MSc Media and Communications (Media and Communication Governance)

This programme offers an intensive, year-long exploration of the governance and regulation of media and communication, including internet and digital platforms, press freedom, telecommunications, broadcasting and the converging media.

When urgent questions are being asked, after controversies such as the Edward Snowden revelations, about government’s influence on the internet and the power of media corporations, the content of this programme has never been more relevant.

The programme offers a broad-based understanding of the institutions and regulations that structure the development of media and communication systems, and covers policy, legal and economic aspects of media and communication services. It provides an up-to-date engagement with the latest developments in research on media and communications, specifically relating to communications governance at regional, national and international levels. It has a strong focus on international comparison, including at the European level, with opportunities to take courses in the Departments of Media and Communications, Government and Law.

In addition, you'll have the opportunity to take full advantage of London’s status as the leading global media industry city.

• Allen, Stuart (ed) (2010) The Routledge Companion to News and Journalism. Routledge.
• Beckett, Ch. (2008) SuperMedia: Saving Journalism So It Can Save The World. Malden, MA: Blackwell/Wiley.
• Briggs, A. and Burke, P. (2002) A Social History of the Media: From Gutenberg to the Internet. Cambridge: Polity.
• Calabrese, A. and Sparks, C. (eds) (2004) Toward a Political Economy of Culture, Capitalism and Communication in the 21st Century, Lanham MD: Rowman & Littlefield.
• Castells, Manuel. (2009) Communication Power. Oxford University Press.
• Couldry, N. (2012) Media, Society, World: Social Theory and Digital Media. Cambridge: Polity.
• Curran, J. and Gurevitch, M. (eds) (2005) Mass Media and Society. 4th ed. London: Arnold.
• Curran, J. and Seaton, J. (2003) Power Without Responsibility. London: Routledge.
• Mansell, R. (2012) Imagining the Internet: Communication, Innovation and Governance. Oxford University Press.
• Mattelart, A. (2003) The Information Society: An introduction. London: Sage.
• McChesney, R (2000) Rich Media Poor Democracy. New York: New Press.
• Papacharissi, Z. A. (2010). A Private Sphere: Democracy in a Digital Age. Cambridge: Polity.
• Silverstone, R. (2007) Media and Morality. Cambridge: Polity.
• Silverstone, R. (1999) Why Study the Media? London: Sage.
• Thompson, J.B. (1995) The Media and Modernity: A Social Theory of the Media. Cambridge: Polity.
• Wasko, J. (ed.). (2005) A Companion to Television. Malden, MA: Blackwell.
• Wu, Tim. (2010) The Master Switch. The Rise and Fall of Information Empires. Borzio Books.
• Freedman, D. (2008) The Politics of Media Policy. Cambridge: Polity Press.
• Harcourt, A. (2005) The European Union And The Regulation Of Media Markets. Manchester: Manchester University Press.
• Lessig, L. (2006) Code: Version 2.0. New York: Basic Books.
• Lessig, L. (2008) Remix: Making Art and Commerce Thrive in the Hybrid Economy, London: Bloomsbury Academic.
• Lunt, P., and Livingstone, S. (2012) Media Regulation: Governance and the interests of citizens and consumers. London: Sage.
• Mansell, R. and Collins, B. S. (eds) (2005) Trust and Crime in Information Societies, Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishers.
• Mansell, R., Avgerou, C., Quah, D. and Silverstone, R. (eds) The Oxford Handbook of Information and Communication Technologies. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• Picard, V. Reopening the Postwar Settlement for U.S. Media: The Origins and Implications of the Social Contract Between Media, the State, and the Polity. Communication Culture and Critique 3 (2010) 170-189.
• Puppis, Manuel. Media Governance: A New Concept for the Analysis of Media Policy and Regulation Communication, Culture & Critique 3 (2010) 134-149.
• Richards, E., Foster, R. and Kiedrowski, T. (eds) (2006) Communications: The Next Decade. London, Ofcom.
• Tambini, D; Leonardi, D and Marsden, C. (2008) Codifying Cyberspace. Self regulation in Convergent Media. London: Routledge
• LSE Media Policy Project

You take one course on media and communications theories and concepts, a course in research methods and a media and communications governance course, and will choose courses from a range of options within the department and across other relevant departments, such as Law and Management. In addition, you'll submit a dissertation of 12,000 words.

The Department of Media and Communications is a world-leading centre for education and research in the field. Our department is ranked number 1 in the UK and number 2 globally for communication and media studies (2024 QS World University Rankings).

We offer students a wide selection of programmes, including master’s degrees, doctoral research training and short courses. At any one time, we have around 270 master’s students and 30 PhD students from around the world – all varying in age, professional experience and backgrounds.

Within the department, our research is organised around four key themes: media culture and identities, media participation and politics, communication histories and futures, and communication technology, rights and justice. The outputs from our research are shared with organisations such as the BBC, Facebook, Google, UNICEF, Ofcom and the UK/EU governments.

LSE’s location at the heart of London, one of the world's media capitals, allows us to foster close links with media and communications industries and policymakers.

Graduates from our programmes progress to interesting roles in broadcasting, journalism, advertising, new media industries, political marketing, market research, regulation and policy, media management and research in the public and private sectors.

Department of Media and Communications

We welcome applications from all suitably qualified prospective students. At LSE, we want to recruit students with the best academic merit, potential and motivation, irrespective of background.

We carefully consider each application and take into account all the information included on your application form, such as your:

• academic achievement (including predicted and achieved grades)
• statement of academic purpose
• two academic references
• CV.

See further information on supporting documents.

You may need to provide evidence of your English language proficiency. See our English language requirements.

Please note: The applications, intake and ratio values below includes MSc Media and Communications, MSc Media and Communications (Research), and MSc Media and Communications (Data and Society).

Applications for this programme are considered on a rolling basis. This means that applications will close once the programme is full.

There is no fixed deadline. However, if you’d like to be considered for any funding opportunities, you must submit your application (and all supporting documents) by the funding deadline. See the fees and funding section below for more details.

For this programme, all students pay the same tuition fees, regardless of their fee status.

For this programme, all students pay the same tuition fees, regardless of their fee status.

All taught courses are required to include formative coursework which is unassessed. It's designed to help prepare you for summative assessment which counts towards the course mark and to the degree award. LSE uses a range of formative assessment, such as essays, problem sets, case studies, reports, quizzes, mock exams and many others. You will be summatively assessed by written examinations (seen and unseen), research assignments, essays and the dissertation, which must be submitted in August.

On graduating, our students enter a variety of careers in the UK and abroad, including broadcasting, journalism, advertising, new media industries, political marketing, market research, regulation and policy, media management and research in both the public and private sectors.

Further information on graduate destinations for this programme

From CV workshops through to careers fairs, LSE offers lots of information and support to help you make that all-important step from education into work.

Many of the UK’s top employers give careers presentations at the School during the year and there are numerous workshops covering topics such as job hunting, managing interviews, writing a cover letter and using LinkedIn.

See LSE Careers for further details.