Department of Public Communications

The Department of Public Communications is well known as one of the most dynamic and advanced journalism and communications schools in the Baltic Sea region as well as the Central and Eastern Europe.

Currently, three degree-programs are offered at the department. Undergraduate program in Public Communication was introduced in 2010 and since then has been one of the most successful programs at VMU. In addition, two graduate programs are offered by the department: Future Media and Journalism (taught in English), and Integrated Communication (taught in Lithuanian). Both MA level programs are strongly focused on media research and comparative analysis, as well as practical skills training.

MA program in Future Media and Journalism is the most ambitious among all graduate studies offered at VMU. Students seek to address the most complex issues of the modern profession: maintaining the aspirations of classical journalism and addressing the problems of the digitally supported social life.

International reputation of the Department runs on its strong academic capacity and rich experience in research, education, training and evidence-based policy-making on the national and international level. The faculty of the department engages over 30 professors, lecturers, and PhD students who are both, active researchers and professionals in journalism and communication research. Visiting professors from Estonia, Finland, Germany, Netherlands, USA and other countries are regularly involved in department’s activities.

Research and expertise is carried out on the topics of journalism and media analysis, communication rights, media pluralism, media transformation, datafication, citizen participation, political communication, public discourses, propaganda analysis, information warfare, crisis management, media policy, media and information literacy. MA and PhD students are also engaged in the research projects and activities conducted by the department researchers.

In 2018, scholars of the department were granted the title of the UNESCO Chair on Media and Information Literacy for Inclusive Knowledge Societies; the proposed four-year program aims at initiating and consolidating research activities and promotional efforts in media and information literacy analysis and adequate policy implementation in the region, as well as design of the graduate program in Media Education. The Chair was the main co-organizer of the UNESCO Global MIL Week 2018 events and Feature Conference which took place in Kaunas in October 2018.

Department of Public Communications has built strong partnerships and networks through international academic exchange programs as well as with a wide range of professional associations, various national and international organizations (UNESCO, IREX, Media4Change, Center for Media Literacy, Lithuanian Journalists‘ Union, Vilnius Institute for Policy Analysis, etc.).

Romas Sakadolskis Media Lab with radio and video studios, also creative workshops spaces and professional equipment provides students with practical training in journalism, media and communication.

The history of the department dates back to 1998, when the graduate school of journalism (Department of Journalism at that time) was established at the Institute of International Law and Politics at VMU.

Bachelor programme

Public Communication (taught in Lithuanian)

Master programmes

Future Media and Journalism (taught in English)
Integrated Communication (taught in Lithuanian)

KRISTINA JURAITĖ

Professor / Head of the Department of Public Communication

Fields of academic interests

Media and Communication Analysis, Mediatization Research, Media and Citizenship, Media and Information Literacy, Media Transformations, Risk and Change Communication, Visual Culture, Reception and Audience Studies

Department of Public Communications

Bachelor programme

Master programmes

KRISTINA JURAITĖ

RŪTA VAINAUSKAITĖ

Darius Amilevičius

Lina Auškalnienė

Auksė Balčytienė

LAURAS BIELINIS

Algirdas Davidavičius

Jaq Greenspon

Kristijonas Jakubsonas

Ignas Kalpokas

Jurgita Kapočiūtė- Dzikienė

Inesa Bunevičienė

Judita Kasperiūnienė

Tomas Kirilavičius

Epp Lauk

Edita Masiulė

Natalja Mažeikienė

Gintautas Mažeikis

Hannu Nieminen

Audronė Nugaraitė

Rimantas Plungė

Artūras Tereškinas

Rimvydas Valatka

Robert Van Voren