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Staff Profile

Staff Profile

Sharon Zheng

Lecturer in PR, Media and Communication

Background
  • Email: sharon.zheng@newcastle.ac.uk
  • Address: Room 1.28, Windsor Court (next to the Philip Robinson Library)
    Media Culture & Heritage
    School of Arts & Cultures
    Newcastle University
    Newcastle upon Tyne
    Tyne & Wear, NE1 7RU

  • I'm currently Lecturer (equi. assistant professor) in PR, Media and Communication in the subject area of Media, Culture & Heritage at Newcastle University. Prior to this appointment, I completed my PhD with two full scholarships (tuitions & stipends) and worked as an Academic Tutor, Teaching Fellow and Guest/Lecturer at University of Warwick (UK), Seattle University (US), Yangzhou University (PRC) and University of Winchester (UK). I have become a peer reviewer for Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) from 2022. I am now working as an editorial/reviewer for Misinformation Review, Information, Communication& Society, Feminist Media studies. I had acted as a Chief Editor/Journalist in the leading national news agencies/media corporations in Mainland China, HK and UK before joining in the academia. 


Research
Research
  • My research areas fall into audience studies, transcultural fandom, British/Chinese TV and media ecosystem/landscape in China. I also show interests in digital feminism, media and cultural policy, mobile and digital media studies.
  • I focus on qualitative studies in particular with attention to research methodology studies. 
  • I have helped secure funding for two projects about Localising and Globalising Cultural Influence and Comparative Studies of Cultural Legislation from National Social Science Fund in China (equi. £80,000 and £40,000) as Co-I and worked for two major projects about Cultural Rights and Cultural Memory funded by British Council and AHRC.
  • I am a panel member for AHRC peer review from 2022. 
  • I'm now Principal Investigator (PI) for a practice-led project about Media Innovation Lab funded by Humanity Research Institute.
  • I have published academic articles in leading SSCI journals including Feminist Media Studies, Qualitative Inquiry, Cultural Trends, Information, Communication & Society, etc. 

PGR supervision

I welcome potential research applicants with the below research interests：

  • Audience studies
  • Transcultural fandom
  • Mobile and domestic digital media in China
  • British (BBC) /Chinese TV
  • Media policy and landscape
Teaching
Undergraduate Modules 
  • MCH3013: Global Public Relations 
  • MCH3072/MCH3073: Media Research Dissertation


Postgraduate Modules

  • MCH8008: Media and Promotional Culture
  • MCH8012: Freelancing in Media and Communications
  • MCH8013: Global Public Relations 
  • MCH8058: Methodologies - Researching Media Culture & Society
  • MCH8065: Theoretical Approaches to Public Relations
  • MCH8199: Dissertation for MA Media & Public Relations
Publications