Communications

Biographical Details:

Mark O'Brien has lectured in DCU since 2001 and is current chairperson of the BA in Communications Studies. He previously lectured at NUI Maynooth and was a visiting scholar to Boston University in the summer of 2007. He is the author of 'The Irish Times: A History' (2008) and 'The Truth in the News: De Valera, Fianna Fáil and the Irish Press' (2001). Co-edited books include 'Independent Newspapers: A History' (2012) and 'Political Censorship and the Democratic State: The Irish Broadcasting Ban' (2005). He is secretary of the Newspaper and Periodical History Forum of Ireland and chairperson of the advisory board of the Media History Collection, DCU Library & Archive. His current research projects include a book on political communication in Ireland and a book on periodicals in twentieth century Ireland.

Research Interests:

Media & Journalism History [inc. institutional history and the history of journalism in Ireland & Britain]; Journalism Studies [inc. the professional development of journalists in Ireland and issues surrounding public trust in journalists]; Political Communication, Conflict & Censorship [inc. communication policy and the representation / censorship of conflict]; Journalism & Social Change [inc. political journalism, crime journalism and the role of social affairs journalism in the modernisation of society]. He is interested in hearing from anyone considering undertaking research for an MA or PhD in any of these broad areas.

Selected Peer Reviewed Journals

• Fahy, Declan, O'Brien, Mark and Poti, Valerio. 2010. From boom to bust: A post-Celtic Tiger analysis of the norms, values and roles of Irish financial journalists. Irish Communications Review, 12, , pp5-20.

Selected Books

• O'Brien, Mark & Rafter, Kevin (eds). Independent Newspapers: A History, Four Courts Press, 2012.
• O'Brien, Mark. The Irish Times: A History, Four Courts Press, 2008.
• Corcoran, Mary. & O'Brien, Mark (eds). Political Censorship and the Democratic State: The Irish Broadcasting Ban, Four Courts Press, 2005.
• O'Brien, Mark. The Truth in the News? De Valera, Fianna Fail and the Irish Press, Irish Academic Press, 2001.

Selected Chapters

• O'Brien, Mark. 2012. 'The best interests of the nation': Frank Geary, the Irish Independent and the Spanish civil war'. , pp81-93.
• O'Brien, Mark. 2012. Independent Newspapers and Irish Society 1973. , pp170-181.
• O'Brien, Mark. 2011. Journalism in Ireland: The Evolution of a Discipline. , pp9-21.
• O'Brien, Mark. 2010. The Court of Public Opinion. Ireland of the Illusions, pp195-205.
• O'Brien, Mark. 2007. Selling Fear: The Changing Face of Crime Reporting. , pp112-127.
• O'Brien, Mark. 2006. Pressing Times: The Newspaper Industry. The Irish Media Directory and Guide, pp13-20.
• O'Brien, Mark. 2005. Disavowing Democracy: The Silencing Project in the South. Political Censorship and the Democratic State: The Irish Broadcasting Ban., pp48-58.
• O'Brien, Mark. 2004. Selling Soccer. Place and Non-Place: The Reconfiguration of Ireland., pp54-64.

Reviews

• O'Brien, Mark. 2010. Review of Morash, C. (2010) A History of the Media in Ireland, Cambridge University Press. Irish Studies Review, 18, pp468-469.

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• O'Brien, Mark, , Writing against the Grain: Dissent, Minorities & the Press in History, 16-NOV-12 - 17-NOV-12, Kingston University, London
• O'Brien, Mark, , Writing the Press into History, 18-NOV-11 - 19-NOV-11, National Library of Ireland
• O'Brien, Mark, , The Practice & Profession of Journalism Through the Ages., 19-NOV-10 - 20-NOV-10, University of Limerick
• O'Brien, Mark, Journalism in Ireland: The Contribution of the Irish Times., History and the Headlines: Contemporary Coverage and the Reassessment of Historical Events in Newspapers and Periodicals, 20-NOV-09 - 21-NOV-09, DIT, Dublin
• O'Brien, Mark, , New Directions for Press History in Ireland, 31-OCT-08 - 01-NOV-08, Moore Institute, NUI Galway
• O'Brien, Mark, Writing Newspaper History: Challenges and Opportunities, Newspapers: Past, Present and Future, 07-MAR-08 - 07-MAR-08, National Library of Ireland
• O'Brien, Mark, 'The tyranny of ideals': The Irish Times and National Identity in the Free State, Identities, Biannual Humanities Conference, 11-MAY-06 - 12-MAY-06, Dublin City University
• O'Brien, Mark, A Farewell to Empire? The Irish Times and de Valera's Constitutional Crusade, Media History in Ireland, Britain and Canada: Connections and Comparisons, 04-NOV-05 - 04-NOV-05, Moore Institute, NUI Galway
• O'Brien, Mark, 'The Supreme Egoist': De Valera and the Legacy of the Irish Press, Eamon de Valera 30 Years On, 08-SEP-05 - 10-SEP-05, The Humanities Institute of Ireland University College Dublin