María Victoria Mas, a journalism lecturer from the Faculty of Communication at UIC Barcelona, has been working at the Center for Media Engagement at the University of Texas (Austin) since January and will continue to do so until July.  Victoria Mas is undertaking a research project on the impact the value of journalistic brands has on consumers in terms of audience engagement with journalistic content. 

“The objective of this joint research project we are undertaking is to offer academia and the media industry empirical evidence of the financial benefits of undertaking good quality journalism” said Victoria Mas.  Working with other professionals from the sector has been a highly enriching experience, she explained. They all provide and share knowledge and different perspectives that feed into the project. 

The Center for Media Engagement is a research centre that was set up during the current academic year, after years of work in this field, beginning in 2013. The centre sees communication from an American perspective, one that empowers the audience more effectively so they can understand, value and participate in a democratic exchange of ideas. It does so via research, creating and disseminating content and also setting up cooperation and opportunities to create networks within the academic world.