Personal statement

Dr Fiona McKay is a Lecturer in Journalism, Media and Communication at the University of Strathclyde. Her research has a strong interdisciplinary focus at the intersections of gender, media, politics, and journalistic practice. Dr McKay’s research interests include a gendered focus on representation in the news media, media and political communication, and journalistic practice. She has published articles on the press treatment of Nicola Sturgeon, press discourses amid the 2016 EU Referendum and the mediated representation of female leaders and the “double bind”. More recently, she has completed research on the experiences of female journalists in Scotland and EDI initiatives in the creative industries. She is the Scotland coordinator for the Global Media Monitoring Porject 2025 and Co-chair of the MeCCSA Women's Network. 

Dr McKay welcomes those interested in pursuing doctoral studies with an intersectional focus on gender and/or minoritised identities in media, in particular representations of gender in journalism/news media or gendered journalistic career/workplace experiences. She has experience of qualitative methods and approaches including interviews and textual analysis (critical discourse analysis, thematic analysis, qualitative content analysis). Having also worked as journalist for several years, she also welcomes projects that focus on journalistic practice and ethics.