Media and Communication PhD

We welcome applicants interested in a range of topics across media, journalism and political communication. Our academic staff are active researchers in these fields, and via our interdisciplinary research centre, the Centre for Media, Politics and Communication Research (CMPCR), we offer co-supervision with other schools and departments, including Politics, English and American and Canadian Studies.

Research specialisms:

• Digital journalism, and the intersections of journalism and social media
• Information, disinformation, and disordered information in media and political communication
• Factchecking journalism, and other interpretive and analytic journalism practices
• Political polarisation and the culture wars in political media and communication
• The impact of digital technologies (including AI) on journalistic and organisational media practices, media policy and regulation
• Digital media technologies and political accountability in Africa
• Political communication and messaging in non-political, cultural settings

We welcome international and cross-comparative research proposals, and offer particular expertise across the CMPCR on a range of countries including the UK, Greece, Turkey, China, Kenya and other African countries.

As a student on this course, you will automatically become a member of the CMPCR, which provides a rich research environment, with research seminars from visiting speakers, an annual high profile public lecture, and connections with local and national journalists and news organisations.

You will also have the opportunity to join the membership board as a postgraduate representative, through which you can have a say in the events we host and fund, and propose and lead on other initiatives to support postgraduate research students.

Your department

• Department of Cultural, Media and Visual Studies
• 90% of our research environment has been evaluated as ‘world leading’ in the Research Excellence Framework 2021
• We offer a strong interdisciplinary and international perspective

All candidates are considered on an individual basis and we accept a broad range of qualifications. The entrance requirements below apply to 2026 entry.

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