Communication, cultural and media studies
REF 2014 Highlights
100% of impact deemed 'very considerable' or 'outstanding'
80% of environment deemed internationally excellent
Strong debut performance from a new Unit of Assessment
Established in 2009 with a mandate to develop excellent research as a core activity within the Birmingham School of Media, the Birmingham Centre for Media and Cultural Research (BCMCR) engages in collaborative work across three research teams: Interactive Cultures, Screen Cultures, and Media for Social Change.
We have aimed to produce distinctive, collaborative work within the field of media and cultural research across radio, music and interactive media, screen media, and media for social change.
See our full UoA 36 submission on the REF website
We explore questions related to five principal themes:
- Identity
- History and heritage
- Cultural practice
- Technology
- Production, regulation and enterprise.
There are now 27 research-active staff, many developing their academic careers based upon years as professional media workers. You can read about our research in a range of international journals and in books from leading academic publishers.
Since 2009, we have delivered more than 10 major externally-funded research projects with a total value in excess of £1.4 million. They have covered diverse work on radio, music culture, citizen journalism, hyperlocal media, digital R&D for the arts, and archives.
We have collaborated with national organisations such as the BBC, The British Library and The Arts Council and international partners in the Arab region, Africa, and North and South America. In total, these projects were built on inter-disciplinary partnerships with 13 other universities and over 150 non-academic organisations.
Over twenty research students work in the centre on their PhDs supported by experienced supervisors, and our research-active staff teach MA and BA classes in music industries, radio, social media, online journalism, screen studies, media for social change, enterprise and cultural policy.
Research Stories
Find out more about the great research within the School of Media.
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Research People
Meet our research staff and read more about their work and areas of expertise.
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