Dr Carolina Matos
Contact details
Personal links
About
Overview
Dr Carolina Matos is a Reader in Sociology and Media at the Department of Media, Culture and Creative Industries at the School of Communication and Creativity and a visiting research scholar and former visiting associate professor in Global Communication at the School of Communication, University of Miami, US (2023-2024). Matos was also the Programme Director of the MAs in Media and Communications and International Communications and Development (ICD) from 2018 until 2023, and until August 2022 was based in the Department of Sociology at City University. Matos joined City University in 2013. Matos has nearly 30 years of professional experience, in academia and journalism, having been a former full-time journalist for over 10 years before becoming an academic. Matos has taught and researched in UK HE for more than 20 years, and she has also been a visiting researcher abroad, in Brazil and Finland. In 2022 Matos was a visiting scholar at the Institute of Social and Political Studies (IESP UERJ) in Rio Brazil for two months, and also in March-May 2019. Matos obtained her PhD in Media and Communications from Goldsmiths College, University of London, in January 2007, with a thesis on the relationship between journalism and democracy in Brazil. Her research is on media, gender and development, NGOs, advocacy communications and women's health, and the role of communications in social change, digital media and new technologies. Matos' research also explores issues of democracy and the public sphere, as well as health communications and sexual and reproductive health and rights.
In 2018, Matos was successful in obtaining funding for the research project, Gender, health communications and online activism in the digital age, through the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF), provided by Research England and which is a key component of the UK's overseas aid strategy and part of the UK's Official Development Assistance (ODA). This was completed in December 2021 and the full author manuscript was published in June 2023 by McGill Queen's University Press. In May 2023, Matos won City Student's Union prize for best teacher for the School of Communication and Creativity. Matos is also a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA) and is currently co-chair of the Gender and Communications section of the International Association of Media and Communication Research (IAMCR), having been elected in June 2020.
Matos' work is concerned with structural inequalities in societies, particularly of gender but also the intersections with class and race. She is also interested in processes of democratization and the ways in which cultures of journalism and the media can contribute to social change. Before joining the Sociology department at City in 2013 as a lecturer, Dr Matos was a part-time lecturer in the Government department at the University of Essex and previously also she was an LSE Fellow in Political Communications at the London School of Economics (LSE). Matos also taught at UEL, Goldsmiths and St. Mary's Twickenham. Matos obtained the Postgraduate Certificate in teaching in UK HE from the LSE in June 2011, having also taught at the LSE Executive. She was also a visiting lecturer at the University of Helsinki, in Finland, in 2012 on an MA in Global Media, having also received a small grant to research in Sweden from the University of Orebro when she was doing her PhD. Matos throughout the years has delivered many keynote speeches, such as at the University of Coimbra in Portugal in September 2019, as well as having attended many conferences and workshops abroad, including in the US, Finland, Portugal, Brazil, Dubai and Egypt. In 2017, Matos was also shortlisted by City Sociology students for the Learning and Enhancement Teaching Awards in the category of assessment and feedback.
Matos has published four books, many chapters in edited collections, journal articles, reviews and newspaper articles. Journals where Matos has published have included the International Sociology, Critical Sociology, American Journal of Sociology, Mediapolis, and Feminist Media Studies, Women's Studies International Forum among others, as well as having published with IB Tauris, Palgrave Macmillan, Routledge, Intellect Books, Rowman and Littlefield, Lexington Books and McGIll-Queen's University Press and Editora Record/Civilizacao Brasileira and Publifolha SP Brazil. One of her books, Media and politics in Latin America, received in 2012 an honourable mention for the Cecil B. Currey Books Awards on the best book on the Third World by the Association of Third World Studies (ATWS).It also won the prestigious international prize 2014 Premio Jabuti prize, winning 1st place in the category of Communications.
Matos sits on the editorial board of a few journals in the field, including being the associate editor for the International Journal of Media and Cultural Politics and sitting on the editorial board of the Journal of Digital Media and Policy, Brazilian Journalism Research (BJR) and the Journal of Applied Journalism and Media Studies. She has also done peer review for countless publishers and journals, including New Media and Society, Bulletin of Latin American Research, the European Journal of Communication, Communication Theory, Journalism Practice, Canadian Journal of Development Studies, The International Journal of Press/Politics, Commons, Global Media, Women's Studies International Forum and American Journal of Sociology.
In her earlier work Matos examined the role of public service broadcasting (PSB) and the media in democratization in Latin America in a comparative perspective with Europe and the UK. She has researched both the mainstream media as well "alternative" journalism, the third sector and NGOs, particularly now looking at the use of communication tools by social and feminist movements and NGOs. Her methods include both feminist qualitative methods and some quantitative approaches, from content analysis and surveys to interviews, critical discourse analysis (CDA), ethnography and participant observation. Matos throughout the years has given many interviews to the press, including to television networks, from Al Jazeera English and CCTV to the newspapers Financial Times, The Guardian, De Standard, BBC Mundo, BBC and BBC Scotland as well as to the Brazilian media, Globonews and O Globo newspaper. As a journalist, Matos worked for various press organizations in Brazil and the UK in the areas of politics, culture and international news, including Folha de Sao Paulo, Globo Organisations, JB, Tribuna da Imprensa, O Dia, Reuters international and UNESCO.
Qualifications
- PhD in Media and Communications, Goldsmiths College, United Kingdom, January 2007
- MA Film and Television Studies, University of Warwick, United Kingdom, 1998 - 1999
- Professional Certificate in Strategic Gender Planning, International Centre for Parliamentary Studies UK, United Kingdom
Postgraduate training
- PG Certificate in Teaching in UK HE, London School of Economics and Political Science, London, United Kingdom, June 2011
Employment
- Visiting research scholar, School of Communication, University of Miami, US, August 2023 - present
- Visiting associate professor in Global Communications, University of Miami, United States, January - August 2023
- Senior Lecturer in Media and Sociology, City, University of London, United Kingdom, August 2022 - present
- Visiting scholar, Institute of Social and Political Studies (IESP UERJ Brazil), Brazil, May - June 2022
- Programme Director of the MAs in Media and Communications and International Communications and Development, City, University of London, United Kingdom, September 2018 - present
- Senior Lecturer and Lecturer in Media and Sociology, City, University of London, United Kingdom, August 2013 - August 2017
- Part-time lecturer, University of Essex, Colchester, United Kingdom, June 2012 - July 2013
- LSE Fellow, London School of Economics and Political Science, London, United Kingdom, May 2008 - June 2011
- Visiting tutor, St Mary's University Twickenham London, Twickenham, United Kingdom, August 2007 - June 2008
- Visiting tutor, University of East London, London, United Kingdom, August 2005 - April 2008
- Visiting tutor, Goldsmiths University of London, London, United Kingdom, January 2003 - December 2006
Awards
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Learning and Enhancement Awards - City Student's Union (2017). Learning and Enhancement Awards
Was shortlisted by City Sociology students for the Learning and Enhancement Teaching Awards in the category of assessment and feedback. -
Camara Brasileira de Livro (2014). Premio Jabuti
Winner of the 2014 Premio Jabuti prize in the communication category, for the book Media and politics in Latin America: globalization, democracy and identity (I.B. Tauris and Editora Civilizacao Brasileira) http://www.city.ac.uk/news/2014/nov/city-academic-takes-top-brazilian-literary-prize -
ATWS Cecil B. Currey ATWS Book Awards - Best book on the Third World
ATWS (Association of Third World Studies) - Cecil B. Currey ATWS Book-Length Publications Award Honorary mention - “Media and Politics in Latin America: globalization, gender politics and identity http://apps.gsw.edu/atws/assoc.htm
Languages
Portuguese and Spanish - Latin American
Teaching
Undergraduate
- SG2051 News and society
- SG1005 Media history and Politics
- Sociology 3rd year project
Postgraduate
- SGM004 Political communication
- SGM223 Communication, culture and development
- SGM111 Sociology Dissertation
Research students
Matina Zestanaki
Thesis title: Greek politics and social movements
Publications
Publications by category
Books (8)
- Matos, C. (2023). Gender, Communications, and Reproductive Health in International Development. McGill-Queen's Press - MQUP. ISBN 9780228018100.
- Matos, C. (2016). Globalization, gender politics and the media. Maryland, USA: Rowman and Littlefield/Lexington Books. ISBN 9781498512442.
- Matos, C. (2016). Globalization, Gender Politics, and the Media: From the West to Latin America.
- Guerrero, M.A. and Márquez-Ramírez, M. (Eds.), (2014). Media Systems and Communication Policies in Latin America. Palgrave Macmillan UK. ISBN 9781349488476.
- Matos, C. (2013). Midia e politica na America Latina: democracia, globalizacao e identidade. Editora Civilizacao Brasileira.
- Matos, C. (2012). Media and politics in Latin America: globalization, democracy and identity. London: I.B.Tauris. ISBN 9781848856127.
- Matos, C. (2009). Journalism and Political Democracy in Brazil. Lanham, MD: Lexington Books. ISBN 9780739123515.
- Matos, C. (2008). Jornalismo e política democrática no Brasil. Sao Paulo: Publifolha. ISBN 9788574029283.
Chapters (15)
- Matos, C. (2025). Uso de grupos focais de pesquisa sobre mensagens de comunicação em saúde sobre os SDRS: experiências de 'empoderamento' do Sul global em uma era de desinformação sobre gênero e direitos das minorias. Martins, Z. e Moises, R. (orgs) Coletivos, comunicacao comunitaria e relacoes raciais, 1a edicao, RJ: Editora Genio Editorial 2025 Editora Genio Editorial 2025.
- Matos, C. (2024). Community Engagement With Health Messages on Reproductive Health in an Age of Misinformation and Political Polarisation: A Case Study of the US NGO Open Arms in Florida 1 , 2. Young Adulthood Across Digital Platforms (pp. 145-164). Emerald Publishing Limited. ISBN 9781837535255.
- Molisso, S. and Matos, C. (2023). The NGOs’ Blog Posts and Digital Storytelling on SRHR: A Critical Examination. Gender, Communications, and Reproductive Health in International Development McGill-Queen's/Brian Mulroney. ISBN 9780228017554.
- Matos, C. (2017). Democracy, pluralism and the media in Latin America: from public communications to women’s use of new technologies. In Riggirozzi, P. and Wylde, C. (Eds.), Handbook of South American Governance (pp. 275-285). Oxford, UK: Routledge. ISBN 9781857438185.
- Matos, C. (2015). Media reform in Latin America revisited: where do we go from here? In Steemers, J. and Flew, T. (Eds.), Media Policy (pp. 156-172).
- Matos, C. (2014). Public service broadcasting and media reform in Brazil in comparative perspective. In Guerrero, M.A. and Márquez-Ramírez, M. (Eds.), Media Systems and Communication Policies in Latin America (pp. 226-242). Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 9781137409041.
- Matos, C. (2014). PSB and media reform in Brazil in comparative perspective. In Guerrero, M.A. and Ramirez, M.M. (Eds.), Media Systems and Communication Policies in Latin America (pp. 208-225). London: Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 9781137409041.
- Matos, C. (2014). The Internet for the Public Interest: Overcoming the digital divide in Brazil. In Martens, C., McChesney, R. and Vivaveres, E. (Eds.), Regional responses to media regulation: the International Political Economy of Media in South America London: algrave Macmillan.
- Matos, C. (2013). Televisão, CulturA Popular e Identidade Latino- AmericanA E Brasileira. In Matos, C. (Ed.), Mídia e política na América Latina (pp. 197-234). Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: Civilização Brasileira. ISBN 9788520011195.
- Matos, C. (2013). Media Democratization in Brazil Revisited. In Nederveen Pieterse, J. (Ed.), Brazil Emerging: inequality and emancipation Abingdon, UK: Routledge. ISBN 9780415837040.
- Matos, C. (2013). Media and globalization in Brazil. In Nederveen Pieterse, J. and Cardoso, A. (Eds.), Brazil Emerging: Inequality and Emancipation New York: Routledge. ISBN 9780415837040.
- Matos, C. (2012). Audience perceptions of quality programming and the public media. Media and Politics in Latin America: Globalization, Democracy and Identity London, UK: I. B. Tauris. ISBN 9781848856127.
- Matos, C. (2012). Globalization and the mass media. Encyclopedia of Globalization Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell.
- Matos, C. (2001). Isaac Julien. In Allon, Y. (Ed.), Contemporary British and Irish Film Directors New York: Wallflower Press. ISBN 9781903364215.
- Matos, C. Latin American media and politics entry. In Avellaneda, C., Mendez Mendez, N. and Bello-Gomez, R.A. (Eds.), Handbook of Latin American Politics Edward Elgar. ISBN 9781035325542.
Conference papers and proceedings (8)
- Matos, C., Gupta, N. and Choudhury, T. (2026). Community engagement, ‘storytelling’ and participatory health: a case study of communications on women’s health and wellbeing in India and Bangladesh. 2026 IAMCR Galway 28 June-2 July, Galway, Ireland.
- Matos, C. (2013). Journalism cultures in the public sphere: a look at Brazilian economic journalism. "Interrogating Economics in the Public Sphere", April 2013, project funded by the ESRC. 18-19 April, University of Cambridge.
- Matos, C. Inequality and emancipation: Brazil’s changing role in the world. Pre-ICA London Conference London.
- Matos, C. Television, entertainment and the public interest. ICA London Conference London.
- Matos, C. Gender politics, blogging and the 2010 Brazilian elections. Political Studies Association (PSA) Conference Cardiff.
- Matos, C. Public service broadcasting and media reform in Brazil in comparative perspective. 2013 IAMCR Conference Dublin.
- Matos, C. Between crisis and cultural emancipation: re-evaluating the role of the public media in the digital age. 5th year anniversary of the Media and Communications Department LSE, London.
- Matos, C. Partisanship and professionalism: the role of the journalist in the democratization process. US-Brazil (BRASA IX) conference Tulane University, New Orleans USA.
Internet publication
Journal articles (22)
- Iqani, M., Feigenbaum, A., Kredo, T., Pillay, S.R., Matos, C. and Guyan, K. (2026). Navigating participation and evidence in emancipatory sexual and reproductive health care. South African Journal of Science, 122(3/4). doi:10.17159/sajs.2026/22446
- Matos, C.O., Dunleavy, V.O. and Oliveira, J. (2025). Discourses of care, wellbeing and women’s rights: A case study of saving Mothers’ comadronas’ understanding of reproductive health in Guatemala in the misinformation age. Health Care for Women International, 46(11), pp. 1335-1354. doi:10.1080/07399332.2025.2547764
- Matos, C. (2023). Making sense of reproductive health messages in the Global South: A case study of Brazil’s NGO Reprolatina. International Journal of Media & Cultural Politics, 19(2), pp. 237-254. doi:10.1386/macp_00085_1
- Matos, C. (2022). NGOs and advocacy communications on sexual and reproductive health and rights: From the North to the South. Feminist Media Studies, 22(2), pp. 183-204. doi:10.1080/14680777.2020.1841813
- Matos, C.O. (2021). Entrevista com o professor Daya Thussu sobre midia e academia em tempos de pandemia. Revista de Comunicação Dialógica, (6), pp. 94-116. doi:10.12957/rcd.2022.62083
- Matos, C. (2019). Book review: The Technoscientific witness of rape - contentious histories of law, feminism and forensic science. American Journal of Sociology, 125(March ), pp. 310-312. doi:10.1086/703550
- Matos, C. (2019). The Technoscientific Witness of Rape: Contentious Histories of Law, Feminism, and Forensic Science. By Andrea Quinlan. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2017. Pp. x+254. $66.00 (cloth); $29.95 (paper). American Journal of Sociology, 125(1), pp. 310-312. doi:10.1086/703550
- Matos, C. (2018). Re-thinking feminism and democratic politics: the potential of online networks for social change and gender equality in Brazil. Mediapolis – Revista de Comunicação, Jornalismo e Espaço Público, (7), pp. 17-30. doi:10.14195/2183-6019_7_1
- Matos, C. (2018). Facing Poverty and Marginalization: Fifty years of Critical Research in Brazil ‐ edited by Kontopodis, Michalis, Magalhaes, Maria C. and Coracini, Maria Jose. Bulletin of Latin American Research, 37(3), pp. 387-388. doi:10.1111/blar.12827
- Matos, C. (2018). Feminist media studies across borders: re-visiting studies within the Brazilian national context. Journal of International Women's Studies, 20(2), pp. 11-25
- Matos, C.O. (2017). Rosalind Gill: “não queremos só mais bolo, queremos toda a padaria!” MATRIZes, 11(2), pp. 137-137. doi:10.11606/issn.1982-8160.v11i2p137-160
- Matos, C. (2017). New Brazilian feminisms and online networks: Cyberfeminism, protest and the female ‘Arab Spring’. International Sociology, 32(3), pp. 417-434. doi:10.1177/0268580917694971
- Matos, C. (2016). Harbinger of modernity. Marcos Aguinis and the democratization of Argentina. Journal of Modern Jewish Studies, 15(3), pp. 528-529. doi:10.1080/14725886.2016.1186377
- Matos, C. (2015). The crisis of public communications and quality journalism in comparative perspective. Journal of Applied Journalism and Media Studies, Latin American Journalism
- Matos, C. (2015). The Brazillian Road Movie: Journeys of (Self) Discovery ‐ edited by Brandellero, Sara. Bulletin of Latin American Research, 34(3), pp. 394-395. doi:10.1111/blar.12336
- Matos, C. (2015). Brazil: the struggle for press freedom. Dialogue, (07), pp. 19-20
- Matos, C. (2014). Brazilian society and politics post-World Cup 2014: Global and local media narratives for democratization. International Journal of Digital Television, 5(3), pp. 255-259. doi:10.1386/jdtv.5.3.255_7
- Matos, C. (2014). Brazil: the struggle for press freedom. Dialogue
- Matos, C. (2012). Media democratization in Brazil and future challenges. Journal of Critical Sociology, 38(6)
- Matos, C. (2011). Media and democracy. Westminster Papers in Communication and Culture
- Matos, C. (2009). Comparing Media Systems: the role of the public media in the digital age. The Global Studies Journal, 2(3)
- Matos, C. (2004). Lula is pop!: an analysis of a celebrity politician. Journal of Culture and Communications of the Federal University of Bahia
Performances (2)
- Matos, C.(2013). Journalism in Latin America. 2-5 May, .
- Matos, C. Oxford Podcasts: Challenges for Media Democratization in Brazil and Latin America. .
Working paper
Professional activities
Editorial activity (3)
- Review of articles for a series of top journals, including the American Political Science Review, Global Media and BLAR (Bulletin of Latin American Research)..
- Editorial Advisory Board, International Journal of Digital Television: http://www.intellectbooks.ac.uk/journals.
- Book review for BLAR (Bulletin of Latin American Research), Brandellero, Sara (ed) (2013) The Brazillian Road Movie: Journeys of (Self) Discovery, University of Wales Press (Cardiff), xix+288 pp. £90.00 hbk.
Events/conferences (4)
- King's College: Where now for Brazil? http://www.kcl.ac.uk/aboutkings/worldwide/newsevents/newsrecords/Whats-Next-for-Brazil-From-the-turmoil-to-the-near-future.aspx (2016).
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Globalization, gender politics and the media. Gender & Sexualities Research Forum, City (2014).
Description: http://www.city.ac.uk/events/2014/jun/gender-and-sexualities-research-forum - LSE/Oxford - Brazil Forum UK. http://brazilforum.co.uk/index.php/speakers/
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Pre-BSA (British Sociological Association) conference. Birmingham
Description: https://bsapgforum.wordpress.com/2015/12/08/sociological-explorations/
Keynote lectures/speeches (7)
- Delivered the lectures “Gender and social development” and “Gender equity and citizenship”. Institute for Parliamentary Studies (2015). Delivered lectures as part of the course Professional Certificate in Gender Planning
- Reuter's Institute University of Oxford.http://podcasts.ox.ac.uk/challenges-media-democratization-brazil-and-latin-america
- International Journalism Week, 2012 - University of Sheffield.http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/journalism/events/ijw2012/programme
- Interrogating the Economics in the Public Sphere -.http://www.econpublic.hps.cam.ac.uk/events/workshop-interrogating/
- Women Festival - University of Southampton. Southampton https://portal.solent.ac.uk/events/events-articles/2016/january/women-festival.aspx?ContensisTextOnly=true
- Universidade Metodista. Sao Paulo http://portal.metodista.br/cienciameto/noticias/midia-e-democracia-e-experiencia-da-emissora-britanica-bbc-e-tema-de-debate
- Media and Governance in Latin America. University of Leeds http://mgla.leeds.ac.uk/about-the-conference/
Media appearances (7)
- Faculti Media. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Haoj6ktcDCI
- Al Jazeera Listening Post. http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/listeningpost/2014/07/an-alternative-angle-world-cup-201475134952225371.html
- Is David Cameron really commited to promote more women? http://www.city.ac.uk/news/2014/jul/city-university-london-academics-comment-ahead-of-rumoured-cabinet-re-shuffle
- Al Jazeera Listening Post. http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/listeningpost/2016/03/dilma-rousseff-caught-media-firestorm-160319130043686.html
- CCTV America - The Heat is on. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGf-KaByG1w
- Financial Times. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/d15a8694-f621-11e5-9afe-dd2472ea263d.html#axzz4Gw2F9AEk
- The World Weekly. http://www.theworldweekly.com/reader/view/magazine/2016-04-21/after-rousseff/7618
Online articles (4)
- The colourful reality of Brazilian society is more than football and samba. (2014). The Conversation https://theconversation.com/the-colourful-reality-of-brazilian-society-its-more-than-football-and-samba-28161
- Gender politics, blogging and the 2010 Brazilian elections.The Political Studies Association http://www.psa.ac.uk/sites/default/files/975_496.pdf
- How Brazil's media is hounding.The Conversation
- Unesco World press freedom 2016 Finland.World celebrates 250 years of freedom of information
Production activity
- Globalization, gender politics and the media (Rowman and Littlefield/Lexington Books, 2016)
Other (5)
- International Centre for Parliamentary Studies - Professional Trainer on the Certificate in Gender Planning http://genderequity.parlicentre.org/trainersDetails.php?name=carolina-matos .
- Unesco - http://en.unesco.org/world-press-freedom-day-2016/carolina-matos .
- Academia - https://city.academia.edu/CarolinaMatos .
- Research Gate - https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Carolina_Matos2 .
- City magazine 2015 - https://issuu.com/cityuniversitylondon/docs/7158_cityuni_citymagazine_sp_web .