Disability and Digital Technology: Accessible Design, Global Media Policy, and Human Rights. Disability is a major area of Australian reform, and digital technology is key to securing historic goals of full social participation. This project offers the first comprehensive investigation of how we invent, design, implement, and regulate technology for people with disabilities. It will provide a theory of disability and technology, with case studies including mobiles, e-readers, and health technolo ....Disability and Digital Technology: Accessible Design, Global Media Policy, and Human Rights. Disability is a major area of Australian reform, and digital technology is key to securing historic goals of full social participation. This project offers the first comprehensive investigation of how we invent, design, implement, and regulate technology for people with disabilities. It will provide a theory of disability and technology, with case studies including mobiles, e-readers, and health technologies. The project will examine human rights aspects of technology in the United Nations disability convention, and their relation to global media policy. The project will propose better ways to align human rights frameworks, policy, and technology design to ensure digital participation for Australians with disability.Read moreRead less
Investigating the future of Australian television. This project investigates the future of Australian television and the society 'served' by it. Regulation of free-to-air TV has tightly controlled the production and dissemination of news, information and entertainment in Australia. Now digital technology offers audio-visual content on many extra platforms, fixed and mobile. This sets up profound changes in Australian economics, politics and culture. Yet there is a marked lack of independent rese ....Investigating the future of Australian television. This project investigates the future of Australian television and the society 'served' by it. Regulation of free-to-air TV has tightly controlled the production and dissemination of news, information and entertainment in Australia. Now digital technology offers audio-visual content on many extra platforms, fixed and mobile. This sets up profound changes in Australian economics, politics and culture. Yet there is a marked lack of independent research available to Government and Industry to assist them to plan for the changes. And there is almost no context for careful public debate about these crucial changes. This project will play a vital role in promoting knowledge and informed, strategic decision-making for all constituencies.Read moreRead less
The Special Broadcasting Service and Australian Cultural Democracy: Evolution, Uses and Innovation. This project seeks to assess the role and impacts of the Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) as a force for democratic change. Four key themes will be investigated: evolution, uses, innovation and cultural democracy, with the aim of documenting and critically assessing how SBS has used cultural difference as a resource for enhancing democratic inclusion and representation. The approach used will be ....The Special Broadcasting Service and Australian Cultural Democracy: Evolution, Uses and Innovation. This project seeks to assess the role and impacts of the Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) as a force for democratic change. Four key themes will be investigated: evolution, uses, innovation and cultural democracy, with the aim of documenting and critically assessing how SBS has used cultural difference as a resource for enhancing democratic inclusion and representation. The approach used will be primarily derived from new political theory which focuses on how democratic processes and practices can be deepened in increasingly complex multicultural societies. Such a comprehensive analysis of SBS's unique role has never been undertaken. The research will produce knowledge of SBS's past and present practices that can be used strategically to inform future policy developments and enhance the way the broadcaster approaches its Charter obligations.Read moreRead less
Is Australian Pay TV Meeting Its Promise? This project aims to explore the emergence of Pay TV in Australia and its cultural and industrial outcomes. Its significance lies in comprehensively researching a new, expanding and evolving communications medium in Australia. The research will be both quantitative (TV ratings and market penetration analyses) and qualitative (audience focus groups). It is anticipated that the research outcomes will inform public policy-making regarding local content legi ....Is Australian Pay TV Meeting Its Promise? This project aims to explore the emergence of Pay TV in Australia and its cultural and industrial outcomes. Its significance lies in comprehensively researching a new, expanding and evolving communications medium in Australia. The research will be both quantitative (TV ratings and market penetration analyses) and qualitative (audience focus groups). It is anticipated that the research outcomes will inform public policy-making regarding local content legislation for drama, documentary and children's programming, leading to public recommendations and published findings.Read moreRead less
Spreading fictions: distributing stories in the online age. As the first systematic, large scale, public analysis of audiovisual distribution in Australia, Spreading Fictions will greatly improve understanding of a vital area for Australia's economic and cultural future. The high priority governments give to policies encouraging local audiovisual productions reflects a belief in their cultural resonance at home and abroad and the economic significance of creative work. This project will help to ....Spreading fictions: distributing stories in the online age. As the first systematic, large scale, public analysis of audiovisual distribution in Australia, Spreading Fictions will greatly improve understanding of a vital area for Australia's economic and cultural future. The high priority governments give to policies encouraging local audiovisual productions reflects a belief in their cultural resonance at home and abroad and the economic significance of creative work. This project will help to maximise the effectiveness of those policies. As digital TV switchover proceeds and the National Broadband Network is built, data about how Australians are using more powerful, functional mobile devices and faster, cheaper fixed line access will be critical.Read moreRead less