The ABC, its Archives and its Audiences. This project aims to enable deeper understandings of the role of Australia’s principal public service broadcaster in the lives of audience members across the country, and the community needs and interests that have shaped it. The project, in partnership with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and the National Archives of Australia, is significant because it will uncover and interpret paper records relating to listeners and viewers during the broadcas ....The ABC, its Archives and its Audiences. This project aims to enable deeper understandings of the role of Australia’s principal public service broadcaster in the lives of audience members across the country, and the community needs and interests that have shaped it. The project, in partnership with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and the National Archives of Australia, is significant because it will uncover and interpret paper records relating to listeners and viewers during the broadcaster’s first 50 years. Expected outcomes include an enlarged and more discoverable media archive for the benefit of researchers, industry and all Australians; an innovative audience-centred approach to the ABC’s history; and enhanced academic, archival and media collaborations. Read moreRead less
Addressing Online Hostility in Australian Digital Cultures. This project aims to provide a comprehensive account of Australians’ experiences of online hostility, abuse, trolling and extremist hate speech, which have increased over the past decade. The research expects to analyse the experiences of diverse Australian online users, moderators and stakeholders, to determine their practices, attitudes, and innovations, and their perceptions on how to address this social problem. Expected outcomes of ....Addressing Online Hostility in Australian Digital Cultures. This project aims to provide a comprehensive account of Australians’ experiences of online hostility, abuse, trolling and extremist hate speech, which have increased over the past decade. The research expects to analyse the experiences of diverse Australian online users, moderators and stakeholders, to determine their practices, attitudes, and innovations, and their perceptions on how to address this social problem. Expected outcomes of this project include enhanced understanding of the support needs and remedies to online hostility among a diverse cross-section of Australians. This will provide significant benefits by providing roadmaps for improved intervention, support, regulation and education on digital communication in Australia.Read moreRead less
Cartoon Nation: Australian Editorial Cartooning - Past, Present, and Future. This landmark study aims to facilitate a new scholarly and public appreciation of Australian editorial cartooning: something often celebrated, but seldom studied seriously. At a moment when the art-form is transitioning, the study will elucidate its enduring democratic and cultural significance, revealing diverse stories told through cartoons. Expected project outcomes include: pioneering new scholarship; the enhancemen ....Cartoon Nation: Australian Editorial Cartooning - Past, Present, and Future. This landmark study aims to facilitate a new scholarly and public appreciation of Australian editorial cartooning: something often celebrated, but seldom studied seriously. At a moment when the art-form is transitioning, the study will elucidate its enduring democratic and cultural significance, revealing diverse stories told through cartoons. Expected project outcomes include: pioneering new scholarship; the enhancement of cross-institutional networks; and improved capacity for collaboration between academia and industry (professional bodies and collecting institutions). The project will benefit the nation, providing a truer understanding of the defining Australian sense of humour, press, and political culture, across more than 200 years.Read moreRead less
Mapping Australians' Media Use and Civic Attitudes. This project would address the need to better understand how patterns of media consumption in Australia are correlated with knowledge about current events, civic attitudes, and political polarisation. It would provide the first empirical study of the relationship in a fast changing media environment between the ways Australians access information about the news, their knowledge of current events, and their expressed civic values. Significant be ....Mapping Australians' Media Use and Civic Attitudes. This project would address the need to better understand how patterns of media consumption in Australia are correlated with knowledge about current events, civic attitudes, and political polarisation. It would provide the first empirical study of the relationship in a fast changing media environment between the ways Australians access information about the news, their knowledge of current events, and their expressed civic values. Significant benefits include a greater understanding of how Australians use the media to stay informed and how these practices shape values of crucial concern to democratic participation and deliberation. The findings would be shared through white papers, academic and public-facing publications, and workshops.Read moreRead less
Aligning personalised news recommendations with the public interest . The project aims to investigate the growth of personalised recommendations in the Australian news sector, which sees readers and automated systems collectively adopting curatorial roles previously undertaken by editors. The research expects to provide the first evidence base around the adoption and deployment of personalised recommendations across the Australian news media. Expected outcomes include enhancing our understanding ....Aligning personalised news recommendations with the public interest . The project aims to investigate the growth of personalised recommendations in the Australian news sector, which sees readers and automated systems collectively adopting curatorial roles previously undertaken by editors. The research expects to provide the first evidence base around the adoption and deployment of personalised recommendations across the Australian news media. Expected outcomes include enhancing our understanding of how to sustain the important democratic role that the institution of journalism plays in a personalised and automated environment. Expected benefits include the provision of robust evidence to inform industry and policymakers, and support the development of best practice across the news media sector.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE230101558
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$400,000.00
Summary
Taking humour seriously for online safety. Harmful humour impacts on women’s wellbeing online, but is poorly managed by social media platforms, and has not been integrated into online safety regulation and policy. This project aims to bring together sociocultural theory, social media analysis, and interviews to better understand the dynamics of harmful humour online in Australia. It will work with users, community leaders and industry stakeholders to evaluate current platform and policy response ....Taking humour seriously for online safety. Harmful humour impacts on women’s wellbeing online, but is poorly managed by social media platforms, and has not been integrated into online safety regulation and policy. This project aims to bring together sociocultural theory, social media analysis, and interviews to better understand the dynamics of harmful humour online in Australia. It will work with users, community leaders and industry stakeholders to evaluate current platform and policy responses and how they could be improved. The anticipated outcomes include theoretical advances, workable principles for better content moderation processes that reduce harm without restricting healthy expression, and evidence-based contributions to debates on online safety regulation.Read moreRead less
Improving digital sexual literacy in Australia. This project aims to theorise digital sexual literacy in Australia and identify useful interventions aimed at increasing this literacy. We will map the ecosystem of digital Sexually Explicit Material (SEM) in Australia, identifying the ways in which Australians both consume sexual images and represent themselves as sexual beings in digital contexts. This data will be used to theorise digital sexual literacy, including both the "reading" and "writin ....Improving digital sexual literacy in Australia. This project aims to theorise digital sexual literacy in Australia and identify useful interventions aimed at increasing this literacy. We will map the ecosystem of digital Sexually Explicit Material (SEM) in Australia, identifying the ways in which Australians both consume sexual images and represent themselves as sexual beings in digital contexts. This data will be used to theorise digital sexual literacy, including both the "reading" and "writing" of sexual representations. The data will inform the formulation of useful interventions to support increases in digital sexual literacy in Australia.
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Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE240100416
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$452,727.00
Summary
Beyond broadcasting: Community radio as a model community organisation. With 20,000 volunteers, almost six million weekly listeners, and 50 years of history, Australia has one of the most well-established community radio sectors in the world. Yet discussions about community radio are limited to debates about media. Community radio stations are diverse and community-engaged organisations, with much more to offer than just what's on air. This research aims to explore community radio as a model for ....Beyond broadcasting: Community radio as a model community organisation. With 20,000 volunteers, almost six million weekly listeners, and 50 years of history, Australia has one of the most well-established community radio sectors in the world. Yet discussions about community radio are limited to debates about media. Community radio stations are diverse and community-engaged organisations, with much more to offer than just what's on air. This research aims to explore community radio as a model for successful, sustainable, and diverse community organisations. The findings of this project will help other community organisations improve their community connections and engagement, and articulate their value, which will contribute to re-engaging Australians in civic life.Read moreRead less
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
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE230101380
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$408,106.00
Summary
Exploring the digital divide in the ageing migrant’s personal home. This project aims to investigate the experiences of ageing migrants in accessing and using digital communication technologies in their personal home settings. Taking the case of elderly Filipino-Australians, and deploying multi-sited ethnography and visual methods, this project expects to generate new knowledge on the consequences of digital divide on their personal and social wellbeing. Expected outcomes include culturally appr ....Exploring the digital divide in the ageing migrant’s personal home. This project aims to investigate the experiences of ageing migrants in accessing and using digital communication technologies in their personal home settings. Taking the case of elderly Filipino-Australians, and deploying multi-sited ethnography and visual methods, this project expects to generate new knowledge on the consequences of digital divide on their personal and social wellbeing. Expected outcomes include culturally appropriate recommendations and resource materials to determine and reduce communication barriers for ageing migrants, migrant communities, policy makers, and relevant stakeholders. This should provide significant benefits in enhancing ageing migrants’ connective capacities to navigate a secure digital landscape.Read moreRead less