Research Groups
Sharif Gemie speaking at the 'Cultural Translation' conference
Journalism Studies
This group conducts research analysing the professional practices of journalism within the media and communications industries. Specifically, we examine the media’s role in relation to politics, democracy and citizenship in local, national and international settings, as well as developing cutting edge, practice-based research.
Mediatized Conflict
Major conflicts today are invariably mediatized conflicts. Though fewer States are at war than in the past, many are locked in internal conflicts and internecine struggles. New wars, asymmetric wars and terror post 9/11 find prominent media exposure and cultural identities, social movements and single issue campaigns contend and contest for public recognition.
Race, Representation and Cultural Politics
This research group explores the representation of diversity, race and identity in a wide range of globalised local contexts. We draw on anthropology, sociology and cultural studies and, in a number of our projects, develop interdisciplinary approaches to discourse analysis, to explore the following kinds of questions.
Risk, Science, Health and Media
The concept of 'risk' poses challenges for how we think about the media's role in contemporary society. It raises issues about power, inequality, expertise, communication and uncertainty. It also prompts debates about 'Risk Society' and scientific citizenship.
Cross-school Initiatives
In addition to these research groups the school is involved in cross-school initiatives. The Chronic Disorders of Consciousness Group (led from within JOMEC) involves working with colleagues in history, law, philosophy, and sociology as well as colleagues from the medical school developing a medical humanities approach to 'the vegetative state'.
Study Areas
The above groups are complemented by additional expertise within JOMEC in fields such as: Audience and fan studies; Children and the media; Feminism, Gender and Sexuality Studies; and cinema, genre and new media. The School also includes staff with expertise in a wide range of research methods.
In addition to all the accumulated skills and experiences within the School we have a strong research infrastructure. The School has recently installed a £115, 000 state-of-the-art digital media monitoring facility, and we have comprehensive archives of news reporting as well as housing historical media archives.