MA Media, Culture and Society

Key details

MA MEDIA, CULTURE AND SOCIETY

Start Year

2022

Attendance

Full Time

Award

Degree of Master of Arts

Duration (years)

Studying and working in the media requires an acute awareness of the way media and culture shape people’s understanding of - and responses to - their world. From the daily routines to the grand designs of contemporary society – from the election of a president to the fall of a government – it’s almost impossible to make sense of national or world events without understanding the role media and culture play.

And making sense of it all depends on knowledge of the social, economic, political and legal factors that help in the production, distribution and consumption of media content. This, in turn, relies on an understanding of the arts and humanities and the social sciences, economics, politics and the law, and media and cultural studies.

Our MA will help you investigate and reflect upon how media and society are linked. You’ll explore the practical and professional implications of these links, and you could develop skills to enable you to work in the media.

About

Our course will allow you to study contemporary media and culture from a variety of perspectives and disciplines. Taught by leading experts in the fields of media and cultural studies, journalism, politics, economics, law and international development, it will ask you to examine the role of media in global citizenship, as well as helping you understand the workings of media law and economics, and the different media systems.

Through your choice of optional modules, from a range that includes practical media options, you will be able to tailor your degree to meet your interests, focusing on the aspects of media and society that you feel are most important and most fascinating. In your Master’s dissertation, you will take the exploration of your interests even further.

Over the course of your MA you will develop a variety of useful, transferable skills, including the ability to provide clear and stimulating presentations, to analyse and defend a point of view, to conduct research, and to present ideas lucidly and logically. We’ll also help you to develop research skills, enabling you to write a high-quality dissertation.

As a member of our postgraduate community you will have the opportunity to attend numerous events and talks during your time here. We regularly attract distinguished lecturers, with previous guests including Gary Gibbon, Political Editor for Channel 4 News; Anne McElvoy of The Economist; Owen Jones, author and columnist for The Guardian; Shami Chakrabarti, former director of Liberty; Michael Cockerell, BBC documentary film-maker; and John Bercow, Speaker of the House of Commons.

Visit our website to find out more about our postgraduate community and experience some of these lectures.

September 2023 opportunities. Discover more

Eastminster: a global politics and policy blog from UEA

Expert analysis from the University of East Anglia.

Counter-Terrorism

Responding to the threat of terrorism has become a key global policy priority in recent years. Counter-terrorism policies and the language that surrounds them have gone on to have a big impact on British society.

The Art of Persuasion

Why are political speeches so often boring, predictable and unconvincing?

Important Information

Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the courses listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the regular review of course programmes. Where this activity leads to significant (but not minor) changes to programmes, there will normally be prior consultation of students and others. Changes may for example consist of variations to the content and method of delivery of programmes, courses and other services, to discontinue programmes, courses and other services and to merge or combine programmes or courses. The University will endeavour to keep such changes to a minimum, and will inform students.

Assessment for Year 1

You will be assessed in a variety of ways, mostly through your essays, but also through presentations, course tests and – very occasionally – an exam.

Structure

Our MA lasts one year, during which time you’ll be required to complete our compulsory multidisciplinary module, Media and Society. For those without a UK media degree, this foundation module is complemented by the Studying Media module, which, in addition to introducing key study skills and debates in the discipline, offers workshop sessions that provide a supportive environment for critical reflection and intercultural communication.

You will also be able to choose from a wide range of optional modules, through which you can focus on areas that interest you.

We have access to high quality production equipment at a television studio in Norwich, as well a Media Suite on campus, so you may also decide to take the opportunity to take more practical modules on subjects such as news production and public relations.

You’ll complete your Master’s with your dissertation, which will be written in the summer. This is an excellent opportunity to delve deeper into a subject that interests you, as you put your research skills into practice and carry out an in-depth enquiry into a topic of your choice.

Teaching and Learning

Teaching

You will be taught by experts in fields such as digital media, communications, media and cultural studies, and public policy. Our teaching is research-led, in that we ask the same questions of our students as we do in our research. Which means you can be sure your learning is at the cutting-edge of the discipline.

The majority of your teaching takes the form of seminars. You will have lectures too, as well as workshops and one-to-one tutorials. You may also be required to prepare presentations and undertake group work, as well as a range of other teaching and learning methods.

Independent study

Developing your ability to conduct independent study is absolutely central to this course. This includes preparation for seminars and assessments, but will be best exemplified by your Master’s dissertation. You will be allocated an academic supervisor to give advice on all aspects of writing and researching it. You will also take part in our dedicated Postgraduate Day and training, when all MA students meet to discuss their research and the progress they are making.

How you'll spend your time during semester 1 and 2:

Teaching: 25%
Independent Learning: 75%

September 2023 opportunities. Discover more

Open Days

PPLM7004A Studying Media is compulsory for those students who do not have a UK Media degree. Students with a UK Media degree can obtain a waiver from Course Director and choose additional Options Range B module.

Assessment for Year 1

You will be assessed in a variety of ways, mostly through your essays, but also through presentations, course tests and – very occasionally – an exam.

Compulsory Modules

PSI DISSERTATION

Code PPLX7010X

Credits 60

For all MA students registered on programmes in Political Social and International Studies except those undertaking a Dissertation by Practice. Students are required to write a dissertation of 10,000 words on a topic approved by the Course Director or other authorised person. The dissertation is to be submitted the first working day of September in the relevant year.

MEDIA AND SOCIETY

Code PPLM7009Y

Credits 40

How does media shape society? How does society shape media? These are key questions for anyone interested in the role of media today. Our aim is to provide you with a broad, current and inter-disciplinary understanding of the media and their relationship to society, and you will be taught by experts in media law, media studies, political science, and development. You will: - be exposed to many different approaches to the study of media. - learn about different media systems and how they are regulated and funded. - analyse media content and you will debate how best to research media effects. - encounter arguments about the digital divide and about the new global media political economy. - explore how media content is constructed, what factors and influences go to shape content and how content may be controlled and even censored. - look at the media industry, examining how it is currently organised and managed. - examine how media affects people and society. - have the opportunity to reflect upon likely future developments in the relationship between media and society. You will be able to develop your own ideas on these matters through the long essay that you write at the end of the module, supported in this by workshops and tutorials.

STUDYING MEDIA

Code PPLM7004A

Credits 20

This module is intended to provide you with an introduction to the key study skills in media and cultural studies. It will be particularly useful if you are unfamiliar with the British university system and its expectations. You will apply theoretical and methodological approaches to contemporary media texts and discuss recent scholarship on changes in the global media and cultural landscape.

Optional A Modules

(20 credits)

UNDERSTANDING DIGITAL MEDIA

Code PPLM7000A

Credits 20

Digital technologies are often hyped as revolutionising society. You will be introduced to the ways in which the internet and other digital technologies are (and are not) affecting society from theoretical and empirical perspectives. The module is divided into three blocks: the first introduces the theoretical debates surrounding digital media; the second discusses how our everyday interpersonal relations are affected by digital media; the third addresses the impact of digital technology on media and politics. Topics covered include: the network society; social networking and virtual communities, surveillance, digital journalism and online activism.

PRACTICAL VIDEO AND TV NEWS PRODUCTION

Code PPLM7006A

Credits 20

This module offers you an introduction to video news production as practised in Broadcast TV and, increasingly, online media. The module enables you to contextualise academic study and criticism of news gathering and presentation processes as well as gain first-hand experience of producing video news items using modern technology. You are introduced to the skills of television news – story selection, report construction, news interviewing, shooting and post production. You will master the skills of writing to picture for news. The module is first and foremost practical – the skills taught will enable you, working in small teams, to produce your own short TV news reports, which will be compiled into a TV format news programme. Production takes place on location and in the studio. You will be required to work outside the taught periods on production and post-production activities. Journalism is a rapidly changing profession, and lecture topics are frequently updated to reflect technical, practice, regulatory and other developments. PLEASE NOTE that this module is frequently oversubscribed, so priority will be strictly given to students on Media courses within the School of Politics, Philosophy, Language and Communication Studies

STUDYING MEDIA (STRAND B)

Code PPLM7021A

Credits 20

Strand B of Studying Media (Introductory Module for International Students, introducing them to the Foundations of Media and Cultural Studies.) Strand B Is for Home students and will look to critically engage with this key theory, while considering various research methods for engaging in contemporary media and cultural studies.

Optional B Modules

(40-60 credits)

MEDIA AUDIENCES

Code AMAM7006B

Credits 20

How do audiences engage with media texts? What approaches can we employ to understand the relationship between media and audiences? These questions are central to this module. Throughout the module you will explore a range of research traditions which seek to explain the ways audiences consume media. As well as gaining a firm grounding in different approaches in media audience research, you will engage in your own original research practice and be encouraged to reflect on its usefulness. We begin by critically exploring the main recent traditions for thinking about and researching media audiences, including approaches from mass communications, cultural studies, reception studies and the growing field of fan studies. Alongside this, you will be encouraged to reflect on the significance of the contexts which shape how audiences encounter, engage with, and respond to different kinds of media and cultural products (such as film, television, music, news, books, video games and live performances). To help grasp some of the key issues at hand, you will also read and evaluate original audience and reception research and be encouraged to assess what distinguishes good or strong from poor or weak research. As you study you’ll put your new knowledge into practice by designing and conducting some audience research of your own, while gaining experience in communicating your ideas in seminars, as well as through written work and presentations.

FEMINISMS AND TELEVISION

Code AMAM7009B

Credits 20

You will learn about the relationship between feminisms and the cultural history of (primarily) US and UK television from second wave feminism to the present. Your module charts the dialogue between feminism and television in Anglophone contexts from the 1970s through to the 2010s, focussing on flashpoint moments for feminism (e.g. the women’s liberation movement; millennial postfeminism; the global financial crisis) and touchstone texts (e.g. The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Prime Suspect, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Sex and the City, Girls, Scandal) that have resonated particularly strongly with female audiences (e.g. soap operas; lifestyle TV; women centred dramas), struck a chord with feminist concerns (e.g. work/life balance, sexual freedoms, empowerment, the politics of relationships/singlehood/friendship), and generated foundational criticism by feminist television scholars. It will be structured chronologically, and topics may include feminism and female audiences; action heroines on television; the figure of the female detective; women’s work; intersectional identities (queerness, post-racial discourse, masculinities) and recessionary culture.

ANALYSING HOLLYWOOD CINEMA

Code AMAM7011B

Credits 20

'Hollywood' as an industry, cultural institution and maker of films has dominated the global cinematic imagination for decades. On this module, we investigate the history, production cultures and texts made by the US film industry from its classic period to contemporary filmmaking. This will include analysing Hollywood from a range of perspectives, which may include things like studio filmmaking, independent filmmaking, genre filmmaking and the blockbuster. In doing so we will discover the multiplicity of cinemas at work within the concept of Hollywood.

CRITICALLY QUEER: SEX, GENDER AND SEXUALITY

Code HUM-7009B

Credits 20

How are sex, gender and sexuality brought together to ensure the normative privileging of heterosexuality and the sex/gender binary? What possibilities are there for resistance to these norms? How does such resistance situate us socially, culturally, and politically? With queer theory as its focus and drawing on case studies from different fields – literature, film, drama and performance, politics, history, among others – in this interdisciplinary module, you'll examine sex, gender, and sexuality as effects of historically specific socio-cultural and geo-political power relations. Rather than approaching queer studies as a singular or coherent school of thought, you'll be encouraged to continuously problematise queer studies as a field and a mode of analysis, asking: What does it mean for theory, in particular, to be queer? What is involved in queering theory and being critically queer? What kinds of bodies or desires does queer describe? What are the promises of queer theory, and what are its perils? What is the future of queer? While doing so, you'll explore a variety of topics, such as politics of difference, representation and cultural production, performance and performativity, temporality and spatiality, subjectivity and embodiment. Overall, in this module, you'll problematise and challenge normalisations, hierarchies and relations of domination and explore the powerful processes and languages that attempt to fix sex, gender and sexuality as unchanging and universal.

THE PROTECTION AND MANAGEMENT OF PRIVACY AND REPUTATION

Code LAW-7004B

Credits 20

In the intrusive, multi-faceted world that exists today, with 24/7 media and an ever-expanding internet, the potential for damage to reputation and interference with privacy has never been greater. This module focuses on the various ways in which the law protects rights to reputation and privacy and examines ways in which the law can be used to manage reputations in this complex world. You will focus on the law of defamation, the laws relating to the protection of privacy interests, and the developing interplay between law and technology. While the approach taken by English law will form a significant part of the module’s content, comparative study will also be made of the laws of America and other common law jurisdictions as well as the laws of the European Union and some specific European countries.

INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION IN PRACTICE

Code PPLC7007B

Credits 20

Do you wish to pursue a career in international management and relations, multilingual business, or international development? Are you interested in becoming a more effective communicator in other professions such as translation, interpreting, education, and cultural mediation? In this module we will explore the issues fundamental to intercultural communication (IC) in practical contexts. You will examine the different ways of thinking about effective communication in a variety of work/organisation-based environments. During the seminars/lecture series, invited practitioners will introduce you to how IC operates in specific organisations, including government agencies or in multilingual business management. On completion of this module, you will have developed the linguistic skills, cultural competence, and critical thinking required for the production of an extended research project in intercultural communication. You will also have acquired a sense of how cultural assumptions may influence communication with others from different backgrounds, and developed a greater willingness to enter into dialogue with the values prevalent in cultures other than your own.

CONFLICT AND CONFLICT RESOLUTION IN INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION

Code PPLC7008B

Credits 20

Can “cultural” differences cause conflict in communication? How are they to be resolved without prioritizing one culture over the other? In this module we study conflict and conflict resolution strategies across different cultural contexts. You will study a wide range of communication domains, e.g. everyday encounters, language at work, language in diplomatic contexts, language and social cohesion, language and racism, language and gender, and language in the globalization process, also with reference to your specific linguistic/cultural backgrounds. Our approach is interdisciplinary; it includes Face and Politeness Theories, Discourse Analysis and Intercultural Communication Studies. The module will help you understand better the conditions for cross-cultural misunderstanding and conflict and strategies of conflict escalation and resolution.

GENDER AND POWER

Code PPLM7015B

Credits 20

Thinkers such as bell hooks and Sara Ahmed have urged us to understand the need to “bring feminist theory home”. On this module, we consider the notions of gender and power alongside one another. We explore the power dynamics and structures which shape gendered experiences, and the inequalities that arise from related intersecting arenas of oppression. The module provides an overview of various contemporary feminist theories and invites critical reflection the relationship between feminist theory and lived experience, challenging the notion of a divide between the two. We will do so by considering the way in which feminist theories and gender-based activisms can variously inform, develop or critique one another. The module takes an interdisciplinary approach, drawing on the fields of media, politics, sociology, philosophy and cultural studies, and we will examine the underlying epistemological and ontological principles and assumptions which shape how we experience our lives, the world around us and what we know about it. To help develop our understanding, our conversations in teaching sessions will revolve around group discussion, and in-class research of various activist campaigns, where we draw on real-life examples – from our own daily lives, news articles, social media, etc, as well as gender-based activism.

CRIME, VIOLENCE AND DISASTERS IN THE GLOBAL MEDIA

Code PPLM7017B

Credits 20

The news media across the world love violence and blood. From bank robberies, serial killers and school violence to earthquakes, riots and war the newsworthiness of stories associated with some form of human suffering, individual or collective acts of destruction, dominate news coverage. This module aimed at MA students examines the representation of these stories, the potential influence/effect on audiences, and their role in shaping consumer desires, public anxieties and broader perceptions of reality . It draws on existing empirical research in order to enable students to design their own research on media representations, as part of the module and in preparation of their final dissertation.

PUBLIC RELATIONS, PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND THE MEDIA

Code PPLX7005B

Credits 20

This module enables students to develop an advanced understanding of the theory and practice of public affairs, interest intermediation, and the strategies used by interest, advocacy groups and others to influence the political process. As well as covering the main debates in the academic literature, it draws directly on the experience of practitioners and offers unique insights into this under-studied area of politics.

September 2023 opportunities. Discover more

Open Days

Important Information

Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the modules listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the annual monitoring and review of modules. Where this activity leads to significant change to a programme and modules, the University will endeavour to consult with affected students. The University may not be able to offer a module for reasons outside of its control, such as the illness of a member of staff. Availability of optional modules may be restricted owing to timetabling, lack of demand, or limited places. Where this is the case, you will be asked to make alternative module choices and you will be supported during this process.

Entry Requirements

Degree classification

Bachelors (Hons) degree - 2.1 or equivalent

Degree subject

Humanities or Social Science subject, excluding Business, Management and Economics

Additional entry requirements

If you have alternative qualifications that have not been mentioned above then please contact university directly for further information.

Students for whom english is a foreign language

We welcome applications from students whose first language is not English. To ensure such students benefit from postgraduate study, we require evidence of proficiency in English. Our usual entry requirements are as follows:

IELTS: 6.0 (minimum 5.5 in two components only, with 6.0 in the other two)
PTE (Pearson): 64 (minimum 59 in only two components with 64 in the others)

Test dates should be within two years of the course start date.

Other tests, including Cambridge English exams and the Trinity Integrated Skills in English are also accepted by the university. The full list of accepted tests can be found here: Accepted English Language Tests

INTO UEA also run pre-sessional courses which can be taken prior to the start of your course. For further information and to see if you qualify please contact intopre-sessional@uea.ac.uk.

Intakes

This course is open to UK, EU and International applicants. The annual intake for this course is in September each year.

September 2023 opportunities. Discover more

Eastminster: a global politics and policy blog from UEA

Expert analysis from the University of East Anglia.

Counter-Terrorism

The Art of Persuasion

Why are political speeches so often boring, predictable and unconvincing?

Course Reference Number: 5925505

MA MEDIA, CULTURE AND SOCIETY