Comments on: The Overseas Job Market and the Media Studies Academy

By: Diane Negra

Diane Negra — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 21:53:21 +0000

Hi Lindsay and Jon, on the latter question just briefly, yes I think greater pressure is being placed on hiring committees to be judicious in their use of expensive overseas applicant interview slots. I don’t think that should deter any US applicants from applying and I’m sure that Skype interviewing, etc. sometimes mitigate against this. In my view it’s crucial to try to get people on campus for interviews. It benefits both hiring committees and finalists in numerous ways and multiplies the chances of getting the “fit” that leads to successful long-term appointment. If they do get an interview long-haul traveling finalists also must contend with jet lag, so it’s not easy but there’s every reason to try.

By: Jonathan Gray

Jonathan Gray — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 16:04:50 +0000

Diane, do you have a sense of how likely Americans are to even get an interview? You crossed over, but I hear endless stories of other excellent faculty with great publications who simply can’t crack the interview slate. I’m sure some of that has to do with them not knowing how to apply and what to say differently, but I do wonder what structural obstacles exist.

By: Lindsay H. Garrison

Lindsay H. Garrison — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 02:53:58 +0000

This is great – thanks so much, Diane!

By: Diane Negra

Diane Negra — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 20:38:19 +0000

Sure Kit — I would say the two most prominent are Screen (in Glasgow each July) and MECCSA (in a UK city each January, acronym is for the Media Communications and Cultural Studies Assocation). There is a new scholarly society in Britain called BAFTSS (British Association of Film TV and Screen Studies) that could potentially host conferences in future. Each year in the UK and Ireland there are many symposia and conferences organized specific themes. Here are two upcoming ones near and dear to my heart: 1) NUI-Galway’s one on Irish Masculinity & Popular Culture 1990-2010, 23-25 September; 2)my own institution’s Gender Politics & Reality TV, 25-27 August.

By: Kit Hughes

Kit Hughes — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 14:21:13 +0000

Lots of interesting stuff here, and more than a few surprises. I was wondering if you could recommend a few international conferences for those interested in checking out the UK/Ireland academic scene?