Department of Media

We are one of the most well-established media departments among Britain’s universities. Newly restructured , our wide and diverse subject areas include:

• advertising
• communication
• cultural studies
• film and television studies
• journalism
• mass communication
• media production
• media studies

Facilities

Our department is equipped with state-of-the-art production tools, to reflect the needs of students, including:

• A newly-refurbished TV studio
• State of the art radio studio
• Fully networked, industry standard video editing suites
• Journalism newsroom
• Media IT labs and viewing facilities
• Digital video and stills cameras
• Solid state audio recording equipment

Research

Our staff is engaged in a wide variety of research, enterprise, consultancy and professional activities which reflect and enhance the Media Department’s standing in the academic community. Examples of current projects include:

• theoretical approaches to the ideological role of the media
• the history of popular music on television
• the cultural politics of celebrity
• the development of online student broadcasting
• the synthesis of fashion and media cultures in post-war Britain
• photographic and textual representations of the local environment
• the application of new media technologies for pedagogical purposes

Many of these research activities spring from, and feed back into, the student curriculum and reflect:

• our recognition of the enormous significance of media institutions
• the central importance of global communication in shaping and transforming the world
• our understanding of the constraints and opportunities of rapidly changing technologies.

We also boast among our staff a high proportion of industry practitioners, from film-makers to scriptwriters, from TV producers to print journalists. All have a wealth of experience and their extensive contacts ensure a regular flow of impressive guest lectures at Northumbria.

Alumni

Illustrious alumni of the Department include Neil Marshall (Writer/Director) and Keith Bell (Producer), who made the box office hit ‘The Descent’ in 2005. Two years ago another graduate, director of photography Lol Crawley, won the Cinematography prize at the Sundance film festival.

We place great emphasis on the quality of our environment and believe that successful teaching and research flourishes in an atmosphere of mutual support and respect.  We also relish the opportunities from being situated in one of the most vibrant and cultured city-regions of the United Kingdom.