Maxwell Modell
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maxwellmodell.bsky.social
Maxwell Modell
@maxwellmodell.bsky.social
89 followers 100 following 58 posts
Research Associate at Cardiff University School of Journalism, Media and Culture studying impartiality in UK political news.

Other research interests include all things podcasts, political interviews and broadcast talk

He/Him
Posts Replies Media Videos
Reposted by Maxwell Modell
llantwit.bsky.social
Some really (and qualifiedly) good news from Cardiff UCU @cardiffucu.bsky.social :
No redundancies next year, no downgrading of professional services staff.
And all without the need for disruptive industrial action, which nobody at all wants.

nation.cymru/news/cardiff...
Cardiff University agrees to no compulsory redundancies in 2026
Martin Shipton Union members at Cardiff University have welcomed “major concessions” from management including no compulsory redundancies in 2026 in an ongoing dispute about job cuts and working condi...
nation.cymru
December 19, 2025 at 1:20 PM
Reposted by Maxwell Modell
stephencushion.bsky.social
Rise of Reform's coverage in TV coverage through 2025 well illustrated in our new @cujournmedcul.bsky.social study 👇
gerryhassan.bsky.social Gerry Hassan @gerryhassan.bsky.social · 14d
How the BBC & ITV give disproportionate coverage to Farage & Reform: hard evidence from a serious study. BBC & ITV now give Reform more coverage than the Conservatives, more than the Lib Dems & nine times the Greens. Superb research from Stephen Cushion.
www.enhancingimpartiality.com/blog/broadca...
December 18, 2025 at 8:35 AM
Reposted by Maxwell Modell
robinince.bsky.social
Very sad that I felt I had no choice but to resign from The Infinite Monkey Cage - a victory for the transphobes and other bigots - I did it because so much of the media has chosen to believe the kind and empathetic people are a fiction - they are real and so often unrepresented.
This is the saddest day of my professional life. Today is not only the final recording of the latest series of The Infinite Monkey Cage, it is my last ever Monkey Cage. I never thought that I would have to leave the show. I always imagined going on until | dropped dead under the studio lights due to a brain aneurysm caused by my final attempt to understand notions of quantum gravity or the shock of being told about fly maggot infestations in the sacks of macaque monkeys. I resigned in September, after sixteen years of dedication to the show, A show that I named and helped develop over all those years. Unfortunately, my opinions outside the BBC have been considered problematic for sometime, whether it has been voicing support for the trans community, criticism of Donald Trump, numerous other outlandish opinions, including once gently criticising Stephen Fry. These things were considered to conflict with being a freelance BBC science presenter In a recent meeting where BBC Studio executives again voiced problems with me, I realised my choices. Obedience and being quieter to remain making Monkey Cage, or 'Resign and have the freedom to speak out against what I believe are injustices'. • I chose the latter. It broke my heart. I love this show and I love the audience, and it is because of the audience in particular, that this decision was so difficult to make. I kept thinking about all the extremist voices promoting hate and division. They are being given so many platforms, while voices that represent kindness, open mindedness, empathy seem to be scarcer and scarcer. I felt I couldn't pamper myself with the luxury of silence. One of my many privileges is that I am able to resign and I can speak out even if it is to the detriment of my career. I have thought a lot about my heroes, Sinead O Connor, James Baldwin, Audre Lorde, and so many more. I think of Sinead's words, "the job of an artist is to be themselves at any cost". James Baldwin said prejudice was really just a word for cowardice. Audre Lorde, viewing her life, wrote that her only regrets were her silences. I think of my father as I resign, he brought me up to believe in fairness , justice and kindness. Though my heart is broken, it is also full of fire. I apologise to our incredible listeners for my departure, your love of the show means a great deal. I am so sorry to let you down. I hope that you can understand my reasoning. I have to accept that I am not what the current BBC expects of their freelance presenters. Despite this I should add that I have always worked far more than my contracted hours to try and ensure the show was always the best it could be, as well as making myself accessible and responsive to the audience wherever and whenever I met them. Every night, we have recorded, I have been filled with determination to make the best show possible. This was not "just a job" I hope that with my departure I can be a better ally to the LGBTQ community, to the neurodivergent community, to activists fighting against those who aim to brutalise society, to those currently in prison on hunger strike, and to all those who fight for a more inclusive world. From many conversations, I know there are many Monkey Cage listeners who support these communities and activists too. The strawberry is dead. Long live the strawberry. B
December 13, 2025 at 12:02 AM
maxwellmodell.bsky.social
Detailed summary of our latest report on opposition party coverage in broadcast news 👇
December 12, 2025 at 4:35 PM
Reposted by Maxwell Modell
rmcunliffe.bsky.social
Exclusive: Reform overtook the Tories as the most referenced opposition party on both the BBC and ITV.

“Reform UK was the dominant party in more than twice as many stories as the Conservatives and just under four times more stories than the Liberal Democrats."

www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-...
Exclusive: Reform overtakes the Conservatives in media mentions
New research from Cardiff University finds Reform is now treated as the opposition party on mainstream news shows
www.newstatesman.com
December 12, 2025 at 1:42 PM
maxwellmodell.bsky.social
Nuanced and engaging write up of our latest impartiality study in @newstatesman1913.bsky.social by @rmcunliffe.bsky.social

Empirical evidence of how broadcasters actually cover opposition parties and how successfully they reflect an emerging multi-party system.

www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-...
Exclusive: Reform overtakes the Conservatives in media mentions
New research from Cardiff University finds Reform is now treated as the opposition party on mainstream news shows
www.newstatesman.com
December 12, 2025 at 2:11 PM
maxwellmodell.bsky.social
Awesome talk from Dr Patricia Jimenez at the EMCA Doctoral Network. Patricia did an amazing job at penetrating the question of why we do membership categorisation analysis and how it can help us understand members' situated sense-making practices.

Great data on classrooms and lay definitions of AI
robinjsmith.bsky.social Rob Smith @robinjsmith.bsky.social · 23d
Dr Patricia Jimenez presenting on the uses and troubles with MCA across her projects on members’ sense-making practices. Questions of producing adequate descriptions of occasioned patternings of categorial orders.

#EMCA
#MCA
Image of Patricia sat at a table, presenting in front of a PowerPoint screen.
December 5, 2025 at 8:49 PM
Reposted by Maxwell Modell
perkinskeighley.bsky.social
New Office of National Statistics figures show net migration dropped to just over 200,000 in the year ending June.

While the government will point to this as progress on a key pledge, the wider picture is much more complex.

🔗 tinyurl.com/2yaxnmtk

🧵👇

#impartiality #impartialityproject #migration
Net migration has dropped to pre-Brexit levels – why it may not be enough to satisfy voters
The public may not be aware that numbers have fallen, and those who are aware may not consider 200,000 to be particularly low.
tinyurl.com
December 2, 2025 at 4:18 PM
Reposted by Maxwell Modell
lewisgoodall.com
🚨 JOB ALERT 🚨

We’re looking for a brilliant producer to lead my @LBC Sunday show

Come and help make news, provide the best insight, digital content and prove Sunday political shows aren’t boring

Link below. Any Qs get in touch 👇

careers.global.com/jobs/R0009023
Producer
Find your next move. Join our talented and passionate Globallers doing the best work of their career.
careers.global.com
November 29, 2025 at 12:15 PM
maxwellmodell.bsky.social
I started my day with some light ethnomethodological reading of @cathtam.bsky.social & @robinjsmith.bsky.social's engaging introduction to their new special issue on social asymmetries in action, arguing for the efficacy of EM/CA approaches to studying "big" sociological concerns in local contexts
November 27, 2025 at 10:10 AM
maxwellmodell.bsky.social
Excellent talk from Dr Natalie-Anne Hall
perkinskeighley.bsky.social Dr Keighley Perkins @perkinskeighley.bsky.social · Nov 26
I’ve just attended a fascinating talk exploring how the online reactionary right mobilises, constructs identity, & frames its relationship to knowledge in the digital landscape.

🧵👇

Thanks to @maxwellmodell.bsky.social for organising it!

#radicalright #reactionaryright #politicaldiscourse #Brexit
November 26, 2025 at 8:20 PM
Reposted by Maxwell Modell
mattwalshjourno.bsky.social
A not very convincing day of evidence from the BBC board and its advisors to the media select committee
mattwalsh.substack.com/p/crisis-wha...
Crisis what crisis? A day of unconvincing testimony on the BBC
A big boy did it and ran away, say BBC board members to Parliament
mattwalsh.substack.com
November 25, 2025 at 10:03 AM
Reposted by Maxwell Modell
josiahmortimer.bsky.social
There is so much messed up about this front page Express story today.

There's no suggestion or evidence ANY alcohol or drugs was consumed. This is literally just people dancing.

And buried in the piece: "The footage is believed to have been filmed just before Labour took power in July last year."
Daily Express: "It's raving mad" front page - exclusive: "Anger as asylum seekers filmed partying at former RAF base"
November 19, 2025 at 11:44 AM
Reposted by Maxwell Modell
perkinskeighley.bsky.social
A new article by @stephencushion.bsky.social for @theconversation.com highlights while the BBC is no stranger to accusations of bias, the Prescott memo is far from the rigorous assessment many assumed it to be.

🔗 tinyurl.com/3cx8edjp

🧵👇

#journalism #journalismstudies #BBC #mediareporting
BBC bias? The Prescott memo falls well short of the standards of impartiality it demands
The Prescott memo contained no research questions or objectives, method, sample, time frame or, crucially, analytical framework for examining output.
tinyurl.com
November 17, 2025 at 11:10 AM
maxwellmodell.bsky.social
Excellent article from @stephencushion.bsky.social interrogating the quality of evidence in the Prescott memo and whether it proves its claims of systematic bias in the BBC.

Ultimately, it is a rallying cry for robust, transparent and clearly evidenced research into the impartiality.
November 14, 2025 at 2:46 PM
Reposted by Maxwell Modell
michaelsavage.bsky.social
NEW: Lisa Nandy to look again at political appointments to the BBC’s board as part of charter renewal discussions.

She said concerns have been raised over the appointment of Sir Robbie Gibb, a Conservative first appointed to the board by Boris Johnson.
November 14, 2025 at 8:37 AM
Reposted by Maxwell Modell
michaelsavage.bsky.social
NEW: The Prescott report that led to Tim Davie's downfall included claims of "systemic bias" on the trans issue at the BBC.

But a reporter at the heart of the BBC's reporting on the topic disagrees.

Story:

www.theguardian.com/media/2025/n...
BBC reporter who covered gender dysphoria questions claim of ‘systemic bias’
Deborah Cohen says she is not aware of any attempts within corporation to stop or shape her reporting on trans issues
www.theguardian.com
November 13, 2025 at 2:03 PM
maxwellmodell.bsky.social
@perkinskeighley.bsky.social is doing great research. This short article is a concise and to-the-point introduction to it
November 12, 2025 at 3:14 PM
Reposted by Maxwell Modell
stephencushion.bsky.social
Is there political bias at BBC Wales News - favouring @plaidcymru.bsky.social? Our new systematic study of the Caerphilly by-election coverage on BBC TV, online and social media found NO evidence supporting this allegation - BBC Wales broadly balanced coverage of the major parties 👇
stephencushion.bsky.social Stephen Cushion @stephencushion.bsky.social · Nov 6
UK-network coverage was largely framed around the decline of Welsh Labour & Reform’s political ascendancy. There was more balanced party coverage in national media in Wales, but the Reform by-election candidate was the most referenced during the campaign 2/10 public.flourish.studio/visualisatio...
References to Caerphilly by-election candidates on TV and Online News
A Flourish data visualization by Maxwll Modell
public.flourish.studio
November 12, 2025 at 10:40 AM
Reposted by Maxwell Modell
perkinskeighley.bsky.social
Since joining the impartiality project, I’ve been been diving into debates on impartiality (trying to catch up with @stephencushion.bsky.social, @mattwalshjourno.bsky.social & @maxwellmodell.bsky.social!).

Nick Bradshaw’s new IDA piece is a must-read.

🔗 tinyurl.com/ycxkbu8s

🧵👇

#impartiality #BBC
The Explainer: What Is British Impartiality (And Can It Survive)?
How the BBC elevated impartiality to its “very essence” amid documentary cancellations and regulatory pressures, and whether this embattled value can survive partisan challenges
tinyurl.com
November 11, 2025 at 10:07 AM
Reposted by Maxwell Modell
lewisgoodall.com
The reaction to the Panorama edit has been nothing short of hysterical. Yes the BBC has some impartiality problems. But its biggest isn't the one you think.

New piece from me.

open.substack.com/pub/goodalla...
The truth about impartiality at the BBC
And the hysteria of the current "crisis"
open.substack.com
November 10, 2025 at 7:22 PM
Reposted by Maxwell Modell
bylinetimes.bsky.social
🔴The BBC’s Attempts to Appease the ‘Right-Wing Coup’ Against It Are Now Seeding Its Own Destruction

By attempting to appease the forces seeking to destroy them, the BBC has helped trigger a crisis that now threatens its very future, argues @adambienkov.bsky.social

bylinetimes.com/2025/11/10/t...
The BBC’s Attempts to Appease the 'Right-Wing Coup' Against It Are Now Seeding Its Own Destruction
By attempting to appease those forces seeking to destroy them, the BBC has helped trigger a crisis that now threatens its very future, argues Adam Bienkov
bylinetimes.com
November 10, 2025 at 12:38 PM
Reposted by Maxwell Modell
perkinskeighley.bsky.social
It’s been one of the most turbulent weeks in British broadcasting.

This article from @theguardian.com provides a detailed timeline of what happened over the past week: tinyurl.com/3xu8tmaf

🧵👇

#impartiality #impartialityproject #BBC #bias #journalism #journalismstudies #media #mediastudies
BBC bias row: how a week of hostile headlines from rightwing media led to resignations
Rightwing media have published a series of attacks on the corporation after a memo from a former BBC adviser critical of its output
tinyurl.com
November 10, 2025 at 10:43 AM
maxwellmodell.bsky.social
The shock resignations of the Director General and the CEO of the BBC News are the culmination of a series of controversies over recent years (Gary Lineker, Gaza, Bob Vylan, and now the Trump documentary edit).

Here is my list of academic literature to help unpack this extraordinary moment 👇
November 10, 2025 at 10:36 AM
Reposted by Maxwell Modell
michaelsavage.bsky.social
An extraordinary moment for the BBC as Tim Davie and head of BBC News are out.

So much to say on this - not least that BBC folk had been hoping for a pushback on the idea of general bias at the BBC.

But first, a story of the shock departure of two huge figures:

www.theguardian.com/media/2025/n...
Tim Davie resigns as BBC director general after accusations of ‘serious and systemic’ bias in coverage
Davie says departure is ‘my own decision’, while head of news also quits with BBC preparing to apologise for editing of a Trump speech
www.theguardian.com
November 9, 2025 at 7:40 PM