During my time at Erasmus University I have learned a lot about the power of clear and transparent communication.
Maud van Roessel
Alumna Master Media, Culture & Society
Back to school
When I was forced to work from home in 2020 (along with many others), something started to gnaw at me: I wanted to go back to school. I wanted to learn about communication and media on a more academic level and related to societal issues. That is why I decided to follow the master programme Media, Culture & Society at Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR).
Looking back at my study programme, the thing I enjoyed most was the freedom we had in the choice of paper topics. This allowed me to delve deeper into material that interested me the most: related to equity and media. This interest was further sparked by the EUR Master Honours Programme: Tackling Inequalities. Through a combination of the master and honours programme I have met a lot of different interesting, friendly, and inspiring people - both the students and the staff of EUR.
The perfect mix
At the time I was writing my thesis, I started to get slightly anxious and also excited about what to do next. When I saw the vacancy of Community Manager at the Municipality of Rotterdam, I knew straight away I wanted to apply for it. It was the perfect mix between the experience and expertise I had already gained in previous work and in the masters programme, as well as my ambitions to work for the local government and someday have a positive impact on the world. As a community manager I am responsible for the local Facebook and Instagram pages of four areas in Rotterdam. The goal is to help people in finding their way to any help they may possibly need. For instance, if they want to organise something for their neighbourhood, or if they need financial support. On the other hand, it is also key to provide content people are interested in.
Transparent communication
Because my study programme focused so much on equity, I have learned to look at governmental communication through this perspective as well. In times of low government trust, it is up to us to communicate in a transparent way. Moreover, I want to communicate in a way that speaks to all ‘Rotterdammers’. Therefore, our aim is always to word every message as clearly as possible. The Honours Programme also helped me a lot in coming to understand the possibilities and struggles local governments have to deal with. During my time at EUR, I have learned a lot about the power of clear and transparent communication.