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MA Public Relations student wins European Master Thesis Award

A photograph of Vienna taken from the top of a tall building.

Written byGareth Thompson
Published date 09 October 2022

MA Public Relations (PR) student, Lucille Cotman-Morrison, has been named winner of the 2022 Practical Impact Award for the best Master’s thesis in public relations from the European Public Relations Education and Research Association (EUPRERA).

The Master Thesis Award for Excellence is awarded annually by EUPRERA to celebrate students’ work in furthering knowledge in the field, and is open to higher education institutions throughout Europe. The jury, headed by Dr Martina Topić from Leeds Beckett University, selected the winning theses in 2 categories of theoretical and practical impact over a 3-month judging process. The awards were made at the recent 2022 EUPRERA congress in Vienna.

Lucille’s paper on The Lie of the “Perfect Mom” and the Role of Public Relations in the Construction and Deconstruction of its Discourse considered the links between brand communication/public relations and the idea of motherhood. The research, which formed the dissertation submitted as part of her Masters degree in PR, examined the promotional practices of baby products alongside discussion on the ethics of communicating with new mothers at what can be a time of emotional vulnerability.

Dr Raluca Moise, who supervised the project, commented:

“Lucy’s paper is a first class project of original research in our field and I am delighted to see her achievement celebrated with this EUPRERA award.

"The standard that many London College of Communication students are attaining in their dissertations has been reflected in many nominations for EUPRERA awards over recent years, and this winning paper is confirmation that our students are producing work that deserves and achieves international recognition.”