Diversity and the Media MA
Having finished the course, I can confidently say that it did help me discover my own self, my 'identities' and to better understand the situation and the place where I grew up in. Yet, most of all it has provided me with the theories and tools that are necessary to investigate diversity in the media, or better to improve the lack of it in most countries.
I was quite unsure on what Masters to do after my Bachelor’s Degree so I took one year off to work at Magazine agencies and NGOs. It was working at 3FF (a charity that promotes understanding between different faiths, religions and cultures in the UK) that I finally understood my inclination to study the roots of discrimination, its causes and the way it is still disseminated in modern 'diverse' countries.
This is the reason why, when I found the Diversity and the Media MA, I knew it was the perfect course for me. Additionally, it would also help me answer my personal questions regarding my own identity (I was born and raised in Italy but have Sri Lankan parents), I felt that the course would address the issues that came with having what I perceived was a 'double-identity'.
Having finished the course, I can confidently say that it did help me discover my own self, my 'identities' and to better understand the situation and the place where I grew up in. Yet, most of all it has provided me with the theories and tools that are necessary to investigate diversity in the media, or better to improve the lack of it in most countries.
The course taught me methods to apply to navigate and create more diverse and inclusive media products but also the difficulties and contradictions that one faces in doing so through 'Policy Framework Simulation Exercises' or debates on freedom of speech regarding 'Charlie Hebdo' in class for example. It therefore helped mould us students into more receptive individuals when confronting media, encouraging us to strive for a better society in whatever profession we might take in the future.