PhD Studentship: Journalism, Digital Media: ESRC Welsh Graduate School for the Social Sciences (WGSSS) - Journalism, Digital Media and Democracy

Media, Communications and Public Relations at Swansea has been consistently recognized for its excellence and is placed right at the top in UK league tables for various elements of its delivery. Priding itself on a strong sense of community, staff and students are involved at the cutting edge of the study of contemporary media and its impact. Our mix of esteemed practitioners and globally acknowledged scholars have expertise across a broad range of sub-themes within the Journalism, Democracy and Digital Media pathway.  

For example, while we attend to the traditional aspects of print and broadcast journalism and the way that these cover key areas such as politics, conflict, financial affairs, the climate crisis and sport, our expertise extends into alternative digital news media, fact checking, disordered information, hate speech, racism and misogyny. Colleagues have extensively researched social media and all its dimensions, the metaverse, virtual and augmented reality, the wider implications of surveillance and technological interventions into all elements of contemporary life. We have strong impact in the fields of digital access for minority groups and the ways that news and journalism are both governed and regulated, and overarching all of this, our film and TV studies scholars offer insight into how all such elements are represented to wider audiences. Our public relations scholars are research active in looking at both the corporate functioning and the more disruptive elements within that profession, and how organizations digitally manage and maintain crises and brand identities. We would welcome applications that tap into these themes and add new and important dimensions.    

Our strong links with the media sector itself - via our own Industry Panel – ensures the contemporary nature of our activities and provides a wide range of internship and work experience opportunities. In sum, studying a Media PhD at Swansea combines the benefits of accessing the most up-to-date experts in “media” in its widest sense with becoming part of a close-knit community of scholars who prioritize community and collegiality. We have research methods experts covering both quantitative and qualitative methods, and the pathway lead is a former recipient of ESRC funding both as a student and a researcher and is heavily invested in maximizing the benefits of these excellent opportunities to develop stellar academic, industrial or public sector careers.

Funding 

The studentship funded by the ESRC covers tuition fees and an annual tax-free living stipend in line with UKRI minimum rates (currently £21,805 for 2026/27).