Co-hosted by Department of Culture, Media and Creative Industries, King’s College London and Screen Research, School of Arts, University of the West of England Bristol
Monday 7 December 2026, King’s College London
The world around us seems to be shrinking every day and that is in no small part created by the increasingly globalised media industries. In our contemporary, connected world, we see videos and listen to music that seems to be ubiquitous and yet somehow comes from nowhere in particular. Despite this impression, the media industries are still fundamentally shaped by the places where media are produced and consumed, and the spaces that media must traverse in order to move between producers and consumers.
This symposium brings together leading experts in Media Industry Studies to examine the platial and spatial dimensions of media industries. Initially, discussions locate media industries in contemporary urban contexts before the second panel considers how we theorise the spatiality of these industries. To conclude, the final session examines how the industrial workings of streaming platforms seemingly disguise distance while being firmly embedded within geographic contexts.
Attendance is by in-person only.
To register, please go to: Places and Spaces of Media Industries | King’s College London eStore
PRELIMINARY PROGRAMME
12.00-12.45 Lunch provided
12.45-13.00 Introduction
Paul McDonald (King’s College London)
Andrew Spicer (University of the West of England)
Christopher Meir (Charles III University of Madrid)
13.00-14.15 Panel 1 Media Industries and Cities
Chair: Andrew Spicer (University of the West of England)
Ruth Barton (Trinity College Dublin)
Philip Drake (Liverpool University)
David Lee (Leeds University)
Lu Zeng (Central St. Martins, University of the Arts London)
14.15-14.45 Break
14.45-16.00 Panel 2 Platial and Spatial Perspectives on Media Industries
Chair: Paul McDonald (King’s College London)
Lianrui Jia (University of Sheffield)
Michael Hoyler and Allan Watson (Loughborough University)
Jon Swords and Nina Willment (University of York)
16.00-16.15 Break – coffee/tea/water provided
16.15-17.30 Panel 3 Media Industries and Platforms
Chair: Christopher Meir (Charles III University of Madrid)
Luisela Alvaray (De Paul University)
Concepcion Cascajosa Virino (Charles III University of Madrid)
Christopher Meir (Charles III University of Madrid)
Petr Szczepanik (Charles University)
17.30-18.30 Drinks reception