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Ross Garner  BA (Cardiff), MA (Bristol), PhD (Cardiff)

Dr Ross Garner

(he/him)

BA (Cardiff), MA (Bristol), PhD (Cardiff)

Senior Lecturer in Spatial and Material Cultures of Media Consumption

School of Journalism, Media and Culture

Comment
Media commentator
Users
Available for postgraduate supervision

Overview

Dr Ross Garner is Senior Lecturer in the Spatial and Material Cultures of Media Consumption in the School of Journalism, Media and Cultural Studies. I am Course Director of the BA Media and Communications and I teach two modules across the BA programmes. I joined JOMEC in September 2012 after having previously taught at the University of South Wales and the University of Worcester.

My primary research interests focus around media spaces and places, media tourism, transmedia tourism, the Experience Economy, augmented reality, and location-based experiences. I mostly research these topics in relation to intersections with fan and audience studies and/or cult media franchises - especially Pokemon and Jurassic Park/World. This focus produces overlaps with other research ares, such as how media industries understand and target fan audiences, and merchandising/collector cultures. 

I am currently Co-Investigator on the Media Tourism compoment of the UKRI-funded project media.cymru. Working alongside Cardiff-based content producers Nimble Productions, this project considers how Cardiff can harness the possibilities of media-based tourism attractions within the city as a method for boosting innovation, creativity, and employment. Previously, and working alongside Naomi Dunstan, I was one of the primary researchers on the AHRC/REACT-funded project Fans on Foot which explored the possibilities of developing connected objects to enhance the experiences of media fans visiting locations used for the filming of their favourite TV programmes.

As of January 2023, I am part of the Editorial Team for the journal Popular Communication: The International Journal of Media and Culture


I am currently supervising three PhD students who are researching areas connected to fan studies and cult media. I welcome enquiries from prospective Doctorate students in these areas, especially if they relate to media/fan spaces, and/or media tourism.

Publication

2023

  • Garner, R. 2023. Jurassic Park and dinosaur fandom. In: Melia, M. ed. The Jurassic Park Book: New Perspectives on the Classic 1990s Blockbuster. London and New York: Bloomsbury, pp. 97-112.
  • Garner, R. 2023. The Doctor Who figurine collection. In: Booth, P. and Hills, M. eds. Adventures Across Space and Time: A Doctor Who Reader. London and New York: Bloomsbury, pp. 47-54.

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

2011

2010

2009

2008

Articles

Book sections

Conferences

Thesis

Research

My research is located within the field of Cultural Studies and primarily explores intersections between the Experience Economy, media franchises, and media fans and audiences. This can involve anaylzing any combination of industiral strategising, constructions of, and targeting of fan audiences, the form and content of experiences produced by these franchises, audience reactions and readings of attractions and experiences, and how these intersect with ideas concerning transmediality. 

My current areas of research cover:

  • Media tourism.
  • Transmediality and transmedia tourism.
  • Intersections between spatial media and the Experience Economy.
  • Location-based experiences.
  • Augmented reality.
  • Cult media franchises.
  • Media representations of the Mesozoic period.
  • The Pokemon franchise.
  • The Jurassic Park/World franchise.
  • Fan collectors and cult media merchandising strategies.

Teaching

Modules:

Ross is Module Leader on the following undergraduate courses:

  • Year Three - Marketing, Promotion and Branding in Television Cultures
  • Year Three - Screening Locations

Supervision:

Ross supervises dissertation research across BA, MA and PhD levels. Typical topics of interest include (but are not necessarily limited to):

  • Media fans and fandom.
  • Audience consumption and reception contexts.
  • Transmediality and transmedia storytelling.
  • Media tourism.
  • Television industries and institutions.
  • Industrially-focused approaches to cult media and fandom.

Supervisions

I would welcome applications from prospective students who wish to study topics related to the following areas:

  • Media tourism.
  • Transmediality and transmedia tourism.
  • Intersections between spatial media and the Experience Economy.
  • Location-based experiences.
  • Augmented reality.
  • Cult media franchises.
  • Media representations of the Mesozoic period.
  • The Pokemon franchise.
  • The Jurassic Park/World franchise.
  • Fan collectors and cult media merchandising strategies.

Current supervision

Maria Ivanova

Maria Ivanova

Research student

Rebecca Wright Garraway

Rebecca Wright Garraway

Research student

Su Li

Su Li

Research student

Past projects

Previous PhD student topics have included:

  • Constructions of 'dread spaces' within film (a joint supervision with colleagues from the School of Architecture)

Contact Details

Email GarnerRP1@cardiff.ac.uk
Telephone +44 29208 75475
Campuses Two Central Square, Floor Two, Room 2.55, Central Square, Cardiff, CF10 1FS

Research themes

Specialisms

  • Media tourism
  • Media experiences
  • Cult media franchises
No Times like the present

No Times like the present

21 September 2022