Australian Laureate Fellowships - Grant ID: FL230100075
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$3,107,127.00
Summary
Mediated Trust: Ideas, Interests, Institutions, Futures. Declining trust in social and political institutions is linked to the rise of populism, misinformation and civic disengagement. Acknowledging the key role of digital media in enabling trust or promoting mistrust, this project explores mediated trust at societal, institutional and interpersonal levels. The research will leverage a novel framework of 'ideas, interests and institutions' applied to major case studies from news media, digital p ....Mediated Trust: Ideas, Interests, Institutions, Futures. Declining trust in social and political institutions is linked to the rise of populism, misinformation and civic disengagement. Acknowledging the key role of digital media in enabling trust or promoting mistrust, this project explores mediated trust at societal, institutional and interpersonal levels. The research will leverage a novel framework of 'ideas, interests and institutions' applied to major case studies from news media, digital platforms, corporations and the WHO; and develops innovative methods for analysing the relationship between communications and trust. These will deliver world-first integrative approaches for Australian policymakers, industry and regulators to address both crises of trust and our digital futures.Read moreRead less
Heartbeat of Australia: Tracking, Understanding and Engaging News Audiences. This project aims to address the existential crisis of local news by developing a barometer of the health of local news ecosystems informed by longitudinal audience surveys, stakeholder in-depth interviews and case studies of marginalised audiences. Expected outcomes include a robust evidence base to assess the value of local news to audiences and wider society, and innovative new strategies to better address the challe ....Heartbeat of Australia: Tracking, Understanding and Engaging News Audiences. This project aims to address the existential crisis of local news by developing a barometer of the health of local news ecosystems informed by longitudinal audience surveys, stakeholder in-depth interviews and case studies of marginalised audiences. Expected outcomes include a robust evidence base to assess the value of local news to audiences and wider society, and innovative new strategies to better address the challenges the news industry faces in adapting to the digital environment. By devising strategies to produce and deliver quality local news that is financially sustainable, the project aims to deliver significant benefits to the news industry and the wellbeing of individuals and communities across Australia. Read moreRead less
Advancing digital inclusion in low income Australian families. This ethnographic investigation explores the complex relationship between digital and social inclusion, and social infrastructure's role (education facilities, charities, government services) in supporting low-income families' social and economic participation. It gathers insights from families in six diverse communities from Far North Queensland to Tasmania, across diverse urban, regional and rural locations. It focuses on the digit ....Advancing digital inclusion in low income Australian families. This ethnographic investigation explores the complex relationship between digital and social inclusion, and social infrastructure's role (education facilities, charities, government services) in supporting low-income families' social and economic participation. It gathers insights from families in six diverse communities from Far North Queensland to Tasmania, across diverse urban, regional and rural locations. It focuses on the digital inclusion implications of children's home and school learning experiences, school leavers' transitions into work, and parenting in digital times. The project is a collaboration with Australia's leading digital inclusion organisations and will develop new practices, policies and sector wide solutions.Read moreRead less
Australian Experiences of Algorithmic Culture on TikTok. This project is the first to systematically investigate how algorithmic content recommendation is shaping everyday Australian cultural experience over time, in the particular context of TikTok—the digital platform where Australians spend the most time online. The project provides critical evidence to support the government's ongoing policy initiatives intended to regulate the activities of digital platforms. Its methodological innovations ....Australian Experiences of Algorithmic Culture on TikTok. This project is the first to systematically investigate how algorithmic content recommendation is shaping everyday Australian cultural experience over time, in the particular context of TikTok—the digital platform where Australians spend the most time online. The project provides critical evidence to support the government's ongoing policy initiatives intended to regulate the activities of digital platforms. Its methodological innovations directly address the challenges of studying commercial platforms' recommender systems through a mixed-method research design combining computational and qualitative analysis, bridging universal and individual perspectives and introducing ‘citizen science’ approaches to the field of platform studies.Read moreRead less
Addressing Misinformation with Media Literacy through Cultural Institutions. Misinformation can harm democratic processes, social cohesion and public health outcomes. Media literacy prepares citizens for misinformation by developing critical analysis abilities. This project partners with Australian public cultural institutions to increase adult media literacy. Through an action-based, mixed methods approach, the project investigates adults’ experiences with online misinformation and assesses the ....Addressing Misinformation with Media Literacy through Cultural Institutions. Misinformation can harm democratic processes, social cohesion and public health outcomes. Media literacy prepares citizens for misinformation by developing critical analysis abilities. This project partners with Australian public cultural institutions to increase adult media literacy. Through an action-based, mixed methods approach, the project investigates adults’ experiences with online misinformation and assesses their ability to identify and challenge it. Research findings will inform the design and evaluation of targeted evidence-based media literacy training and resources that will be shared across broadcast media, physical spaces and online. Through these initiatives Australians will be better equipped to combat misinformation.Read moreRead less
The Geopolitics of Automation. Automation threatens economic disruption. The Project aims to understand how competition between China and the US to develop automated technologies shapes the future of work. Focusing on warehouses linked to Alibaba and Amazon in Australia, Germany and Malaysia, the Project asks how automation changes labour conditions and modifies geopolitical tensions. Digital simulations of automated technologies in warehouses key to the China-US rivalry will seek to augment kno ....The Geopolitics of Automation. Automation threatens economic disruption. The Project aims to understand how competition between China and the US to develop automated technologies shapes the future of work. Focusing on warehouses linked to Alibaba and Amazon in Australia, Germany and Malaysia, the Project asks how automation changes labour conditions and modifies geopolitical tensions. Digital simulations of automated technologies in warehouses key to the China-US rivalry will seek to augment knowledge about the governance of labour and territory. Intended outcomes include insights into how automation is a geopolitical and economic concern for policy makers. Benefits should offer strategies for organisations negotiating automation’s effects on workforces.Read moreRead less
Safety, risk and wellbeing on digital dating apps. This project aims to build an evidence-base scoping and strategic planning of health promotion campaigns targeting Australian dating app users. The rise of digital dating apps generates a number of issues regarding cultures of health and wellbeing, including concerns regarding risks of sexual assault, and sexually transmitted infection transmission. Popular media reports raise concerns regarding sexual privacy breaches, in the form of ‘revenge p ....Safety, risk and wellbeing on digital dating apps. This project aims to build an evidence-base scoping and strategic planning of health promotion campaigns targeting Australian dating app users. The rise of digital dating apps generates a number of issues regarding cultures of health and wellbeing, including concerns regarding risks of sexual assault, and sexually transmitted infection transmission. Popular media reports raise concerns regarding sexual privacy breaches, in the form of ‘revenge porn’, sexual harassment and sexual assault. Despite this, little evidence exists regarding the role apps currently play in users’ everyday negotiations of consent, condom use, contraception, and other aspects of sexual health and wellbeing. The outcomes of this project will establish foundations for future health interventions promoting sexual health and safety for digital dating app users, and take an innovative participatory approach. This will result in practical, strategic recommendations regarding the future planning, and implementation of digital health promotion campaigns targeting diverse populations, including heterosexual and same-sex-attracted young people aged 15-30.
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Media pluralism and online news. This project aims to chart dramatic developments in the way news is produced and consumed online and to account for this in public policy designed to promote media pluralism. It expects to advance knowledge by testing European approaches regarded in the literature as ‘world’s best’ against a series of innovative news practices, including through a big data approach to collecting media content. Expected outcomes include a shift in public policy reliance on ownersh ....Media pluralism and online news. This project aims to chart dramatic developments in the way news is produced and consumed online and to account for this in public policy designed to promote media pluralism. It expects to advance knowledge by testing European approaches regarded in the literature as ‘world’s best’ against a series of innovative news practices, including through a big data approach to collecting media content. Expected outcomes include a shift in public policy reliance on ownership and control to a more nuanced understanding of diversity based on the role of news and comment. Significant social and economic benefits could result from more targeted regulatory interventions and from greater access to news content and wider engagement with public affairs.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE240101275
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$382,440.00
Summary
Paying and playing: Assessing and regulating digital games-as-a-service . The digital games industry has turned to a service-based business model reliant on the generation of continuous user revenue. This project assesses the implications of service-based monetisation for how games are designed, consumed, and regulated, focusing on three controversial, yet insufficiently understood monetisation strategies: advertising, in-game transactions, and blockchain-based play. While promising benefit for ....Paying and playing: Assessing and regulating digital games-as-a-service . The digital games industry has turned to a service-based business model reliant on the generation of continuous user revenue. This project assesses the implications of service-based monetisation for how games are designed, consumed, and regulated, focusing on three controversial, yet insufficiently understood monetisation strategies: advertising, in-game transactions, and blockchain-based play. While promising benefit for consumers and industry, these monetisation strategies carry the potential for risks like surveillance, harmful advertising, and predatory design. Discoveries from this project will help policymakers, industry, and consumers regulate, design, and use games featuring service-based monetisation in effective and ethical ways.Read moreRead less