Media, Film and Communication Studies Programme, University of Otago

03/06/2026

Onto our ELECTIVE papers for Sem 2. COMMUNICATION RESEARCH METHODS (MFCO 205 / 305) is led by Dr Rachel Billington. In this paper, students will learn crucial qualitative, and quantitative methodologies for analysing media content and audience data. Dr Billington is an expert in this area, having recently published a highly praised monograph on young men's use of social media in Aotearoa. Her research was anchored in interviews and social media analysis, making her well-placed to lead this paper!

https://www.otago.ac.nz/courses/papers?papercode=MFCO205

02/06/2026

Let's consider our core 3rd year Comms papers CRITICAL PROBLEMS IN COMMUNICATION STUDIES (MFCO 303), taught by Dr Michael Daubs. In this paper, students consider the structural production and consumption of communications and zoom in on communication theory and scholarly questions.

https://www.otago.ac.nz/courses/papers?papercode=MFCO303

02/06/2026

Spotlight on MFCO 301 CRITICAL PROBLEMS IN FILM & MEDIA STUDIES. This paper is team taught by Christian Long and Sophie Gilmore. The paper asks: what happens when media *escapes the cinema screen*? For instance, what are the politics of moral panics about 'video nasties'? What does it mean to screen film in the art gallery? MFCO 301 also gives students the option to make a video essay / creative output for their assessment task.

https://www.otago.ac.nz/courses/papers?papercode=MFCO301

Ping Division of Humanities, University of Otago

31/05/2026

It is time to choose your papers for Sem 2! This week we will profile the upcoming Media, Film & Comms papers you can read.

First up: MEDIA, POWER, SOCIETY (MFCO 102) taught by Dr Yuki Watanabe. This paper is a core paper for BOTH Film & Comms majors. It tackles the questions of how and why power operates through media forms and technologies, asking key questions about structures such as race, gender and class and how this are materialised in media forms.

Check out: https://www.otago.ac.nz/courses/papers?papercode=MFCO102

ping Division of Humanities, University of Otago

30/05/2026

29/05/2026

Some more (behind the scenes) from yesterday’s shoot promoting our new Master in Communications \ MComms. We spoke to current students 👩🏻‍🎓 👨🏻‍🎓 Tia, Toby, Sam, Ocean, Flo and Chuyang and Prof 👨‍🏫 Robert Patman, who will be leading one of the elective papers 📝 on international studies and political communications.
It was a on campus!

You can enrol in the MComms for our November ‘26 intake now: https://www.otago.ac.nz/courses/qualifications/master-of-communications-mcomms?tab=0

29/05/2026

The current pope is outspoken on AI - particularly on humanitarian grounds. What are YOUR thoughts?
In our papers we equip you with the skills to critique a lot of the taken for granted narratives about AI as more efficient, super smart and simply a ‘helper’. We consider the broader political economy and interests, gatekeepers, and harms to intellectual freedom, academic labour and society more broadly.

The American pope wants to take artificial intelligence down a notch. Is he challenging the tech companies, or will tech take over the papacy?

28/05/2026

Alex, who’s a current 3rd year student 👩🏻‍🎓 majoring in Communications, is also helping out behind the scenes with the film crew. She also got a snap with Grant!

28/05/2026

What a great day for filming outside! We were lucky enough to have our Vice Chancellor Grant Robertson pop his head in on our shoot and meet some of our current postgrads in Comms.
We are filming material to promote our new MA in Communications. Open for November enrolment now!

https://www.otago.ac.nz/courses/qualifications/master-of-communications-mcomms?tab=0

Ping Division of Humanities, University of Otago University of Otago International

28/05/2026

Worth noting!