{{Short description|British professor of journalism (born 1961)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox person | name = | image = Kurt Barling for the British Library.jpg | alt = | caption = Barling introduces a journalism exhibit at the British Library in 2022 | birth_name = | birth_date = {{Birth year and age|1961}} | birth_place = London, England | death_date = | death_place = | nationality = | other_names = | occupation = Journalist and academic | education = City of London Polytechnic; London School of Economics; Paris Institute of Political Studies | years_active = | known_for = | notable_works = }} '''J. Kurt Barling''' (born November 1961)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/officers/dp6ZSdeQARLKlDuF4dSJWzFk7Ok/appointments|title=Kurt BARLING - Personal Appointments (free information from Companies House)|publisher=}}</ref> is a British professor of journalism at Middlesex University.<ref name=MU>{{cite web|url=https://www.mdx.ac.uk/about-us/our-people/staff-directory/profile/barling-kurt|title=Prof Kurt Barling - Middlesex University London|publisher=}}</ref><ref name=Speakers>[http://www.speakers4schools.org/speakers/kurt-barling/ Kurt Barling biography] at Speakers for Schools.</ref> He previously worked as a journalist for the BBC for 25 years<ref name=Perry>{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/bbc/10776845/BBC-doesnt-respect-or-value-ethnic-minority-staff-says-axed-reporter.html|title=BBC 'doesn't respect or value ethnic minority staff', says axed reporter|author=Keith Perry|work=The Telegraph|date=20 April 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/History/News-Events/Kurt-Barling.aspx|title=Kurt Barling - The University of Nottingham|publisher=}}</ref> and before that as a lecturer at the London School of Economics.<ref name=Features>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/london/content/articles/2005/10/17/kurt_barling_feature.shtml|title=Kurt Barling|last=TV Features|publisher=BBC London}}</ref> In 1997, he won the CRE's Reporter of the Year award.<ref name=Features /> He is also an author and has been an independent film producer.<ref name=DC />
==Biography== Kurt Barling was born in 1961, of mixed Anglo-Irish and African heritage, in north London,<ref>Kurt Barling, [https://books.google.com/books?id=qQjsCgAAQBAJ&dq=%22kurt+barling%22+mixed+heritage&pg=PT6 "Introduction"], ''The 'R' Word'', Biteback Publishing, 2015.</ref><ref>Kurt Barling, [http://www.irishtimes.com/culture/books/racism-is-not-my-only-issue-with-race-1.2474894 "Racism is not my only issue with race"], ''Irish Times'', 22 December 2015.</ref> where he attended comprehensive school.<ref name=Speakers /> He gained a BA (Hons) First-Class degree in Politics & Modern Languages from City of London Polytechnic, before winning scholarships to do postgraduate work at the London School of Economics and the Paris Institute of Political Studies (Sciences Po Paris),<ref name=DC>[http://www.digital-awards.eu/prof-kurt-barling/ "Prof. Dr Kurt Barling"], Digital Communication Awards.</ref> earning an MSc in Government and a PhD in International Relations, and going on to lecture in LSE's International Relations Department.<ref>[http://www.lse.ac.uk/intranet/diaryAndEvents/worldstage/15Feb2012.aspx "LSE Alumnus"], LSE, 15 February 2012.</ref>
Barling was motivated to become a journalist after observing the 1985 Broadwater Farm riots at first hand.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mediafocus.org.uk/kurt-barling|title=Kurt Barling - Professor of Journalism, Middlesex University - Media Masters|publisher=}}</ref> In 1989, he joined the BBC, where over the following 25 years he worked on a wide range of prestigious news and current affairs programmes, on both television and radio, including ''Newsnight'', ''Today'', ''The Money Programme'' and ''Black Britain''.<ref name=DC /> He covered many stories internationally and has made dozens of documentaries. From 1997 to 2000, he was a BBC News Correspondent, left briefly in 2000 before returning year as a freelancer with BBC London,<ref>Elizabeth Pears, [http://www.voice-online.co.uk/article/critical-friend "A Critical Friend"], ''The Voice'', 4 May 2014.</ref> and from 2001 to 2014 was the Special Correspondent for ''BBC London News'', writing a weekly online column for seven years known latterly as the blog "Barling's London".<ref>Kurt Barling, [https://www.bbc.co.uk/london/content/articles/2007/05/29/kurt_diversity.shtml "TV Features: Benefits of diversity"], BBC London, 29 May 2007.</ref><ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/kurtbarling/2011/03/tales_of_slavery_in_modern_lon.html "Barling's London"], BBC News.</ref> Barling was one of the BBC's longest-serving ethnic minority journalists.<ref name=Perry /> He has also worked as an independent film producer.<ref name=DC />
Among numerous awards Barling has received for his journalism, film-making and writing, in 1997 he won the Commission for Racial Equality (CRE) "Reporter of the Year" award, as well as several other industry awards.<ref name=MU /><ref name=Features />
Since 2012 he has been teaching and researching in the School of Media and Performing Arts at Middlesex University, becoming Professor of Journalism in November 2013.<ref name=MU /><ref>[https://www.journalismatmiddlesex.co.uk/news Journalism at Middlesex.]</ref><ref>[https://theconversation.com/profiles/kurt-barling-157203 Kurt Barling page] at ''The Conversation''.</ref><ref>[http://www.mdx.ac.uk/events/2013/11/inaugural-lecture-professor-kurt-barling "Inaugural lecture: Professor Kurt Barling"], Middlesex University, 20 November 2013.</ref>
In 2016 Barling edited and wrote an introduction to the book ''Finsternis in Deutschland'', a translation of E. Amy Buller's ''Darkness over Germany'', originally published in English in 1943 during World War II.<ref name=Buller>[https://mdxminds.com/2016/06/09/darkness-over-germany/ "Darkness over Germany"], Middlesex University, 9 June 2016.</ref> A copy of the book was presented to the Queen, who had met Buller in 1944 after the book's first publication.<ref name=Buller /><ref>[https://www.cumberlandlodge.ac.uk/about-us/darkness-over-germany "Darkness over Germany"] at Cumberland Lodge.</ref>
==Awards== * 1995: Winner, Bradford & Bingley Personal Finance Awards (''Money Check'', BBC Radio 5 Live). * 1996: Winner, Golden Pen Personal Finance Awards, (''Money Box'', BBC Radio 4). * 1997: Winner, CRE, RIMA (Race in the Media Award), TV Reporter of the Year (BBC News). * 1998: Winner, CRE, RIMA, TV Reporter of the Year (''Black Britain''). Commended, Radio Reporter of the Year (BBC News). * 2001: Nominations for Sports Documentary of the Year: Royal Television Society RTS), EMMAs. * 2002: Reporter of the Year Nominations: Royal Television Society (London), EMMAs. * 2003: Winner, CRE, RIMA, TV Reporter of the Year (''BBC London News''). * 2004: Nomination Reporter of the Year, Royal Television Society (London). * 2005: Winner, CRE, RIMA, Best Film Documentary. Nomination, CRE, RIMA TV Reporter of the Year. * 2006: Winner, RIMA, Television News. Finalist, One World Media Awards. Shortlisted, RTS London, Reporter of the Year.
==Selected publications== * Barling, Kurt, & Reda Hassaine (2014), ''Abu Hamza Guilty: The fight against radical Islam'', London: Redshank Books. {{ISBN|9780993000201}} * Barling, Kurt (2015), ''The R word: Racism''. Provocations. London: Biteback Publishing. {{ISBN|9781849549424}} * Barling, K. (ed. and introduction), Buller, E. A., ''Finsternis in Deutschland'' (trans. from ''Darkness over Germany'', 1934), Munchen: Sandmann Verlag, 2016
== References == {{Reflist|30em}}
==External links== * Amit Singh, [http://www.consented.co.uk/read/kurt-barling-interview-the-bbc-is-the-medium-of-the-elites/ "Kurt Barling Interview: 'The BBC Is The Medium Of The Elites{{'"}}], ''Consented'', 11 February 2015.
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Barling, Kurt}} Category:21st-century British male writers Category:1961 births Category:Academics of Middlesex University Category:Alumni of the London School of Economics Category:BBC people Category:Black British academics Category:Black British writers Category:British documentary film producers Category:British male journalists Category:Living people Category:Sciences Po alumni Category:Writers from London