Digital Media and Communication BA(Hons)

Your phone screen may be the first thing you see in the morning and the last thing you check at night, and in this module we look at the role of technology in shaping our world. We combine critical analysis of key platforms and technologies, from Google and YouTube to Facebook and Twitter, with teaching you the skills to use those tools to create professional media content.

Navigating our digital world means developing more technical skills. In this module, you’ll be introduced to programming languages, software tools and web design, all the while putting these abilities into the context of our increasingly platform-dominated society. These skills will stand you in good stead for a career in the digital creative industries.

The major platforms are not just the biggest internet companies in the world, but the biggest companies full stop. This module provides you with an introduction to the key theories, concepts and methods to help you understand internet industries. You’ll also reflect on laws and policies as they relate to online platforms and content producers.

No matter what area of media you want to work in, you can be sure your audience won’t just be sitting back and letting your content wash over them. They can access it on devices large and small, and won’t be shy about participating in the debate. This module introduces you to the study of media audiences, and helps you understand the context of media convergence.

Getting behind the camera and the microphone is a dream career for many. This module is where you start to make those dreams a reality. We’ll take you through how to use industry-standard cameras and digital recorders to capture video and audio, and then Adobe editing software to turn that raw material into crafted pieces.

You’ll often hear us say that media is changing quickly: and we mean it. This module helps you make sense of what that means for your future career, and why the jobs of tomorrow aren’t always the same as the ones of the past. You’ll work on a career plan, so you can be ready for a placement year and other media work opportunities.

This module focuses on developing your understanding of different kinds of promotional culture – public relations (PR), influencers, marketing and advertising – and your critical, analytical and evaluative skills. You will learn how to critically analyse different kinds of promotional culture and evaluate its role in society, developing skills you will need to help you develop successful, effective and ethical promotional campaigns and content. As the module continues, you will apply what you have learnt to the practice of PR, and further develop the creative, analytical and technical skills you need to succeed as a public relations practitioner.

Doing original research is central to university life, and this module helps prepare you for your final year dissertation. You’ll be introduced to key methods and ways of collecting data, which we can use to study media in society and culture. As you engage with questions and theories of knowledge, you’ll also develop skills useful in your future media careers.

From podcasts to Spotify and even YouTube, listening to audio is one of our favourite things to do. This module helps you develop advanced skills in creating your own, including podcasts, soundscapes, and much more.

Radio is a classic medium and both BBC and commercial radio are bigger than ever. This module helps you develop skills in devising and producing radio programmes, along with news bulletins and online content. You’ll finish by working as part of a team to put on a week-long pop-up radio station, a demanding but exciting assessment.

Video journalism takes you inside the skills you need to tell compelling video stories on TV and online. The focus is on longer-form video outputs and emphasises creativity in non-fiction storytelling as well as technical quality. Production elements of the module include using industry-standard cameras and developing your abilities in video editing as you create your own mini-documentary.

If you’ve ever looked at a TV presenter or YouTuber and thought “I could do that”, then here’s where we put you through your paces in front of the camera. Experienced presenters help you develop your skills in fronting, interviewing and improvising. You’ll work in our own studios as well as out on location, producing a showreel you can take to potential future employers.

Television has been at the centre of our cultural life for decades and remains so today, even if you’re as likely to watch on your phone than turn on the box in the corner of the living room. This module traces the rise of broadcast media, analysing the evolution of a range of genres from comedy, drama and soaps to reality television, and much more.

This module takes you inside cinema, as you examine contemporary film as a global media industry. It’s not just the movies themselves, but how they are produced, distributed, promoted and received. There’s a particular emphasis on how processes of globalisation and circulation allow films to become meaningful, far outside the contexts in which they were originally made.

This is where you put your academic learning to use, by doing guided independent research into an area of the media you want to learn more about. You’ll review what others have written about your topic, identify a suitable method to use and carry it out, before analysing your findings. It’s a challenge - but you’ll have a supervisor to help you all the way.

Gender, sex and sexuality in the digital world are at the heart of this cutting-edge module. Using theoretical frameworks from a range of academic disciplines, you’ll explore the impact of developments in technology on sexual behaviour, gender politics and sexual identity. Topics include dating apps, digital pornography, masculinity and fourth wave feminism.

Streaming has changed the way we consume media beyond recognition. In this module, you’ll examine the disruptive impact Netflix, YouTube and other platforms have had on the media industries. You’ll complete a case study investigation of an area of streaming media that you find most interesting.

People all over the world long for their 15 minutes of fame, whether waiting for an audition or trying to become the next big streamer. In this module you’ll think about the power of celebrity in contemporary in society. You’ll examine the cultures of stars and celebrities, particularly in relation to film, music, sport and other popular cultures.

There’s an old saying that ‘news travels fast’, but it’s never travelled as quickly as it does today, when information races around the world through social networks. In this module you’ll examine the ways in which international communication affects globalisation. And you’ll ask some big questions about the impact media has on issues of time, nations and culture.

Numbers are everywhere you look in sport: from detailed previews to in-game stats and post-match analysis. Wherever you want to work in the sports media, making sense of data is almost certain to be a part of your job. You’ll learn a range of methods for collecting and analysing sports data, so you become as confident with figures as you are with words.

This module will teach you about how digital platforms, APIs, and algorithms shape contemporary media distribution and engagement. You'll also learn a range of methods for collecting and analysing data, ranging from web-scraping to social media analysis.

Gaming is one of the most dominant forms of entertainment, more valuable than the movie and music industries put together. In this module, you’ll examine key debates in video gaming analysis, putting games into their historical, social and economic contexts. You’ll create a video essay to help demonstrate what you’ve learned.