Programme Lead - ROLE UK Programme
Vanessa is the ROLE UK Programme Lead, responsible for the strategic and operational direction of the ROLE UK Programme. Vanessa began her career as an academic specialising in media and citizenship in the South African context, communications policy in Africa, and the intersection between media and civic space. In 2016, she moved to the civil society sector, working as a researcher for a South African NGO. Here, Vanessa specialised in understanding the relationship between the media and civil society, the roles of journalism in promoting good governance, accountability, citizenship, the role of the media, civil society and citizens in development, and research ethics.
Vanessa holds a PhD in Media and Communication Studies from the University of Leeds, UK. She completed her MA at the School of Journalism and Media Studies at Rhodes University, South Africa. She has completed courses on Social Accountability, Monitoring & Evaluation, Higher Education teaching, citizen engagement in development, and research ethics.