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Media and Culture

Media and culture is an interdisciplinary major/minor designed to help students explore the role that media plays in cultures around the world.

Media and culture professor Jennifer Gauthier discusses the effect of media on elections.

Why Study Media & Culture at Randolph?

Majors and minors in media and culture explore and learn to apply theoretical concepts, design and carry out original research and creative projects, and gain practical experience through internships.

The program encourages students to become more thoughtful critics and practitioners of media and acquire an understanding of the cultural contexts in which media operate.

A major in media and culture prepares students for careers and/or graduate study in a wide range of fields including, but not limited to multimedia journalismdigital film productionbroadcastingsocial media marketingpublic relationsactivismnon-profit workpublishinginformation science, and teaching.

Degrees offered

Bachelor of Arts Degreein Media and Culture

Minor in Media and Culture

Minor in Film Studies 

Curriculum and Courses

Related Programs

Unique Experiences Prepare You for Success

Outcomes

International Anchor

EI Thant Sin ’16, communication studies major
International broadcaster, Voice of America Burmese, Washington, D.C.

A native of Myanmar, Sin was a writer for the Sundial and handled public relations for the Panworld International Club. She also completed several internships, including one at the VOA Service Bureau in Yangon, Myanmar.

That experience led to a position as a TV anchor for the network, where she broadcasts international and Myanmar news in the Burmese language.

“My classes allowed me to view the world’s media more consciously and be aware of what we, as the public, consume daily.”

“I grew up under a dictatorship where curiosity is shut down and questions were discouraged, where obedience signifies politeness, and where being an outspoken woman could carry a negative connotation.”

“At Randolph, I learned about respect and appreciation of different strong suits everyone has. I learned that learning doesn’t stop in class, and GPA is not the only ruler that measures me. I learned to be a strong, independent, and outspoken young Burmese woman who fights for her rights.”

Opportunities and Resources

Top Ranked Professors

Randolph College’s faculty are consistently recognized as among the best in the nation. The Princeton Review ranked the College 23rd for most accessible professors in the 2024 edition of its flagship college guide, The Best 389 Colleges.

Randolph has been ranked in the top 25 for most accessible professors for 8 years.

Media and Culture Faculty

Jennifer Gauthier

Charles A. Dana Professor of Media and Culture, Director of the Honors Program

Read More... Jennifer Gauthier

Dustin Abernathy

Assistant Professor of Film and Video

Read More... Dustin Abernathy

Julio Rodriguez

Associate Professor of American Culture, Director of the American Culture Program

Read More... Julio Rodriguez

Department News

New faculty Q&A: Dustin Abernathy
Abernathy, who grew up in western North Carolina, joined the faculty this fall as an assistant professor of film and video, teaching for one of the College’s newest majors. 
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Department Chair

Jennifer Gauthier

Charles A. Dana Professor of Media and Culture, Director of the Honors Program

Credentials:B.A., Vassar College
M.A., Wesleyan University
Ph.D., George Mason University
Associated Departments:Media and Culture, The Honors Program, Film and Video
Office:Leggett 613
Phone:4349478501
Email:jgauthier@ymno1.com

News Headlines

Edward Said wrote, “The job facing the cultural intellectual is therefore not to accept the politics of identity as given, but to show how all representations are constructed, for what purpose, by whom, and with what components.”

I firmly believe that this is part of my job as both a cultural intellectual and a teacher. In my communication and film studies classes at Randolph, I encourage students not to take anything for granted, but to ask questions about the historical, political, economic, and social contexts of the cultural objects we examine. My ideal classroom is one where students are eager to share their ideas and learn from each other. I often learn just as much from them as they do from me.

Film is my passion, although I was an art history major as an undergraduate at Vassar College. Studying medieval manuscripts turned out to be the perfect way to develop a critical eye and close attention to detail. I strive to pass these skills on to my students and to ignite in them a passion for knowledge, intellectual inquiry and lifelong learning.

My own research on Canadian film, cultural policy and national identity has fueled my interest in the delicate relationship between art and economy.

Spending a year in Ottawa as a Fulbright Scholar helped me to better understand the subtle, but important differences in our two nations. I consider myself an unofficial ambassador for Canada and its amazing, but under-appreciated films. Currently I am working on projects that examine the national cinemas of Canada, Australia and New Zealand, with special emphasis on indigenous cinemas. I am most interested in how state-sponsored film industries balance their cultural and economic goals.

In my other life, my husband Eric and I have a son Jack (born in 2007) who keeps us busy. In our free time we enjoy outdoor activities like hiking, mountain biking and canoeing, often with our golden retriever, Max. We also like to travel; some of our most recent trips have been to New Zealand, Hawaii, the Canadian Rockies, and Key West, Florida.

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Dustin Abernathy

Assistant Professor of Film and Video

Credentials:BA, The University of North Carolina Asheville
MFA, The University of North Carolina Wilmington
Associated Departments:Media and Culture, Film and Video
Office:Leggett 508
Email:dabernathy@ymno1.com

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Julio Rodriguez

Associate Professor of American Culture, Director of the American Culture Program

Credentials:B.A., East Stroudsburg University
M.A., Bowling Green University
Ph.D., Bowling Green University
Associated Departments:Media and Culture, Sociology, African and African American Studies, Film and Video
Office:Leggett 601
Phone:4349478304
Email:jrodriguez@ymno1.com

News Headlines

Professor Rodriguez has published articles on baseball, basketball, boxing, and the performance of masculinity in sports films.

He is currently working on a book-length project examining the role of neo-conservative foreign policy in action-adventure films released during George W. Bush’s presidency.

In the summers he tirelessly, but fruitlessly, tries to break 80 on the golf course, quitting the game on a regular basis. The winter brings snowboarding and the to-date successful attempt not to break anything. Sports have always been central to his work and leisure. They instruct and inform his personal and professional search for a comprehensive understanding of the male gender.

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