Maddalena Filetti

After my bachelor’s graduation, I spent a year working in social media marketing and web editing for a company operating in the beauty industry. As my days in the office went by, I knew we needed to make some structural changes in our language and representation practices. Our communication strategies and materials were far from inclusive and diverse, and I constantly felt the urge to turn things around.

However, although I have always been passionate about intersectional feminism and inclusion, I didn’t feel like I had the tools to implement such changes in my work at the time. That’s why I applied to the master specialisation Media, Culture & Society at Erasmus University, and I can happily say it was one of the best decisions I have ever made.

Research my own interests

Media, Culture & Society is everything I have hoped for: a solid, yet flexible dive into the complex workings of the media from a socio-cultural perspective. The most exciting aspect of the master specialisation is the opportunity to explore my own research interests within the structure of my studies. Every assignment, paper and essay I write allows me to use the knowledge co-produced in class with my peers and professors and apply it to real-life cases of my interest. In addition, the master specialisation is small-scale and easy to navigate as an international student. The professors speak excellent English, and the classroom is always an interesting and respectful site of intercultural exchanges. 

Favourite courses

My favourite courses so far are Media & Socio-Cultural Change, Digital Media & Cultural Identities and Television Audiences. These courses allowed me to understand how media can generate change in society, participate in better representational practices, challenge discriminatory narratives, and ultimately create more inclusive and fairer (digital) environments for everyone.

Minor difficulties

Throughout my studies at Erasmus University, I have encountered minor difficulties in getting acquainted with the research methodologies, typical of Media Studies. I had never applied any qualitative or quantitative research methods in my previous studies. Therefore, the contents of the Methods courses were new and foreign to me. However, the tutorials and professors were always very helpful, and I never felt overwhelmed by the assignments.

In addition, Media, Culture & Society is very fast paced and requires students to be on top of their deadlines at all times. That’s why time management and a good dose of organization are key to academic and personal achievements.

Future plans

My future plans (hopefully) include a PhD and a career as corporate communications director, expert in matters of diversity and inclusion.