Communication Theory and Research

Denis McQuail is emeritus professor of communication at the University of Amsterdam and visiting professor in the Department of Politics, University of Southampton. His books include Audience Analysis (1997) and McQuail's Mass Communication Theory (5th ed. 2005), a comprehensive introduction to the field that takes full account of new technologies and globalization issues. His most recent edited collection is Communication Theory and Research (2006), which presents outstanding studies in communications research published during the last decade. The selections are drawn from the European Journal of Communication, a leading international journal, founded by McQuail, Peter Golding and Els De Bens. Peter Golding was Professor of Sociology at Loughborough University from 1990 until coming to Northumbria in August 2010. He was Head of Social Sciences at Loughborough from 1991-2006, and Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research) 2006-2009. He was a member of the national Research Assessment Exercise panel for communications, media and cultural studies in 1996 and 2001, and its Chair in 2008, Vice-Chair of the ESRC postgraduate Recognition Panel for sociology and media and cultural studies, and chair of the HEFCE Media Studies Advisory Committee. He is an editor of the European Journal of Communication, Hon. Chair of the European Sociological Association Media Research Network, and was Co-Chair of the European Science Foundation Programme 'Changing Media, Changing Europe'. He was founder Chair of the subject association for his field, from 1993-1999, since when he has been Hon. Sec. of its successor body, the Media, Communication and Cultural Studies Association, and is a member of the UK UNESCO Commission Communications and Information Committee. Professor Golding has been a Visiting Professor at universities in Switzerland, New Zealand, Japan, Estonia and Brazil and has lectured and taught in over 20 countries. Els De Bens is professor at the Department of Communication Sciences at Ghent University. Her main teaching and research activities are situated in the field of media economy, media policy, journalism studies and ICT. She is an active member of several international networks, including the Euromedia Research Group and the ESF Changing Media, Changing Europe Programme. Els De Bens is visiting professor at the universities of Berkeley (US), Nurnberg, Lille, Stellenbosch (South Africa), Dortmund and Moscow. Furthermore, she is co-editor of the European Journal of Communication and promotor, co-promotor or contractor of four international and two national research projects. She is also member of several evaluation commissions (teaching and research) in Portugal, Switzerland and Netherlands. She is Chairman of the Flemish Media Council. Her scientific publications include 8 books, 29 chapters in international books, 14 refereed articles in international reviews and 35 articles in national and international journals.