Studying media at Lancaster

From radio broadcasters to social media managers and newspaper clippings to viral videos, our media environment is constantly changing and so are the cultures that surround it.

We know from our own lives that media continuously influence how we live, make connections with others, and become informed about the world. But how much do we know about the huge variety of messages, texts, images, and representations that we encounter? How are they produced and shared? How are they received? What competing ideas, opinions and values do they put forward? Who benefits and who loses out in the process?

Our Media and Cultural Studies degree focuses on the key roles of media in shaping who we are, what we think, and what we value. Rather than just learning about media practices, we invite you to consider critically how these practices are situated within social, cultural, economic, and political contexts.

As a student, you will be taught by staff about the quality and impact of their research and publications. Our staff are involved in research on everything from AI to visual cultures, fan communities, and the role of stigmatisation, surveillance and class inequalities in celebrity representations and (reality) TV programmes. Our ‘research-led’ teaching approach means that you will have an opportunity to encounter and discuss this work in the classroom, drawing both inspiration and relevant insights into the challenges and spaces for creativity in changing media industries. This excellent research is also one of the reasons that our degree is so highly ranked.

Marta Wojtowicz

Marta Wojtowicz, BA Media and Cultural Studies

The friendly atmosphere between staff members and the students definitely helps in creating an environment in which everyone is welcome and equipped with the necessary tools for bettering themselves as both students and people.

Parenting the crisis

One area of strength in our research is the relationships between diversity, inequality and popular culture. Whether looking at reality television, fan culture, or video games, our staff are interested in how media represent different social groups and help to reproduce or challenge existing gender or class divisions.

Book: Parenting the Crisis, by Tracey Jensen

Book cover for Parenting the crisis
Parenting the Crisis: The Cultural Politics of Parent-Blame By Tracey Jensen

Media and Cultural Studies at Lancaster

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