Christopher Frank Atton (born 10 March 1959) is Professor of Media and Culture in the School of Arts and Creative Industries at

Edinburgh Napier University , mottoeng = Without knowledge, everything is in vain , established = 1992 – granted University status 1964 – Napier Technical College , type = Public , academic_staff = 802 , administrative_staff = 562 , chancellor = Will Whitehorn , ...

. His work focuses on

Alternative Media Alternative media are media sources that differ from established or dominant types of media (such as mainstream media or mass media) in terms of their content, production, or distribution.Downing, John (2001). ''Radical Media''. Thousand Oaks, ...

where his contribution has concentrated on the notion of alternative media not as an essentialised political position but as a set of socio-cultural processes that redraw the boundaries of expert culture and media power. His research interests include

popular music Popular music is music with wide appeal that is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. These forms and styles can be enjoyed and performed by people with little or no musical training.Popular Music. (2015). ''Fu ...

, the creative economy,

infoshops Infoshops are places in which people can access anarchist or autonomist ideas. They are often stand-alone projects, or can form part of a larger radical bookshop, archive, self-managed social centre or community centre. Typically, infoshops offer ...

, and teaching and learning in

higher education Higher education is tertiary education leading to award of an academic degree. Higher education, also called post-secondary education, third-level or tertiary education, is an optional final stage of formal learning that occurs after comple ...

. Atton has also written on

censorship Censorship is the suppression of speech, public communication, or other information. This may be done on the basis that such material is considered objectionable, harmful, sensitive, or "inconvenient". Censorship can be conducted by governments ...

and

media ethics Media ethics is the subdivision dealing with the specific ethical principles and standards of media, including broadcast media, film, theatre, the arts, print media and the internet. The field covers many varied and highly controversial topics, r ...

Education

Atton was awarded his PhD in 1999 with a study of the British alternative press; he also holds an MA (Hons) in Latin Studies from the University of Edinburgh and an MA in Mass Communications from the University of Leicester.

Academic career

Atton started academic life as a translator of

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history The history of Europe is traditionally divided into four time periods: prehistoric Europe (prior to about 800 BC), classical antiquity (800 BC to AD ...

Latin texts before training as a librarian in Leeds in 1985. After several years working in public and college libraries, he was appointed Science Librarian at Edinburgh Napier University in 1992. He was made a Fellow of the

Library Association (UK) The Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals, since 2017 branded CILIP: The library and information association (pronounced ), is a professional body for librarians, information specialists and knowledge managers in the U ...

in 1995 and received the

American Library Association The American Library Association (ALA) is a nonprofit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with 49,727 members ...

's Jackie Eubanks Memorial Award 'in recognition of outstanding achievements in promoting alternative media in libraries' in 1998. Following posts as Lecturer and Reader, Atton was conferred with Fellowship of the

Higher Education Academy Advance HE (formerly the Higher Education Academy) is a British charity and professional membership scheme promoting excellence in higher education. It advocates evidence-based teaching methods and awards fellowships as professional recogniti ...

in 2007 and appointed Professor in the School of Arts and Creative Industries in October 2008. He was appointed to membership of the

Arts and Humanities Research Council The Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), formerly Arts and Humanities Research Board (AHRB), is a British research council, established in 1998, supporting research and postgraduate study in the arts and humanities. History The Arts ...

's Peer Review College in 2010.

Scholarship

;Books *''Alternative Journalism'' (Sage, 2008, with James F. Hamilton) *''An Alternative Internet'' (Edinburgh University Press, 2004) *''Alternative Media'' (Sage, 2002) *''Alternative Literature'' (Gower, 1996) *''The Kabbalistic Diagrams of Rosenroth'' (

Christian Knorr von Rosenroth Christian Knorr von Rosenroth (15/16 July 1636 – 4 May 1689) was a German Christian Hebraist and Christian Cabalist born at Alt-Raudten (today Stara Rudna) in Silesia. After having completed his studies in the universities of Wittenberg and Le ...

) (Hermetic Research Trust, 1987) (co-translator: Stephen Dziklewicz) ;Selected articles *'Popular Music Fanzines: Genre, Aesthetics and the "Democratic Conversation"', ''Popular Music and Society'' 33(4), 2010: 517–531 *'Writing about Listening: Alternative Discourses in Rock Journalism', ''Popular Music'' 28(1), 2009: 53–67 *'Current Issues in Alternative Media Research', ''Sociology Compass'' 1(1), 2007: 17–27 *'Far-right Media on the Internet: Culture, Discourse and Power', ''New Media and Society'' 8(4), 2006: 573–587 *'News Cultures and New Social Movements: Radical Journalism and the Mainstream Media', ''Journalism Studies'' 3(4), November 2002: 491–505 *'Living in the Past?: Value Discourses in Progressive Rock Fanzines', ''Popular Music'' 20 (1), January 2001: 29–46 *'A Re-assessment of the Alternative Press', ''Media, Culture and Society'' 21(1), January 1999: 51–76 *'The librarian as ethnographer: notes towards a strategy for the exploitation of cultural collections', ''Collection Building'' 17(4), 1998: 154–158 *'Anarchy on the Internet: Obstacles and Opportunities for Alternative Electronic Publishing', ''Anarchist Studies'' 4(2), October 1996: 115–132 *'The Consideratio Brevis of Philip à Gabella', ''

The Hermetic Journal The ''Hermetic Journal'' was a quarterly journal dedicated to the Hermetic tradition, edited by Adam McLean, and published by Megalithic Research Publications of Edinburgh. The first issue was released in August 1978 and publication continued un ...

'', 1989: 79–97 (translator) ;Edited volumes *''Journalism: Theory, Practice, Criticism'': 'New Media and Journalism Practice in Africa', 12(3), August 2011 (co-editor: Hayes Mabweazara) *'' Scan: Journal of Media Arts Culture'': 'News and the Net: Convergences and Divergences', 3(1), June 2006 *''Media, Culture and Society''; 'Alternative Media', 25(5), September 2003 (co-editor: Nick Couldry) * ''Journalism: Theory, Practice, Criticism'': 'What is "Alternative Journalism?', 4(3), August 2003 ;Other A full list of book chapters, encyclopaedia entries, peer reviewed articles, keynote addresses, public lectures, conference and other items is held at the Edinburgh Napier University Repository.

Music

Atton has been a music critic and performer for thirty years, specialising in electronic, improvised and traditional musics. He has been a member of the live electronics group Certain Ants since its formation.

References

External links

Faculty Listing for Chris Atton at Edinburgh Napier University

Bad Alchemy

The Improvisor

The Sound Projector
{{DEFAULTSORT:Atton, Chris Living people Alumni of the University of Leicester Alumni of the University of Edinburgh British academics Academics of Edinburgh Napier University 1959 births Journalism academics