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
The new screen ecology and innovation in production and distribution. The project aims to explore new models of online and screen content creation. Major United States information technology corporations are challenging Hollywood and television networks and are likely to come to dominate new screen services into the future. This project focuses on the most challenging and potentially disruptive and innovative forms of production and distribution this new screen ecology is taking. Processes of pr ....The new screen ecology and innovation in production and distribution. The project aims to explore new models of online and screen content creation. Major United States information technology corporations are challenging Hollywood and television networks and are likely to come to dominate new screen services into the future. This project focuses on the most challenging and potentially disruptive and innovative forms of production and distribution this new screen ecology is taking. Processes of professionalisation and monetisation of previously amateur content creation are underpinning an explosive growth of a lower-budget, more diverse and structurally innovative tier of advertising- and sponsor-supported online content. Centred on strategies of platforms such as YouTube, but international in scope, the project aims to contribute to innovation in Australian screen production and distribution.Read moreRead less
Diversifying audio description in the Australian digital landscape. Audio description (AD) is a track of narration describing important visual elements of visual media to make it accessible to people who are blind or vision impaired. It is also increasingly being used by the mainstream audience. This project aims to examine the consumption and production of Audio Description throughout Australian cultural life. It expects to generate new knowledge about the ways digital media including emerging ....Diversifying audio description in the Australian digital landscape. Audio description (AD) is a track of narration describing important visual elements of visual media to make it accessible to people who are blind or vision impaired. It is also increasingly being used by the mainstream audience. This project aims to examine the consumption and production of Audio Description throughout Australian cultural life. It expects to generate new knowledge about the ways digital media including emerging generative artificial intelligence might be leveraged to increase access to audio description. Expected outcomes include a curriculum, guidelines and materials designed to empower industries, communities and governments to work together to meet Australia's obligation to provide access to cultural activities using AD.Read moreRead less
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
Digital China: From cultural presence to innovative nation. This project aims to investigate how digital platforms and technologies help Chinese culture and ideas reach the world. While China's global cultural presence has increased, it is not seen as an innovative nation. The project examines how the Chinese government’s internet+ strategy changes power dynamics among political institutions, commercially motivated digital companies and online communities. The project will investigate internatio ....Digital China: From cultural presence to innovative nation. This project aims to investigate how digital platforms and technologies help Chinese culture and ideas reach the world. While China's global cultural presence has increased, it is not seen as an innovative nation. The project examines how the Chinese government’s internet+ strategy changes power dynamics among political institutions, commercially motivated digital companies and online communities. The project will investigate internationalisation strategies and consumption of Chinese culture on digital platforms in China, Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore and South Korea. It expects to understand the implications of China's digital ascendency and the lessons for Australia in the post-resources boom era.Read moreRead less
Evaluating the Challenge of ‘Fake News’ and Other Malinformation. Encompassed by the disputed term ‘fake news’, overtly or covertly biased, skewed, or falsified reports claiming to present factual information present a critical challenge to the effective dissemination of news and information across society. This project conducts a systematic, large-scale, mixed-methods analysis of empirical evidence on the dissemination of, engagement with, and impact of ‘fake news’ and other malinformation in p ....Evaluating the Challenge of ‘Fake News’ and Other Malinformation. Encompassed by the disputed term ‘fake news’, overtly or covertly biased, skewed, or falsified reports claiming to present factual information present a critical challenge to the effective dissemination of news and information across society. This project conducts a systematic, large-scale, mixed-methods analysis of empirical evidence on the dissemination of, engagement with, and impact of ‘fake news’ and other malinformation in public debate, in Australia and beyond. It takes a triangulated approach, combining computational big data analytics with deep forensic analysis, to reveal the complex ‘fake news’ ecosystem, replace 'fake news' with more precise terminology, and provide recommendations for policy responses based on robust evidence.Read moreRead less
Internet-distributed television: cultural, industrial and policy dynamics. This project aims to investigate the impact of global subscription video-on-demand platforms on national television markets. The rise of subscription video streaming has created significant challenges for Australian and international broadcast, media and cultural policy frameworks, which are struggling to keep up with audience viewing practices. This project will provide a comparative analysis of how governments are respo ....Internet-distributed television: cultural, industrial and policy dynamics. This project aims to investigate the impact of global subscription video-on-demand platforms on national television markets. The rise of subscription video streaming has created significant challenges for Australian and international broadcast, media and cultural policy frameworks, which are struggling to keep up with audience viewing practices. This project will provide a comparative analysis of how governments are responding and investigating the implications for debates about local content, local screen production, and media diversity. The project will provide an analysis of original production and programming strategies to identify new forms of trans-national media flow. The project will advance an understanding of media globalisation and provide media regulators options and opportunities for a convergent media policy environment.Read moreRead less
Moving media: mobile internet and new policy modes. Moving Media' is a comprehensive study of Australian mobile internet, how the infrastructures are evolving, how people use these convergent technologies, and how traditional and new modes of media policy respond. The project will advance our understanding of this vital area of future media, providing evidence to inform better policy and regulation.
Object-based motion estimation for highly efficient streaming video. This project aims to develop motion and shape estimation tools that allow video content to be predicted at any point in time using frame data that is available at other points in time. Applications of this include video coding, frame synthesis for temporal re-sampling. The project expects to develop algorithms for jointly estimating compact motion and shape descriptions of video content. These descriptions will allow quality re ....Object-based motion estimation for highly efficient streaming video. This project aims to develop motion and shape estimation tools that allow video content to be predicted at any point in time using frame data that is available at other points in time. Applications of this include video coding, frame synthesis for temporal re-sampling. The project expects to develop algorithms for jointly estimating compact motion and shape descriptions of video content. These descriptions will allow quality refinement by progressively adding spatial and temporal detail. It is expected that these compact descriptions will lead to significantly more flexible and efficient transmission of video content over modern communications networks.Read moreRead less
Securing Web-based Services by Policy Coherence and Proof-checking. This project aims to develop a provably correct cybersecurity system for workflows, which enables organizations to provide flexible and more secure web-based services and business communication. The project expects to generate new knowledge, theoretic advancement and result in new technologies in the areas of internet of things and cybersecurity. The expected outcomes include a software tool with documentation, which helps organ ....Securing Web-based Services by Policy Coherence and Proof-checking. This project aims to develop a provably correct cybersecurity system for workflows, which enables organizations to provide flexible and more secure web-based services and business communication. The project expects to generate new knowledge, theoretic advancement and result in new technologies in the areas of internet of things and cybersecurity. The expected outcomes include a software tool with documentation, which helps organisations achieve operational excellence and security, and maintain a trusted environment for end users. This system will provide significant economic and commercial benefits to business and end users with highly secured web-services and improved productivity through a coherent framework and proof-checked workflows.Read moreRead less