Lecturer contributes to government advice on extremism and free speech

Journalism lecturer Martin Bright has written about his work exposing Islamic extremism for a government-commissioned collection of essays exploring the delicate balance between countering extremism and defending free speech.

Writing for the Commission for Countering Extremism, he draws on his experiences as an investigative reporter at The Observer and later as Political Editor at The New Statesman, where he published a number of exposés linking Islamic radicalism and government influence.

Martin, who is Director of Undergraduate Journalism in the Department of Literature, Film, and Theatre Studies, was asked to contribute to the collection by outgoing Commissioner for Countering Extremism Robin Simcox.

Martin, who is also Editor-at-Large for free expression magazine Index on Censorship, was one of the first British journalists to write about hate preachers Abu Hamza and Abu Qatada.

His essay uses his work investigating the Muslim Council of Britain to explore the challenges journalists face reporting sensitive topics. He also discusses the importance of maintaining press freedom in discussions about extremism and community relations.

He started investigating the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) in 2005, by which time it had established itself as the Labour government’s “one-stop-shop” for all Muslim matters.

His reports and subsequent Channel 4 documentary called into question the moderate credentials of the organisation which had become hugely influential in Whitehall.

In his essay, A Question of Leadership: The Failure of Engagement for Its Own Sake, Martin describes how leaks from a Foreign Office civil servant “concerned about what he saw as the Islamist capture of policy within Whitehall” fuelled his investigations.

His coverage ultimately contributed to breaking the MCB’s stranglehold on representing British Muslims in government.

Speaking about the opportunity to contribute to the essay collection, which reflects a range of perspectives from authors with contrasting or conflicting opinions, Martin said: “I was pleased to contribute to this compendium of essays, which could not be more timely when free speech is under attack on so many fronts. I hope my experience as a journalist writing about the government’s historical relationship with the UK’s Muslim leadership provides a useful context.”

Robin Simcox said: “Martin Bright's journalism was foundational in forcing successive governments to weigh up the merits of community engagement: who it works with, who it funds, who it speaks to, and why. His work with Index on Censorship has demonstrated his ongoing commitment to ensuring that free expression is rigorously protected.

“So, when I was looking to commission a series of essays exploring the delicate and contested interplay between countering extremism and defending free speech, he was one of the first people that sprung to mind.”