Communications

Biographical Details:

I joined the staff at DCU in September 2010 where I am a senior lecturer in political communication and journalism, and chairperson of the MA in Political Communication. In September 2012 I was appointed Associate Dean for Research in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. Publications include histories of Fine Gael, Democratic Left and Sinn Fein as well as editing 'Irish Journalism Before Independence: More a Disease than a Profession' (Manchester University Press, 2011) and co-editing 'Independent Newspapers: A History' (Four Courts, 2012). I previously worked as a political journalist with The Irish Times (political reporter), The Sunday Times (political correspondent), Sunday Tribune (political editor/assistant editor) and Magill magazine (editor). I also worked with RTE as a correspondent on Prime Time and as a radio presenter in the RTE newsroom primarily on This Week but also on Morning Ireland and the News at One. I was mainly based in  Leinster House but also covered elections in the United Kingdom and Germany as well as foreign news events in Malawi, Tanzania, the Beslan School massacre and the death of Pope John Paul II.  I continue to write and broadcast on media and political topics. Prior to working in DCU I spent two years as Head of the Department of Film and Media at the National Film School, IADT Dun Laoghaire. Current research projects include an examination of media coverage during the 2011 Irish general election, a study of televised leader debates and a biography of foreign correspondent, E. J. Dillon. I am interested in hearing from prospective PhD students in areas related to my research interests. Education: Trinity College, Dublin [BA(Mod); MLitt]; University College Dublin [MA];  Dublin Institute of Technology [PhD].

Research Interests:

Media and the political process; journalism studies and media history; public service broadcasting; political advertising; Northern Ireland; small political parties

Selected Peer Reviewed Journals

• Kevin Rafter and Steven Knowlton. 2013. 'That's shocking news': journalism and reporting a politician's illness. Journalism Studies, 14, 3
• I. McMenamin, R. Flynn, E. O'Malley, K. Rafter. 2013. Commercialism and Election Framing: A content analysis of twelve newspapers in the 2011 Irish general election. International Journal Of Press/politics, 18, 2
• Kevin Rafter. 2012. Redefining the presidency: the politics of a 'non-political' office. Irish Political Studies, 27, 4
• Kevin Rafter. 2011. Hear no evil - see no evil: political advertising in Ireland. Journal Of Public Affairs, 11, 2, pp93-99.
• Kevin Rafter. 2011. Bombers and Mavericks: Magill Magazine's Coverage of Northern Ireland, 1977-1990. Media History, 17, 1, pp61-75.
• Kevin Rafter. 2009. Run out of the Gallery: The changing nature of Irish political journalism. Irish Communications Review, 11, , pp93-103.
• Kevin Rafter. 2008. George Mitchell and the role of the peace talks chairman. Irish Review, Spring, 38, pp13-21.
• Kevin Rafter. 2003. Leadership Changes in Fine Gael & the Labour Party. Irish Political Studies, 18, 1, pp108-119.
• Kevin Rafter. 2003. Priests and Peace: The role of Redemptorist Order in the Northern Ireland Peace Process. Estudios Irlandeses, Spring/Autumn 28, 1, pp159-176.
• Kevin Rafter. 2000. Making it up as they went along - residential property tax and policy change. Irish Political Studies, 15, , pp63-82.
• Kevin Rafter. 1997. Allocating the Structural Funds. Administration, 45, 3, pp48-66.

Selected Books

• Mark O'Brien and Kevin Rafter (eds.). Independent Newspapers: A History, Four Courts Press, 2012.
• Kevin Rafter (editor). Irish Journalism Before Independence: More a Disease than a Profession, Manchester University Press, 2011.
• Kevin Rafter. The Road to Power: How Fine Gael Made History, New Island, 2011.
• Kevin Rafter. Democratic Left: The Life and Death of an Irish Political Party, Irish Academic Press, 2011.
• Kevin Rafter. Fine Gael: Party at the Crossroads, New Island, 2009.
• Charlie Bird and Kevin Rafter. This is Charlie Bird, Gill & Macmillan, 2006.
• Kevin Rafter. Sinn Fein 1905-2005: In the shadow of gunmen, Gill & Macmillan, 2005.
• Kevin Rafter. Martin Mansergh: A Biography, New Island, 2002.
• Kevin Rafter. The Clann: A History of Clann na Poblachta, Mercier Press, 1996.
• Kevin Rafter. Neil Blaney: Soldier of Destiny, Blackwater Press, 1993.

Selected Chapters

• Kevin Rafter. 2013. Political Journalism. Specialist Journalism
• Kevin Rafter. 2012. A tale of `womanly intuition' - Hector Legge at the Sunday Independent, 1940-70. , pp119-132.
• Kevin Rafter. 2012. Profits, politics and personal position: the role of the proprietor. , pp195-206.
• Kevin Rafter. 2012. To the left of Labour: the Workers' Party and Democratic Left, 1982-97. Radical or Redundant: Minor Parties in Irish Politics, pp173-187.
• Kevin Rafter. 2012. Labour and the media: the promise of socialism, negative campaigning and The Irish Times. Making the Difference? The Irish Labour Party, 1912-2012, pp125-138.
• Kevin Rafter. 2012. When the `wild west' came to the local newspaper market. What We Mean by Local, pp28-34.
• Kevin Rafter. 2012. 'An appointment to view' - the role of RTE's Independent Production Unit in documentary making . Documentary in a Changing State: Ireland since the 1990s, pp104-114.
• Kevin Rafter. 2011. E.J. Dillon: from our special correspondent. Irish journalism before independence: More a disease than a profession, pp91-105.
• Kevin Rafter. 2011. Introduction. Irish journalism before independence: More a disease than a profession, pp1-8.
• Kevin Rafter. 2011. The Power to Censor: The Catholic Church, the Media and Child Sexual Abuse. In Plain Sight: Responding to the Ferns, Ryan, Murphy and Cloyne Reports, pp256-263.
• Kevin Rafter. 2011. Televised Leader Debates in Ireland: Wider Lessons from the 2011 General Election. Leadership and new trends in political communication, pp285-306.
• Kevin Rafter. 2011. 'Get there and stay for two or three weeks, or until the money runs out': the Irish media's engagement with foreign news reporting . News in Europe, Europe on News., pp159-170.
• Kevin Rafter. 2010. Reporting the Oireachtas: Irish Political and Parliamentary Journalism since 1922. The Houses of the Oireachtas: Parliament in Ireland, pp400-414.

Reviews

• Kevin Rafter. 2011. The Lost Revolution: Hanley and Millar (Dublin: Penguin, 2009). Science & Society, 75,

Selected Non-peer Reviewed Journals

• Farrell, S., Meehan, C., Murphy, G. and Rafter, K. 2011. Assessing the Irish General Election of 2011: A Roundtable. New Hibernia Review, 15, pp36-53.
• Rafter, Kevin. 2009. Political Advertising: The Regulatory Position and the Public View. Broadcasting Authority of Ireland,
• Rafter, Kevin. 2006. `This Morning Refused Breakfast...'. Hunger Strike, Brandon Books,
• Rafter, Kevin. 2004. Purity and Peace. The Irish Review, pp132-135.
• Rafter, Kevin. 2003. The Irish government and the peace process, 1992-94: An observer's perspective. Dublin: Institute for British-Irish Studies, UCD, Working papers in British-Irish studies; 30,

• Kevin Rafter, Evil Literature: How the News of the World was banned in Ireland, Newspaper and Periodical History Forum, 15-NOV-12 - 16-NOV-12, Kingston University, London
• Kevin Rafter, Public interest and individual taste in reporting political illness, Media and the Boundaries of Disclosure: Media, Morals, Public Shaming and Privacy, 23-FEB-12 - 24-FEB-12, University of Oxford, Reuters Institute
• Kevin Rafter, Local newspapers and the aftermath of the 'wild west' acquisition boom, Crisis in Ireland's regional newspaper industry: Consequences for the public and the journalistic profession, 01-DEC-11 - 01-DEC-11, University of Limerick
• Kevin Rafter, The television debates in 2011: What happened to leadership?, Political Studies Association of Ireland, 21-OCT-11 - 23-OCT-11, University College Dublin
• Kevin Rafter, Televised Leader Debates in Ireland, Leadership and new trends in political communication, 20-MAY-11 - 21-MAY-11, LUISS University Rome
• Kevin Rafter, Money Matters: The role finances played in the demise of Democratic Left, Political Studies Association of Ireland, 08-OCT-10 - 10-OCT-10, Dublin Institute of Technology
• Kevin Rafter, E.J. Dillon and the Irish born foreign correspondents, Journalism and History: Dialogues, 15-SEP-10 - 15-SEP-10, University of Sheffield
• Kevin Rafter, The impact of the Sound & Vision Fund on the meaning of Public Service Broadcasting in Ireland , Bi-annual RIPE (Re-Visionary Interpretations of the Public Enterprise) conference , 09-SEP-10 - 11-SEP-10, University of Westminster
• Kevin Rafter, Bombers and Mavericks: Magill magazine's coverage of Northern Ireland, 1977-90 , Newspaper and Periodical History Forum of Ireland , 20-NOV-09 - 21-NOV-09, Dublin Institute of Technology
• Kevin Rafter, Hear no evil. See no evil. Political Advertising in Ireland., Political Studies Association of Ireland annual conference, 09-OCT-09 - 10-OCT-09, Liverpool Hope University
• Kevin Rafter, Foreign News: The case of Ireland, News in Europe. News on Europe., 28-AUG-09 - 30-AUG-09, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan.
• Kevin Rafter, Beyond the Lobby: How political journalism has been redefined in Ireland , Journalism in Crisis, 19-MAY-09 - 20-MAY-09, University of Westminster