María Purificación Subires Mancera

Andalusian Institute for Research in Communication and Culture (INACOM)
University of Málaga (UMA)

María Purificación Subires Mancera is an Associate Professor in the Department of Journalism at the Faculty of Communication Sciences at the University of Málaga, with one research six-year term (ANECA). She holds a Bachelor’s and a Doctorate in Journalism, a Master’s degree in Social Developments of Artistic Culture, and is a University Expert in Virtual Learning Environments from the University of Málaga, as well as a University Expert in Interpretation and Management of Cultural Landscapes for Tourism and Local Development from UNED. Additionally, she holds Professional Certificates as an Occupational Trainer and Camera Operator. She has professional experience in radio, television, communication offices, and audiovisual production companies, where she has worked as a journalist (reporter, announcer, and presenter), video editor, and camera operator.

She was a pre- and postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Journalism at the University of Málaga and is the author of the doctoral thesis titled “ICT, Society, and Territory: Internet as a means of communication, information, and knowledge management for revitalization in rural areas. The experience of the Guadalinfo Centers in Valle del Guadalhorce and Sierra de las Nieves (2006-2013),” supervised by Dr. María Teresa Vera Balanza and awarded the highest distinction, Outstanding Cum Laude. This pioneering thesis reflects the researcher’s commitment to rural areas and their territories. It made an innovative contribution to the field of Communication by highlighting and denouncing the challenges faced by rural areas concerning ICTs, while also valuing resources and initiatives aimed at territorial revitalization from communicative and social perspectives. As part of this research, she conducted a research stay at the University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (Vila Real, Portugal) to study the ICT initiatives developed in that region.

She is the author or co-author of more than eighty publications, including articles in indexed journals (FECYT Seal, Scopus, ESCI, Latindex, Dialnet Metrics), book chapters published by prestigious presses, and conference papers in national and international proceedings with a selective review process. She has participated in 5 national research projects and 12 European projects and is a member of the Research Group “Studies on Communication and Information Society in Andalusia” (HUM-664), led by Dr. Juan Antonio García Galindo, as well as the Andalusian Institute for Research in Communication and Culture (INACOM). She is currently involved in the COST action MARGISTAR, funded by the European Union and focused on marginal mountainous areas.

Among her articles with the greatest academic and social impact are “Participatory Cartography and Web 2.0: Study of Interrelations and Analysis of Experiences,” which addressed the then-novel topic of collaborative cartography; and “Internet as a Means for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage: Culture in the Era of Web 2.0,” published in Telos and featured on the magazine’s cover (both print and online), for addressing an unprecedented topic in the academic literature from the perspective of Communication Sciences. Beyond their academic impact, both publications received wide social attention, especially on social media, where they were widely recommended.

She has undertaken research stays at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, and Universidade de Aveiro (Portugal), as well as an Erasmus+ teaching assignment at the University of Coimbra. Since the 2009/2010 academic year, she has taught 11 courses in the Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism, as well as 2 courses in the Degrees of Audiovisual Communication and Advertising and Public Relations. Currently, she teaches “History and Models of Journalism,” “Scientific and Environmental Journalism,” and “Informative and Documentary Film.” Additionally, she is a faculty member in the Master’s program in Research on Media, Audiences, and Professional Practice in Europe at the University of Málaga.

Since the 2009/2010 academic year, she has also participated in the Aula de Mayores+55 at the University of Málaga, both at the main campus and provincial centers, teaching the Digital Photography and Video Workshop and the Photo Editing and Montage course using GIMP. She has taken part in 5 Teaching Innovation Projects and in a project to create educational materials and instructional videos for the Andalusian Virtual Campus course Fundamental Cartography: Creation and Interpretation.