Service, and many Bauer news services. Additionally, I serve as a consultant for the Gibraltar Broadcasting Corporation, reporting directly to the CEO and the Board of Directors. In this capacity, I provide strategic guidance and recommendations for organisational development, while also delivering training and coaching to presenters, producers, and journalists to enhance editorial and production standards. Prior to joining the University of Leeds, I held a range of positions across the radio sector, including senior management roles overseeing a network of commercial radio stations.

I am regularly invited to serve as a judge for industry awards, drawing on my professional expertise and understanding of best practice within journalism, podcasting and broadcasting.

- Judge for the prestigious audio industry awards the ARIAS (2024 & 2026)

- Judge for The Royal Television Society Yorkshire Awards (2025)

- Judge for the British Podcast Awards (2024 & 2025)

- Judge for the Independet Podcast Awards (2025)

- Judge for the Community Radio Awards (2023, 2024 & 2025)

I am also a Senior Fellow at the John Schofield Trust, through which I mentor early-career journalists. The charity helps them access and navigate the profession by providing world-class mentoring and training.

• Research, presentations and publications.

- In September 2025, I was invited to share my work around how “working industry academics” can help “bridge the gap” between the academy and industry, at the ECREA (European Communication Research and Education Association) conference in Sheffield. My presentation examined collaborative initiatives undertaken with colleagues at the University of Leeds, highlighting our engagement with industry partners and the dissemination of our work beyond the university context.

- In January 2025, I presented at the Association for Journalism Education Winter Conference. My presentation asked ‘Does working across industry and academia come at a cost?’ My presentation looked at some of the challenges facing academics who work in the journalism industry, exploring the benefits for students, universities, and industry, but asking whether it comes at a cost for the individual. I concluded that despite some pressures on the individual, being a “working industry academic” can help “bridge the gap” between the academy and industry.

PODCASTING

Podcasting is a particular interest of mine and one of my research areas. I produce ‘The Sound of Politics’ podcast hosted by Emeritus Professor Stephen Coleman. It explores the way politicians speak to the public, how the public speak to politicians, and what the two think of each other. In the autumn of 2025, it was shortlisted in two categories at the Independent Podcast Awards; News&Politics and Best Jingle.

I am a member of the leadership team for Humanities Podcast Network. We’re a group of instructors, scholars and independent creators who work together to promote and support the transformative impact of audio media.

I am also part of the Education Through Podcasting team who collaborate to organise an annual conference allowing academics, researchers and practitioners to share and disseminate research and experience of teaching, learning and training through podcasts. We also edit and produce a book series focusing on this subject.

In the 2025-2026 academic year I am leading on an exciting pedagogical project that uses podcasts as a medium to enhance political literacy and media competencies among secondary school students. If successful, the initial project working with partners Leeds33 and the British Library, can be expanded to other schools.

• Research, presentations and publications.

My chapter ‘Is it time to regulate podcasts?’ in the book titled ‘Podcasting in the future of Journalism’ was published in spring 2025. It includes insights from a piece of research I’m carrying out with podcast creators asking the question ‘would the podcasting industry benefit from regulation? In September 2025, I presented my research so far, at the 8^th ECREA Radio and Sound conference hosted at the University of Sheffield.

In May 2025, I presented at the EPOD (Education through Podcasting) conference. The presentation was titled ‘Podcasts: A versatile tool in education’ and looked at how they can have a positive impact on the learning experience. In the lead-up to the event, I led the development and launch of the EPOD Podcast, taking on the roles of producer and host for its inaugural series.

Panel speaker at the Humanities Podcasting Symposium 2024. Session 8: Best Practices for Podcasting as Political Inquiry and Action (Friday 8^th November 2024).

Article published 26^th July 2024: Political podcasts exploded during the UK election – is it time to regulate them?

Article published 14^th July 2024 (co-written with Professor Stephen Coleman): Is this the first podcast election? - UK Election Analysis

Responsibilities

• School of Media and Communication Academic Integrity Lead

Research interests

Journalism; Podcasts; Radio; Broadcast Media; Journalism Teaching;

Qualifications

• MA Broadcast Journalism
• Postgraduate Certificate Academic Practice
• Fellowship of Higher Education Academy - Advance HE

Professional memberships

• MeCCSA (Media, Communication and Cultural Studies)
• The Radio Academy
• Humanities Podcast Network
• Education Through Podcasting
• Association for Journalism Education