Gary James Merrill

The first half of Gary's professional life was spent working in and writing about the technology industry. For much of the second half, he has taught journalism-related subjects at British universities. These include feature writing, research methods, and economics, politics and business for journalists.

Following the completion of a business degree at the University of Bath in 1986, Gary was a corporate software sales executive. In 1992, he became a freelance journalist specialising in the technology industry.

Over the next decade, Gary wrote for the Daily Telegraph, the Independent, IT Week, and many other publications. He also branched out into PR and provided consultancy and copywriting services for technology companies including ARM Holdings, EMC and Sun Microsystems.

In 2001, Gary began working at Cardiff University's School of Journalism, Media and Cultural Studies. Over the next eight years, he taught a variety of practical and contextual subjects. He also supervised numerous dissertations and became the deputy course co-ordinator on the international MA programme.

Gary took a mid-career break in 2008 and travelled to SE Asia by train and ship. He lived in Taiwan for six months, wrote for the Guardian and the Taipei Times and appeared on BBC radio. On his return to the UK - again by train and ship - he taught journalism at the Universities of Glamorgan and Bedfordshire and provided professional training for the National Union of Journalists (NUJ), ITV Wales and the Federation of Entertainment Unions (FEU).

In September 2009, Gary started a PhD at Goldsmiths College, University of London. In September 2011, he began a two-year contract as course leader for the BA Journalism at Buckinghamshire New University. In September 2013, Gary joined the University of Gloucestershire as senior lecturer and was course leader for the MA Journalism.

Gary was awarded his PhD in October 2015. Since then, he has been external examiner for the MA International Journalism at Cardiff University, and has delivered lectures at the University of Leicester and Birkbeck College, University of London.  

A native of the north-west, Gary has spent his adulthood in southern England and Cardiff, with six month stints in Massachusetts and Taiwan. Despite his travels, he remains an irrational - but loyal - supporter of Crewe Alexandra.

BSc (Hons.) in Business Administration - University of Bath - 1986

PhD in Journalism Studies – Goldsmiths College, University of London – 2015

Member of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ)

Member of MeCCSA

Gary’s research to date has focussed on the political content of economic, business and financial news. He is particularly interested in the representation of political ideas, movements and actors on the periphery of the mainstream. Gary is also intrigued by the sociology of journalism, especially the human element of news production and how this influences the political content of news, and the BBC, particularly the extent to which the Corporation’s output fulfils its statutory obligation to political impartiality.