Witnesses to War: Australian War Correspondents from the Boer to the Gulf War. This national project will be the first study to examine the collective history of Australian journalists and photojournalists who have covered major wars and international conflicts from the Boer War to the 'war on terror'. It will be a timely and path breaking contribution to history, offering a new understanding of key issues including the journalists' experiences; the discourses that defined Australian national id ....Witnesses to War: Australian War Correspondents from the Boer to the Gulf War. This national project will be the first study to examine the collective history of Australian journalists and photojournalists who have covered major wars and international conflicts from the Boer War to the 'war on terror'. It will be a timely and path breaking contribution to history, offering a new understanding of key issues including the journalists' experiences; the discourses that defined Australian national identity; truth and mythmaking; war correspondents' influence on public commemoration and how they shaped attitudes to war, allies, enemies and race; how reporting changed; and the role of political and military censorship. Read moreRead less
A History of Public Conversation in the USA. The quality of public conversation is a subject of continuing concern in Australia as in the US. This study of the history of public conversation in the US will offer a longer historical perspective on current political and social concerns about declining social capital and civility in public discourse. Americans have always sought more and better public discussion, but for quite different reasons at different times. The research will illuminate the v ....A History of Public Conversation in the USA. The quality of public conversation is a subject of continuing concern in Australia as in the US. This study of the history of public conversation in the US will offer a longer historical perspective on current political and social concerns about declining social capital and civility in public discourse. Americans have always sought more and better public discussion, but for quite different reasons at different times. The research will illuminate the very rich history of public conversation in the US and shed some comparative light on Australian conditions.Read moreRead less
A history of press photography in Australia. Press photography has long influenced how Australians have understood themselves and their world. In collaboration with the National Library of Australia and the Walkley Foundation, the project explores the evolving role of photographs in breaking news, and historical shifts in photographic technologies, media practices and ethics.
Unfit to print: A history and analysis of press power in Australia. For over eighty years, there have been accusations that newspapers strongly influence Australian politics and policy-making. But newspapers are also accused of masking their influence and failing to cover themselves with the same vigour they cover other industries. How do newspapers report on themselves and policies affecting their interests? This project will examine the controversial issue of press power by mapping a history o ....Unfit to print: A history and analysis of press power in Australia. For over eighty years, there have been accusations that newspapers strongly influence Australian politics and policy-making. But newspapers are also accused of masking their influence and failing to cover themselves with the same vigour they cover other industries. How do newspapers report on themselves and policies affecting their interests? This project will examine the controversial issue of press power by mapping a history of newspaper influence on media policy-making from 1927-2012. It will combine archival research, content analysis of newspapers and interviews with former politicians and newsworkers to examine not just how newspapers exercise power but also how they represent their power to politicians and the public. Read moreRead less