Huge congratulations to Margaret Hughes, who has been elected as the new Chair of the World Journalism Education Council!
Margaret served as the Chair of AJE (UK) from 2016 to 2023. During her tenure, she successfully established AJE’s reputation within the UK and internationally, solidifying its position as a vital platform for journalism educators to exchange research, teaching practices, and most importantly, to form a supportive community within the often challenging academic environment. Prior to her career in academia, Margaret worked as a magazine editor and PR manager.
She has demonstrated exceptional leadership as the head of the journalism department at the University of the West of Scotland and has been entrusted with several important initiatives at UWS, focusing on learning and teaching, quality assurance, and industry involvement.
“Margaret has been actively involved in AJE for nearly two decades, six of which she served as our Chair,” says David Baines, the outgoing UK representative at the Council. “She has actively cultivated AJE’s standing in journalism education in the UK, fostering a vibrant research community that plays a crucial role in supporting journalism educators and their students.”
Margaret has been an engaged member of the WJEC community throughout the years. She has led and participated in conferences, volunteered to organize seminars, and shared her knowledge, experience, and wisdom with enthusiasm and passion. Her significant contributions have fostered a culture of openness, respect, and understanding within WJEC, transcending geographical and institutional differences.
Outgoing WJEC Chair Verica Rupar acknowledges Margaret’s impactful contributions, stating, “She has greatly contributed to the WJEC’s culture and has been instrumental in nurturing an environment that values openness, respect, and understanding. Despite our diverse backgrounds and teaching affiliations, we are united in our commitment to advancing the transformative potential of journalism education.”
“It is a huge privilege to have been elected Chair of the WJEC and to take over from Verica Rupar is no small task!“ says Margaret, who leads the journalism programmes at the University of the West of Scotland.
“I am very much looking forward to working with journalism educators from across all of our member organisations to provide support and opportunity to share research and practice. In the same way that journalism across the world faces some unprecedented challenges around such issues as how to respond to the growing use of AI, the threats of climate change, the spread of authoritarian power that impedes press freedom and the changing roles and perceptions of what it is to be a journalist, so too does journalism education and the need for a strong, vibrant and supportive community for journalism educators is greater than ever and my hope is that WJEC will provide this.
“In the last few years WJEC has provided some great online events and will seek to continue to do this, but our thoughts are now moving very much to WJEC Perth 2025 when we hope as many colleagues as possible can join us in person for our first Congress since Paris 2019.
“I would especially like to add in my thanks to Verica who has navigated us through stormy times but left us in a robust health, we owe her a debt of gratitude and my own sincere promise that I will do my very best to continue her good work”, says Hughes.
