REFLECTING UPON TRAVEL JOURNALISM

Ben Westwood, Freelance Journalist / Media and Communications Lecturer
Universidad de Especialidades Espíritu Santo, Ecuador

Wednesday, 8th May 2013, 5.30-6.30pm
Upper Sussex Suite, Darley Road, Eastbourne Campus

Travel journalism is viewed by many people both inside and outside the media as a dream job, but also a less serious strand of journalism. While it is sometimes derided as a means for journalists to enjoy free holidays, travel journalism plays an important role in society as a watchdog of the tourism industry.

However, in the recent economic crisis, commercial pressures have increased on the profession. Revenues are making it more difficult to turn a profit in publishing and the lines between editorial and advertorial are becoming increasingly blurred. The rise of the Internet has also led to quality control problems. While blogging and social networks provide great opportunities for independent writers to build profiles, there are huge discrepancies in the quality of travel writing on offer.

This talk will give an overview of travel journalism in Britain, analyse its strengths and weaknesses and give examples of how the profession is dealing with increasing commercial pressures.