Welcome to my website
David Clarke is Associate Professor in the Department of Media Arts and Communication at Sheffield Hallam University, UK. He teaches media law and his research specialism is contemporary legend. Previously he worked as a journalist for The Sheffield Star and Yorkshire Post and spent four years working as a Press Officer in local government. His PhD in Folklore and was completed at the National Centre for English Cultural Tradition, University of Sheffield, in 1999. From 2008-13 he acted as consultant and curator of the MoD UFO files project with The National Archives. His books include The Angel of Mons (2004) and How UFOs Conquered the World: the history of a modern myth (2015). In 2018 he co-founded the Centre for Contemporary Legend at Sheffield Hallam University. This blog covers his twin research interests in journalism and folklore. The views expressed in the contents are entirely his own.
What is Folklore?
Once upon a time… ‘Folklore’ meant ancient ballads or fairy tales or the peculiar superstitions and customs of ‘primitive’ peoples. Today folklore is a tool for studying custom and belief, urban legends, modern myth and even rumours spread via the internet. Much folklore can be found online and buried in the narrative content of media and social networking - from legends and reports of ghosts, UFOs and 'big cats' to language, customs and traditions. The study of folklore is centrally and crucially important 'in our attempts to understand our own behaviour and that of our fellow human beings' according to one scholarly definition. Folklore is a vital and ongoing area of study and one of the few academic disciplines that engage, in a fundamental way, with everyday life.My Tweets
- Most #ufos can be identified but a few defy explanation, US intelligence chiefs tell Congress. Well what a surprise… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… 20 hours ago
- @DianeARodgers @JamesFenwick87 @SHU_CCMS Awful news especially after Leadmill fiasco 3 days ago
- @CeriHoulbrook Jarrold had a long & v popular series of 'ghosts & legends' guides per English County during the 80s… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… 5 days ago
- @CeriHoulbrook Thanks - sadly out of print! 5 days ago
- @Atheist_Tomdog And when I use 'myth' I don't mean something that is false by definition (popular usage). Myths are… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… 1 week ago
Blog Stats
- 745,836 hits
Snopes.com – Rumour has it…
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Magonia Blog
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Mark Pilkington & John Lundberg – Folklore & Deception in the UFO Age
- Mirage Men in The Guardian August 18, 2014
- Mirage Men Double Disc DVD June 16, 2014
- UFOs and F-14s over Iran May 2, 2014
- We have lift off! March 27, 2014
- Mirage Men revealed by Greenwald? February 25, 2014
Bob Sheaffer’s Bad UFOs
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The Skeptic magazine
- Ooops! TWO errors in previous message! October 1, 2015
- October Spookiness! October 1, 2015
- Empirical Sex Talk on Dacryphilia, tonight October 1, 2015
- Little Atoms 393 – Timothy Snyder & Black Earth September 30, 2015
- Ash Pryce on "How to talk to the dead" @ Greenwich SitP, 7:30 pm, 7/10/15 September 30, 2015
Charles Fort Institute Blog
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Curt Collins on saucers in pop culture
- Bill Moore and UFO Disinformation Accusations April 29, 2022
- The Pentagon UFO Program: Documents Released April 7, 2022
- UFOs: The Long Black Road December 23, 2021
- Contact in Texas: The Lost UFO Photos November 18, 2021
- The Pentagon's Updated Statement: AATIP Studied UAPs May 22, 2021
Andrew May’s Forteana blog
- Pseudoscience and Science Fiction October 9, 2016
- Astronomical debunking October 2, 2016
- Contradiction - the All-Video Murder Mystery September 25, 2016
- Sacred Porn September 18, 2016
- Astronomical computers (old ones) September 11, 2016
Paul Kimball’s The Other Side of Truth: Don’t believe, don’t disbelieve. Think
- Who Are They? What Do They Want? May 16, 2021
- An Empty Suit April 20, 2021
- Synchronicity, Irish Style September 9, 2019
- Project Blue Book - A Review January 28, 2019
- Stan Friedman Retires March 13, 2018
Tag Archives: UFO
UFO? = UAV
Chinese lanterns are the source of many ‘UFO‘ sightings – but the role played by remote-controlled drones should not be overlooked. UCAVs (unmanned combat air vehicles) are used extensively, and controversially, by both the USAF and RAF in combat operations … Continue reading
Silly Season Survey
Yes folks it’s August and we have officially entered the period of the summer that journalists have traditionally called ‘the Silly Season’. If you are a journalist please fill out a questionnaire to take part in my research into the origins … Continue reading
Fireball lights up northern sky
Hundreds of people reported seeing a fireball meteor that lit up the night sky across parts of northern England at 9.40 p.m. on Saturday, 3 March. Some excellent footage of the fireball has been posted on YouTube and can be … Continue reading
If you go down to the woods (again)
The Rendlesham forest UFO mystery is back in the headlines, after the Sunday Telegraph published a summary of my exclusive interview with the former Bentwaters Base Commander, Ted Conrad. Col Conrad, now retired to his native Texas, has broken a quarter … Continue reading
UFOs and the Vietnam War
Just occasionally we learn about a genuinely baffling UFO incident from a reliable primary source, such as a military memoir or pilot’s logbook. One such gem was discovered hiding in a collection of journals covering daily events during the Vietnam … Continue reading
Churchill did not ‘order a UFO cover-up’
In Bad Science this week Ben Goldacre asked “Why don’t journalists link to primary sources?”. He opined that if readers were directed to the original sources of headlines like ‘wind farms blamed for the stranding of whales’ (Daily Telegraph), they … Continue reading