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Dr Stella Gaynor

Humanities and Social Science

Faculty of Arts Professional and Social Studies

Dr Stella Marie Gaynor is a Senior Lecturer in Media, Culture and Communications . Her background is in horror studies, television, film and radio studies. She graduated with a Doctorate in Media, Culture and Communication from the University of Salford in 2018. Stella is interested in horror media - especially zombie texts and slasher texts - in television and film. Her previous research has explored the industrial conditions of television in the United States and its impact on long form horror TV drama. Stella has explored in depth highly successful television series such as The Walking Dead, American Horror Story, Scream: The TV Series, Chucky, The Exorcist, and Ash v Evil Dead. Stella has also examined horror in contemporary digital spaces, inclduding niche streaming services like Shudder, Chiller, and the emergence of creepypasta and horror podcasting.

Stella's current long term project is focussed on Murder Media - exploring and examing representation of true crime, cults, serial murder, and dark histories across the modern media landscape. Stella is particularly interested in these media artefacts and strories when they are told by previously unheard or silenced voices. The Murder Media project will also produce a podcast, detailing the research process, interviewing fellow academics, true crime podcasters, true crime fans and criminologists.

Stella specialises in teaching television and media studies, social and digital media, and horror studies. She currently teaches on the following undergraduate and postgraduate modules:

Analysing Entertainment Media
Media and Cultural Theory
Social and Digital Media
Mediating Diversity
Dissertation
Theories, Concepts and Debates in Mass Communications

Degrees

2018, The University of Salford, United Kingdom, PhD

Academic appointments

PhD Candidate / Associate Lecturer, Broadcast Media, University of Salford, 2015 - 2022
Associate Lecturer, Film and Media, Manchester Metropolitan University, 2011 - 2015

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