About me

Hello, my name is David Girling and an Associate Professor and Director of Research Communication in the School of International Development, University of East Anglia, UK. I also Co-Director for the MA in Media and Global Development. 

I am a Chartered Marketer with over 25 years marketing and communications experience in the public and non-profit sector. I have been actively involved on a number of committees and judging panels including The Chartered Institute of Marketing Higher Education Group, The Chartered Institute of Marketing Charity Group, HEIST Awards for Marketing Excellence and the Rusty/Golden Radiator awards for online videos promoting best practice in development communication. Recent research projects include the Radi-Aid research project in six African countries which discussed the use of imagery in NGO advertising and Who Owns the Story? Live financial testing of charity versus participant led storytelling in fundraising.

I have multidisciplinary interests with particular expertise in strategic marketing, communications, branding, digital and social media. My research focuses on two main areas of social media within developing countries. Firstly how social media has empowered communities to effect change e.g. the Arab Spring and Euromaidan. Secondly how international development organisations and NGOs use social media: rapid response to unforeseen events, emergency related videos, fundraising and reputation management.

I use this blog mainly to share thoughts and stories about social media and international development.

Alternatively you can follow my Twitter account on social media and international development (@socialmedia4D). I tweet much more regularly than I blog.