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Media and Communications


Rapid developments in digital technology, from the rise of smartphones to the advent of social media networks, lead to significant changes in how we communicate with each other, how media are structured and how we interact with them. 

We study the practices, processes and discourses around media and communications, and their connection with norms of democracy, equality and inclusiveness

We engage with a wide range of stakeholders, both in the private and public sector, to examine different ways in which media and communications construct, and are constructed by, political, economic, technological, socio-cultural and historical processes. We look at the role of media in the perpetuation of structural forms of power, inequality and discrimination.

We offer applied research that provides valuable insight into public opinion, and we conduct policy and market reviews that underly our policy advice. We also undertake evaluation and impact studies of new technologies in the media and communications field.

One of our areas of expertise relates to the role of media and communications in the construction of identity and everyday experience, with particular focus on media representations, narratives, and the uneven distribution of media resources. We are also interested in internet regulation, policy and governance, and privacy and security issues. We have, for instance, recently done a project in which we examined children’s risks and opportunities online. What are effective policy-based solutions to ensure their safety? And how can we develop a coherent framework to establish children’s rights relating to digital media and the Internet?

Looking at the topic from a political perspective, we could question how media enhance political socialisation, mobilisation and protest. What are the predominant dynamics of media with power and inequalities? Is there a relation between media literacy and political activism?


Who we work with

The experts we work with are predominantly based at LSE’s Department of Media and Communications, which was ranked first in the UK in the 2014 Research Excellence Framework.


Areas of expertise

Internet regulation and privacy

What we do:

Policy, legal and market reviews for public and private clients. Among other issues, we are experts in protection of vulnerable groups in the internet, namely children.


Examples of our work:

Evaluation of the Implementation of the "Alliance to Better Protect Minors Online"
Ramboll Management Consulting A/S, 2019

Looking forward: Technological and social change in the lives of European children and young people
ICT Coalition for Children Online, 2018

Children's Online Activities, Risks and Safety: A Literature Review by the UKCCIS Evidence Group
UKCCIS Evidence Group, 2017

The Case for a UNCRC General Comment on Children’s Rights and Digital Media
Children's Commissioner for England, 2017

Updating Net Aware
The NSPCC, 2016


Core experts:

>   Dr Alicia Blum-Ross
>   Dr Damian Tambini
>   Professor Sonia Livingstone

Media and democracy

What we do:

Applied research focusing on the impact of new forms of communication on democratic systems, aiming to develop innovative approaches to protect democracy and maximise the benefits that media has for society. 


Examples of our work:

Deliberating City Square
Leeds City Council, 2018

How UK Youth Envision Future EU Opportunities and Challenges
EC Representation in the UK, 2017

Soviet Subversion, Disinformation and Propaganda: How the West Fought Against it: An Analytic History, with Lessons for the Present
Jigsaw, 2017

Slipping Through the Net: Are disadvantaged young people being left further behind in the digital era?
The Prince's Trust, 2016


Core experts:

>   Anne Applebaum
>   Professor Charlie Beckett
>   Dr Lee Edwards
>   Dr Nick Anstead
>   Peter Pomerantsev
>   Dr Sam Mejias
>   Dr Ellen Helsper

Digital technology

What we do:

Research exploring the implications of digital technologies on a wide range of areas – from the workplace to education – and evaluation and impact assessment studies covering the effects of digitalisation for companies and economic sectors.


Examples of our work:

The Transformative Effect of Cloud on Firm Productivity and Performance: Defining the benefits and impact of cloud as a 21st Century digital enabler
Amazon Web Services, 2019

Sky High Economics - Chapter Two: Evaluating the Economic Benefits of Connected Airline Operations
Ogilvy, 2018

Sky High Economics - Chapter One: Quantifying the commercial opportunities of passenger connectivity for the global airline industry
Ogilvy, 2017


Core experts:

>   Dr Alexander Grous
>   Dr Ellen Helsper

»  Get in touch to find out how we can collaborate