Biography
I have worked as a journalism lecturer since 2011, delivering a range of modules in both undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. Modules I have taught include Radio News, TV News, Radio
Bulletins, Social Media, Introduction to Broadcast Journalism, Business Journalism and more. I also supervise BA and MA Major Projects and Dissertations. Currently, I am Programme Leader for BA Journalism at Edinburgh Napier.
I have been a journalist for more than 35 years. My main area of practice is radio journalism, although I have also reported and written for television, print and online. I have worked in local, regional and national radio, including 20 years with BBC Radio - World Service and domestic channels.
Research outputs:
Kocic, A. (2023) BBC radio in Scotland - national, regional and local: mission impossible? Journal of Radio and Audio Media (Forthcoming)
Kocic, A., Coleman, J., Padfield, J. and Milicev, J., (2021). Community radio as citizen journalism. In Reappraising Local and Community News in the UK (pp. 81-93). Routledge.
Kocic, A., & Milicev, J. (2020). Challenges for public service radio in small nations: Lessons from Scotland. In P. Savage, M. Medina, & G. F. Lowe (Eds.), Universalism in public service media (pp. xx–xx). Gothenburg: Nordicom, University of Gothenburg.
Kocic, A. and Milicev, J. (2019) Possible models of local news provision by radio in Scotland: A mixed methods study. Journal of Digital Media and Policy, 10(2), pp. 183-201.
Kocic, A. (2017) Hands On or Hands Off: reviewing Newsday as a teaching tool, Journalism Education Vol 6, No 1, 67-74.
Kocic, Ceballos, Mateos (2013) La radio como difusora de cultura politica: Europea Radio y las elecciones presidenciales estadounidenses In Contreras (eds) +Ciencia: Como trabajar la divulgacion cientifica desde las radios universitarias Madrid: Comunicacion Social, pp: 205-214
My conference presentations include:
Nov 2022, BBC radio in Scotland - national, regional and local: mission impossible? Paper presented at the BBC Radio 1922-2022: Navigating the waves of change conference in Luton, UK.
Sept 2022, The origins of BBC Scotland’s local radio policy. Paper presented at the BBC at 100 Symposium in Bradford, UK.
Sept 2022, Community radio skills assessment project. Paper presented at the Meccsa 2022 conference in Aberdeen, UK
Dec 2018, Where listeners make news - what is news on community radio in Scotland? Paper presented at What is News Conference, Brussels, Belgium
Oct 2018, Challenges for public service radio in small nations: lessons from Scotland. Paper presented at the RIPE 2018 conference in Madrid, Spain.
July 2018, National, regional, local? What should public service radio in Scotland be? Paper presented at Radio Studies conference in Prato, Italy
Nov 2017, How Local can National/Regional Be? The peculiar position of BBC Radio Scotland in local news provision. Paper presented at Radio Studies Network: Reaching Out: The past, present and future of BBC Local Radio conference De Montfort University
Nov 2017, 50 years without local BBC radio in Scotland. What’s the way forward? Paper presented at BBC Local Radio 50th Anniversary Symposium by Westminster School of Media, Arts and Design, University of Westminster
June 2016, Hands On or Hands Off: The value of Newsday as a tool in the teaching of journalism. Paper presented at the annual AJE conference in London
January 2016, How useful is Newsday in the teaching of journalism. Paper presented at HEA conference on Innovation in Education, Brighton
Funding:
Scottish community radio journalistic skills assessment (2022-2023) (Amount awarded: £4029, by the Royal Society of Edinburgh)
The aim of the project is to assess the needs of community radio volunteers in Scotland, so that they can assume a bigger role in local news provision. My previous research has established that the majority of community radio stations in Scotland - which are almost entirely run by volunteers - wish to dedicate more time in their programming to local news and current affairs but lack the journalistic skills, in particular around news gathering and writing and knowledge of regulatory requirements. This study will establish in detail what the volunteers' needs are, which is expected to lead to the next stage of the project – design and delivery of training courses for community radio volunteers.
Recognition:
External Adviser, Validation Panel for BA Journalism, Teesside University (2015)
External Adviser, Validation Panel for MA Journalism, University of Chester (Sept - Dec 2017)
External Examiner, MA Journalism, University of Chester, 2018 - 2023
External Examiner, MA TV Production and MA Broadcast Media, University of Chester, 2018 - 2023
External examiner, BA (Hons) International Journalism, University of Central Lancashire (2019-2023)
External examiner: MA Automotive Journalism + MA Global Journalism and Public Relations (2023- )
Conference Activity
Keynote speaker, "Media literacy in education - prerequisite for youth involvement in the social and political processes in Macedonia" Conference, Skopje, North Macedonia, Dec 2018. I was invited to this conference to speak about my news literacy project on combating disinformation.
Organising committee member, BBC Radio 1922-2002: Navigating the waves of change Conference at University of Bedfordshire, Luton (November 2022)
Media Activity
Media and politics commentator with regular appearances in Scottish and Serbian media.
Fellowships & Awards
Fellow, The Higher Education Academy (since 2016)
Other examples of esteem and recognition
News Futures 2035 action-research group member (2022- ). NF2035 is a project that brings together representatives of media organisations and academics tasked with looking at ways how to secure provision of public interest news in the near future. Edinburgh Napier is one the very few universities involved in this project and I have been invited to join this project based on my research interests and professional experience as a broadcast journalist.
Vice-chair, Meccsa Radio Studies Group (2021-). The purpose of this group is to promote radio studies among Journalism and Media Studies students in the UK, and also to promote and facilitate collaborative research in radio studies.
Panel member, Young Art Journalism Awards (2016-2019). These are international art journalism awards that promote and recognise great arts and culture journalism produced by university students from all over the world.
Panel member, Community Radio Annual Awards (2020-2022)
Steering Group member, Scottish Parliament Citizens’ Panel on COVID-19
Invitations to speak at a number of events on fighting disinformation, including panels organised by the University of Edinburgh and Edinburgh Sceptics Society.