Natalie Whittaker (MA in Media and Politics)

Posted on: 5 November 2024 in Posts

Natalie presented her dissertation paper at a conference on ‘Populism’ by the Political Studies Association (PSA) and the annual conference of the International Association for Media and Communication Research (IAMCR).

Studying the MA in Media and Politics was a great choice for both my academic and personal growth.

Academically, I was able to pursue a subject I had a real passion for, and found the modules to be both challenging and engaging — a combination which led me to quickly develop new academic skills. I found that the lecturers delivered content in an interesting way within the classroom, but were also easy to approach whenever you needed help.

After completing the MA, I was approached by one of my lecturers to submit my final dissertation to a number of academic conferences. We went on to co-author a refined version of the paper, and were accepted for two conferences – a conference on ‘Populism’ by the Political Studies Association (PSA) and the annual conference of the International Association for Media and Communication Research (IAMCR). This opportunity meant I got to present my findings to a community of academics in similar fields, experience interesting panels and conversations, and was even able to chair a panel myself. This was also a fantastic opportunity to network.

Completing this course increased my academic and professional confidence and also greatly expanded my worldview. The MA has a great variation of modules to choose from, and I’d recommend this course to anyone who wants to learn about the evolutionary relationship between media and politics as it happens around us.