Associate Professor Dr Anthony Ridge-Newman
PhD (Lond.) MSc (Surrey) BSc (First Class) PgDip FHEA
Associate Dean, Faculty of Creative Arts and Humanities, Liverpool Hope University
Associate Professor Anthony Ridge-Newman is an Associate Dean for the Faculty of Creative Arts and Humanities at Liverpool Hope University.
Biography:
I hold a University of London PhD in Politics. A year of my research was based at the University of Oxford, as a member of Hertford College. My research specialism is in political organisation, change and communication.
I have an MSc in Social Research Methods from the University of Surrey; and a first class BSc (Hons), during my studies for which I spent a year at the University of North Carolina in the United States. I am a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and have teaching experience that spans over 30 years. At Hope, I co-lead an international Community of Practice and have been nominated for three Hope Star Awards.
I have been a practitioner in journalism, politics and commercial strategic communication.
My career began in the performing arts. I trained at three world leading conservatoires in London, including at the Ballet Rambert School. I gained a Trinity College London diploma in professional dance and performing arts. I spent a decade working in the performing arts, before attending university for an undergraduate degree.
I have worked in academic posts at the universities of London, Glasgow and Roehampton and had a post doc relationship with Warwick University.
Teaching Specialisms:
At Hope, my research and teaching has been based in the School of Humanities and previously the Business School. I have supervised PhDs to successful completion and enjoy working on diverse and interdisciplinary projects.
- Political Communication Theory
- Politics, Democracy and Media
- International Media and Politics
- Political Parties, PR, NGOs and Campaigns
- Reflective Digital Practice
As a methodologist, I am trained in various research approaches including archival methods with the Institute of Historical Research, London, and social science qualitative and quantitative methods, including at the University of Essex Social Science Summer School. My approach of choice in research is to use integrated and holistic ethnographic methods, which I include in my teaching.
Faculty Roles:
At Hope, I am a Faculty Associate Dean, with a specialism in External Engagement, and member of the Faculty Leadership Team and Faculty Executive Board. In addition to the Global Dean, Dr Wendy Bignold, I am co-founding Director of the Hope Ecumenical Network, which is an international university network that links to those with a connection to Hope. I also co-convene the Political Studies Research Group at the university. I am dissertation lead, and lead the third year of the Media and Communication course. Importantly, I am the Faculty Wellbeing Champion and have led a university wide training initiative and Foundation Hour in Wellbeing and Good Practice in Communication. I am Mental Health First Aider trained and have a passion for supporting Wellbeing and Neurodiversity initiatives.
I have represented the university in ambassadorial roles at gatherings of senior politicians, governments, church leaders, academics, policy makers, and journalists in the EU and beyond, engaging with the likes of White House delegations among others. I have worked directly with the Deputy Vice Chancellor and other senior colleagues on the Project 2020 Team and led the development of the Integrated Masters programme for the School of Humanities.
I am currently engaged in social justice projects like Citizens UK. I have been an elected politician and campaigned at local, devolved and national levels. I have experience of running and winning campaigns in public sector and commercial contexts.
Research:
I have published widely in my field, including four book projects with leading academic publishers, like Palgrave Macmillan. I have had funding, research and external engagement partnerships with the likes of UK in a Changing Europe (Kings College London) and InnoLab at the University of Vaasa (Finland). I have given invited lectures at Melbourne, Australian National, Burgundy and Oxford universities, among others.
My research and I have been widely featured across print and broadcast media, including on the BBC (local, national, TV, Radio and Online); Al Jazeera; Sydney Morning Herald; TRT World News, the New Scientist; and Newsweek.
I led two global academic networks for the Political Studies Association (UK) for five years, for one of which colleagues and I won an honourable commendation for work in Equality and Diversity, bestowed by the PSA Chair at a PSA conference dinner.
Publications, since 2018:
Books
Manninen V, Niemi MK and Ridge-Newman A (eds) (2022) Futures of Journalism Technology-stimulated Evolution in the Audience-News Media Relationship. Cham: Palgrave Macmillan.
Ridge-Newman A, Leon-Solis F and O’Donnell H (eds) (2018) Reporting the Road to Brexit: International Media and the EU Referendum 2016. London: Palgrave Macmillan.
Journal Articles
Ridge-Newman A (2024) Election 2024 and the Rise of Reform UK: the beginning of the end of the Conservatives?, UK General Election Analysis 2024, CCPMR, Bournemouth.
Ridge-Newman A (2021) Communication strategy, change and the British Conservative Party. L'Observatoire de la société britannique.
Ridge-Newman A (2020) Digital media as a driver of change in political organization: 2010 and 2015 UK general elections. Media, Culture and Society. https://doi.org/10.1177/0163443720916398
Ridge-Newman A (2018) The Conservative Party: Past, Present and Future, Political Insight 9(1), pp. 30-33.
Book Chapters
Robertson C and Ridge-Newman A (2022) The Potential of Artificial Intelligence to Rejuvenate Public Trust in Journalism. In: Manninen V, Niemi MK and Ridge-Newman A (eds) Futures of Journalism Technology-stimulated Evolution in the Audience-News Media Relationship. Cham: Palgrave Macmillan.
Ridge-Newman A (2019) 'Strong and Stable' to 'Weak and Wobbly': The Conservative Election Campaign. In: Wring D, Mortimore R and Atkinson S (eds) Political Communication in Britain: Campaigning, Media and Polling in the 2017 General Election. London: Palgrave Macmillan.
Ridge-Newman A (2019) ‘Weak and wobbly’ to ‘get Brexit done’: 2019 and Conservative campaigns. In: Thorsen E, Jackson D and Lilleker D (eds) UK Election Analysis 2019: Media, Voters and the Campaign. Bournemouth University: CSJCC.
Ridge-Newman A (2018) Reporting the road to Brexit: EU Referendum and the Media. In: Ridge-Newman A, Leon-Solis F and O’Donnell H (eds) Reporting the Road to Brexit: International Media and the EU Referendum 2016. London: Palgrave Macmillan.
Ridge-Newman A, Leon-Solis F and O’Donnell H (2018) Constructing Brexit: Crisis and International Political Communication. In: Ridge-Newman A, Leon-Solis F and O’Donnell H (eds) Reporting the Road to Brexit: International Media and the EU Referendum 2016. London: Palgrave Macmillan.
Higgins M, Ridge-Newman A and McKay FM (2018) Scotland, Wales and press discourses amid the 2016 EU Referendum. In: Ridge-Newman A, Leon-Solis F and O’Donnell H (eds) Reporting the Road to Brexit: International Media and the EU Referendum 2016. London: Palgrave Macmillan.