About

Our aims are:

• Be the leading research based department in media and communications in the UK and one of the top five in the world              
• Provide a high-quality master’s level graduate education in the study of media and communications drawing on the social science disciplines              
• Prepare students for doctoral or professional research in the media and communications field and for entry into a variety of careers              
• Conduct research that impacts on the strategies and practices of the media and communications industry, government policy makers and the third sector.

We aim to:

• Produce research and publications to the highest possible international standard of excellence
• Generate original research ideas, insights and findings that shape future academic scholarship in the media and communications field in the social sciences
• Enhance the intellectual standing of the field of media and communications
• Ensure that our original research is influential and impacts on media and communication policy, industry practice, third sector agendas and the public
• Successfully raise external funds to conduct original research
• Educate and train doctoral students at the cutting edge of research in the field
• Sustain a generative research environment within the department, including constructive links with academic networks and organisations nationally and internationally.

To provide:

• An intensive, high-quality postgraduate education in media and communications
• A broad social science foundation in qualitative, quantitative, empirical and critical skills
• A diverse, inter- and multidisciplinary approach to theoretical developments and debates in the field
• A range of specialist courses within media and communications and related fields, including an independent empirical research project
• An intellectually stimulating, well-resourced learning environment, with strong links to media and communications industries, policy makers and the third sector
• The opportunity for lively cross-cultural exchange of ideas among a dynamic group of fellow students in the Department and School
• Study with internationally recognised active researchers with expertise in media and communications and politics and democracy, regulation and policy, technological change, audiences and literacies, globalisation and culture, and more. 

The Department of Media and Communications hosts three active blogs:

Media@LSE

Directed by Professor Sarah Banet-Weiser and Professor Myria Georgiou, the Media@LSE blog aims to encourage informed and insightful discussion around the vital role of media and communications in contemporary society, bringing the research and expertise of our department to a wider audience that includes fellow academics, policy makers, journalists, media industry professionals and civil society. 

Polis: Journalism and Society

Directed by Professor Charlie Beckett, the Polis blog is aimed at working journalists, people in public life and students in the UK and around the world. It is committed to promoting open and substantial dialogue on the changing structures, policies and practices of journalism, inviting diverse stakeholders to reflect on the dilemmas that journalism faces today.

Parenting For A Digital Future

Directed by Professor Sonia Livingstone, this blog explores the task of parenting for a digital future – both in the UK and internationally. It is part of a research project examining a host of linked questions currently absorbing parents and the wider public, as they reflect on and manage their daily lives, as well as policy-makers trying to shape the digital future and social scientists keen to track key trends.

Staff and students in the department are strongly encouraged to follow these guidelines in order to foster an inclusive environment for all gender identities. Read our guidelines here.