POOLE, Elizabeth (Anne) 1969-

PERSONAL: Born March 1, 1969, in Crewe, Cheshire, England; daughter of Gordon (a manager in insurance business) and Pamela Anne (a primary school teacher) Poole; married Richard Metz (a carpenter), June 29, 2001; children: Jude. Ethnicity: "White." Education: University of Lancaster, B.Ed. (with honors), 1991; University of Warwick, M.A. (British cultural studies), 1993; University of Leicester, Ph.D. (mass communications), 2000.

ADDRESSES: Offıce—Department of Media, Journalism, and Cultural Studies, Staffordshire University, College Rd., Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire ST4 2DE, England. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER: Began career as primary school teacher; social studies teacher at a secondary school in Essex, England, 1993-96; Staffordshire University, Stoke-on-Trent, England, senior lecturer in media studies, 2000—. Guest speaker at other institutions, including University of Hull and University of Westminster.

MEMBER: Media, Communication, and Cultural Studies Association, Institute of Learning and Teaching.

WRITINGS:

Reporting Islam: Media Representations of British Muslims, I. B. Tauris and Co. (New York, NY), 2002.

Contributor to books, including Islam and the West in the Mass Media: Fragmented Images in a Globalising World, edited by K. Hafez, Hampton Press, 1999; and Black Marks: Minority Ethnic Audiences and Media, edited by K. Ross and P. Playdon, Ashgate Publishing (Burlington, VT), 2001. Contributor to periodicals, including Inter/sections, and Sociological Review.

WORK IN PROGRESS: Research on ethnicity, news, minority media, globalization, new technologies, diaspora, and research methods.

SIDELIGHTS: Elizabeth Poole told CA: "My motivations for my current career are based on enjoyment of reading, research, and teaching. I began with a career in teaching, which I found rewarding, developing rapport with students and generating debate. My interest in social issues and sociology in general were stimulated in post-sixteen education where, having been brought up in a monocultural, conservative environment, I studied Islam in religious studies at 'A level.'

"Although I began my career in primary education, I missed the learning involved in teaching at a higher level, so I returned to university to study cultural studies. Here I began to study the media, politics, and society, and I was excited by knowledge not previously encountered, which allowed me to look at life in a different way. In one course we discussed the Rushdie Affair, which stimulated my interest further in the relationship between religion, politics, and society, and which heightened my awareness of Muslims in Britain. I was able to pursue my interest in the role of the media in our perceptions of others in a further teaching position in post-sixteen education, teaching social sciences. I developed this interest fully when, for my doctorate, I was able to examine the theory that the media has a role in our perception of others but that this is mediated by other factors. Events since then have further heightened awareness of Muslims in the public sphere. It is vital in today's society that we have an awareness of the media's role in reporting events to us.

"My family have been hugely motivational and the bedrock of my life—unequivocally supportive. Without them, my writing would not have been possible.

"Through my work I am able to challenge some perceptions and encourage people to think critically about information that is presented to them. My work is currently research-led and therefore well grounded with evidence, rather than speculative or solely theoretical. It is this aspect of the work I particularly enjoy.

"An academic career allows one to stand back and have the chance to reflect on society. Education should be valued for education's sake, as it encourages people to be critical and reflective, and hopefully more considerate human beings. Being a student allows people to experience a different kind of life. Being a student, for me, opened up my eyes to new experiences and knowledge and allowed me to travel, move around, and therefore be introduced to new experiences."