N&MRC ANNUAL REPORT 2019 DISTINCTIVE BY DESIGN
NEWS & MEDIA RESEARCH CENTRE NEWS & MEDIA RESEARCH CENTRE UNIVERSITY OF CANBERRA
ANNUAL REPORT 2020 N&MRC ANNUAL REPORT 2020
News & Media Research Centre Faculty of Arts & Design University of Canberra [email protected] @NewsMediaRC canberra.edu.au/nmrc 2020 N&MRC ANNUAL REPORT
CONTENTS
1. INTRODUCTION: N&MRC IN 2020 4 5. FEATURED MEMBERS & HDR 39 GRADUATE Director’s Report: The Year in Review, 5 Professor Kerry McCallum, N&MRC Director Dr David Nolan 40 About David N&MRC Highlights 6 David’s Story 2. ABOUT US 8 Selected Publications & Outputs
What We Do 9 Dr Sora Park 41 Research Labs 10 About Sora Sora’s Research Highlights N&MRC Team 11 Selected Publications & Outputs Emeritus Professors 14 Dr Kieran Mcguinness 43 Adjuncts & Associate Members 14 About Kieran Advisory Board 15 Kieran’s Research Alumni 15 Publications & Outputs
Higher Degree by Research Students 16 6. FEATURED PROJECT — DIGITAL NEWS 44 Research Assistants & Interns 18 REPORT: AUSTRALIA 2020 (Featured Research Program — News Consumption) 3. KEY OUTCOMES & OUTPUTS 20 About the DNR 45 New Research Funding in 2020 21 Key Findings 45 Ongoing Funded Projects 23 Research Team 46 Awards 26 Selected Media Engagement 47 Publications & Outputs 28 7. 2020 EVENTS 48 4. ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES 32 2020 FAD Research Festival 49 Engagement and Impact 33 Symposia, Report Launches & Workshops 53 Media Engagement 36 N&MRC Seminar Series 57 INTRODUCTION: N&MRC IN 2020 DIRECTOR’S REPORT
The Year in Review Professor Kerry McCallum, N&MRC Director
2020 was defined by natural and health crises, with bushfires and the COVID-19 pandemic forcing the nation into lockdown and unsettling every facet of our lives and work. 2020 was also a year of continued ruptures in the news and media sectors, with the pandemic exacerbating industry fragility and a growing policy focus on digital platforms and the rise of misinformation.
Despite these disruptions 2020 was a productive year for the Our pool of researchers continues to grow. We now have News and Media Research Centre and I want to thank all ten members, 20 HDR candidates, 8 research assistants and our members, students, research assistants, associates, and 22 adjunct and associate members. This year we welcomed collaborators for their superhuman efforts to keep our program as N&MRC research interns Nandita Dutta and Kieran of research activities going. McGuinness from the Faculty of Arts and Design Research Training Program. The pandemic meant suspending or rescheduling fieldwork, hurriedly moving conferences, seminars and symposia online, A real highlight of 2020 was the production of a series of high- and shifting our focus to remote research supervision and quality in-house open access reports. Through these reports collaboration. N&MRC researchers, associates and HDR the Centre builds knowledge and responds rapidly to unfolding candidates quickly transitioned to this new reality of remote events in news and media in Australia. We launched these research and teaching, and Zoom became our mode of reports through online symposia that brought together experts communication. from industry, government and academia to engage with our research. In 2020 we welcomed two new members to the Centre. Dr David Nolan, who was formerly with the University of Melbourne, • COVID-19: Australian news and misinformation (Park, commenced as Associate Professor in Communication, while Fisher, Lee & McGuinness), May 2020. This rapid-response Centre PhD graduate Dr Catherine Page Jeffery commenced survey was the first to measure how news consumption as Lecturer in Communication in the Faculty of Arts and Design. changed during the early stages of the pandemic. Dr Kate Holland was appointed as Senior Research Associate • Digital News Report: Australia 2020 (Park, Fisher, Lee, and Dr Jee Young Lee was seconded to work as the N&MRC McGuinness, Sang, O’Neil, Jensen, McCallum & Fuller) was Postdoctoral Research Fellow with the Digital News launched by UC Vice Chancellor Paddy Nixon at a major Report team. online event in June 2020.
INTRODUCTION: N&MRC IN 2020 5 • In July we co-hosted an event with the Google News Initiative to launch two industry-funded reports: Australian Regional Journalists: What they need and how they see the future (Park, Fisher, Lee) and Local News Consumers (Fisher, Park, Howden, Lee & McGuinness). • Podcast Trends and Issues in Australia and Beyond: Global Perspectives (Sang, Lee & Park). This DNR special report was launched October 2020 • Our first face to face event was the launch with Council on the Ageing ACT of the News and Wellbeing: Older Generations and News Consumption report (Fisher, Park, Lee, Holland & John) September 2020. • Australian Perspectives on Misinformation (O’Neil & N&MRC Jensen) was launched at an online symposium in November 2020. HIGHLIGHTS
The Centre hosted 21 workshops and symposia in 2020, and our work was showcased at the FAD Research Festival in November. Our Adjunct and former Fulbright Fellow Michael Socolow gave a great presentation attended by a truly global online audience, and David Nolan hosted a workshop on Research in a Time of COVID-19 and Beyond. This topped off a great year for our seminar series with extended reach through its online format and social media strategy.
Albeit in changed modes, we continued to build research collaborations within the N&MRC team, inside UC, nationally and internationally. Work continued on our ARC-funded research projects, while we grew our industry engagement and impact through new research contracts with government and industry grants and contracts. In 2020 we were awarded $746k in new research funding, with Centre members working on grants totalling over a million. Sora Park and Caroline Fisher, along with 21 Professor Terry Flew and Professor Uwe Dulleck and others were successful in their application for funding under the ARC N&MRC Discovery Projects 2021 for The rise of mistrust: Digital platforms Seminars and trust in news media.
Park, McCallum and team were contracted by the Australian Communication and Media Authority to deliver research on News and Misinformation, Fisher won a contract with the Judith Neilson Institute for research on the State of media in Asia, while Page Jeffery and Sang secured a grant from the office of the e-Safety commissioner for their project Safe Online Together. As a Centre we not only survived but flourished in 2020, with 20 strong foundations laid in our first year as a UC Research Centre. HDR Students
Kerry McCallum, Director, News and Media Research Centre
6 N&MRC ANNUAL REPORT 2020 Almost
3k 10 Symposia & Views for Digital Workshops News Report: 24 Australia 2020 via APO Funded Projects 50+ 10 Collaborating Institutions Centre Members 65+ Media Engagements 4 HDR 50+ Completions Academic Publications 7 Industry Reports 200+ New Twitter Followers Launched New Short Course Around 4 $750k Category 1 Grants in New Research Funding ABOUT US WHAT WE DO
Based within the Faculty of Arts & Design at the University of Canberra (UC), the N&MRC advances public understanding of our changing media environment. The N&MRC is Australia’s only specialist Research Centre dedicated to exploring news consumption, social and digital media networks, and the legal, ethical and social impacts of communication technologies.
Established in 2013 and positioned in the nation’s capital, the N&MRC is a national research hub with wide and deep connections across disciplines, industries, academic and public institutions. Through its Category 1 grants and industry focused research, the Centre’s work is being used to inform government policy in the areas of media regulation, public interest journalism and social media use in politics, media literacy, Indigenous affairs and mental health.
The Centre has an established record of interrogating the development, circulation, and impact of media on societal discourses to address critical issues for government, industry and the community. The N&MRC is globally recognised as the home of the only longitudinal study of digital news consumption trends in Australia, through its Digital News Report: Australia.
Located in UC’s Faculty of Arts and Design, the N&MRC provides a strong educational foundation for the Discipline of Communication and Media Studies, and engagement with local communities, national and international policymakers.
In 2020 the N&MRC had ten core members and sixteen HDR students. The high quality of Media and Communication research at UC was ranked at world standard by the most recent Excellence in Research for Australia evaluation.
ABOUT US 9 RESEARCH LABS
CRITICAL CONVERSATIONS Associate Professor Mathieu O’Neil leads the Critical Key areas of focus are: Conversations Research Lab (CCL) which investigates the way • Public discourse studies. issues of social and political concern emerge through media • Media and public inquiries and digital networks to enable public participation and influence • Diffusion of online controversies political agendas. The CCL studies our hybrid media system • Digital commons and peer production in the context of political and social environments at the local, • Indigenous media and policymaking national and global levels. • Participatory media, activism and campaigns We conduct qualitative and mixed-methods research into • Misinformation and health communication citizen engagement, inclusion and exclusion, the networks and • Digital literacy and inclusion trajectories of causes and controversies, and their influence on political systems and media institutions. Our research promotes and encourages informed public debate on the role and performance of news and media in contemporary society.
DIGITAL NEWS+ Professor Sora Park leads the Digital News+ Research Lab Key areas of focus are: which is a media enterprise where researchers, practitioners • Digital News Report: Australia. and students work together to deliver research innovation in • Digital innovations in news production, distribution and newsrooms, organisations, teaching and research. We provide consumption. solutions to the significant challenges and opportunities • Entrepreneurship in news media. which exist for news organisations and journalists through a • Social media and journalism practice. multidisciplinary approach including user experience, data • Crisis in news, journalism and democracy. analytics, communication, advertising, marketing and journalism.
MEDIA CULTURES Associate Professor Glen Fuller leads the Media Cultures Key areas of focus are: Research Lab that interrogates the role of media, communication • New communication cultures and democratisation of and new technologies in constructing, maintaining, and information. changing cultures. • People’s personal and small data practices. It examines the impact of digital media technologies on social • Media use, consumption, sharing and creation. behaviour and social change; and it explores the complex • Gender and media. relationships between media and communication practices in our • Conflict and incivility. daily lives including all areas of work, health, education, • Space, mobility and work. and recreation. • Health, physical activities, digital technologies and media.
10 N&MRC ANNUAL REPORT 2020 N&MRC TEAM
DIRECTOR Professor Kerry McCallum Research expertise: Changing media and social policy discourse Kerry McCallum is Director of the N&MRC. Her research specialises in the relationships between changing media and Australian social policy. She is the co-author of ‘The Dynamics of News and Indigenous Policy in Australia’ (Intellect, 2017), and is currently lead investigator on the ARC-funded @Kerrymccallum project ‘Breaking Silences: Media and the Child Abuse Royal Commission’. Kerry is is former President of the Australian and New Zealand Communication Association (ANZCA) and Member of the Australian Institute for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS). She has implemented and administered complex change management processes at the faculty, university and national levels. From 2017–19 Kerry was UC’s Academic Director (Dean) of Graduate Research, and member of the Australian Council of Graduate Research. This trajectory is supported and grounded by nearly a decade of previous professional experience working in federal parliament in political and media advisory roles.
DEPUTY DIRECTOR, ENGAGEMENT Associate Professor Caroline Fisher Research expertise: Journalism, News Consumption, Political PR Caroline researches political public relations, conflict of interest in journalism, politicians’ use of social media and the citizens who follow them, and the intersection between journalism and public relations. She is a former reporter and producer for ABC News and Radio National and media adviser to former @Csquaredfisher Queensland Premier Anna Bligh.
LEAD, MEDIA CULTURES RESEARCH LAB Associate Professor Glen Fuller Research expertise: Media events, social media, media and enthusiasm Glen conducts research at the intersection of media, technology and culture. His focus is the role of specialist media and the relation between media and enthusiasm (affect), both in the context of technology, experience and the shifting composition of relations. Other research interests include @Eventmechanics journalism and media industry innovation, and discourse and media events.
LEAD, CRITICAL CONVERSATIONS RESEARCH LAB Associate Professor Mathieu O’Neil Research expertise: Internet studies, information literacy, peer production, social network analysis Mathieu leads the Critical Conversations Lab. He is also Honorary Associate Professor of Sociology at the Australian National University, where he to contributed the creation of the Virtual Observatory for @mathieuoneil the Study of Online Networks, a world leader in e-research and big data analytics. Mathieu conducts network and content analysis of environmental, health and political controversies, and of the adoption of causes and innovations in the online environment. He also researches the political economy and public policy dimensions of commons-based peer production.
ABOUT US 11 LEAD, DIGITAL NEWS+ RESEARCH LAB Professor Sora Park Research expertise: Digital inclusion policies, media industry studies Sora’s research focuses on digital media, media markets and media policy. She has written widely on the economics of television, newspaper markets and other information industries. Sora researches digital media user patterns, media markets and policy. She is also interested in emerging media user patterns in @sorapark the digital media environment.
SENIOR RESEARCH FELLOW Dr Kate Holland Research expertise: Media studies, public health and health communication Kate’s research sits at the intersection of media studies, public health and health communication. She has led and collaborated on research projects examining news reporting and its impacts in relation to topics such as mental health, violence against women, obesity, alcohol and pregnancy and infectious @K_Holland18 diseases. Kate specialises in qualitative research methods including in-depth interviewing, focus groups, news framing, discourse and thematic analysis. She has also published on topics such as health humanities and research ethics.
MEMBER Dr Jee Young Lee Research expertise: Digital inclusion policies, digital media and society Jee is a Lecturer in Communication and Media and has developed a program of research in the fields of communication and media across diverse research methods and also different cultures with collaborations both within Australia and internationally. Her research focuses on social and cultural @easyoung impacts of digital communication and technologies, including emerging digital excluded social groups in developed communities, digital engagement and digital trust among young people and growing technology adoption in emerging markets, such as Asia-Pacific regions, and its effects on individuals and societies.
MEMBER Associate Professor David Nolan Research expertise: Journalism Studies, Media and intercultural relations, Humanitarian communication and journalism. David Nolan is Associate Professor of Communication and researcher in Journalism Studies. David’s research has three interconnected strands of inquiry: a) understanding how media and journalism @djp_nolan practices shape and are shaped by shifting social and political relations; b) understanding the role of journalism and changing media environments in intercultural relations and the politics of ‘race’, citizenship and belonging, and c) The implications of media change in the field of humanitarianism and development communication. David is the author of more than 50 academic publications and has been lead researcher on two ARC Linkage projects: Media Treatment and Communication Needs of Sudanese Australians (2011–14) and Amplifying Indigenous News: A digital intervention (2019–22).
12 N&MRC ANNUAL REPORT 2020 MEMBER Associate Professor Michael Jensen Research expertise: Political communications and computational social science Michael is an associate professor at the Institute for Governance and Policy Analysis. He has a background in political communication and has published books with Cambridge University Press and Palgrave concerning online political behaviour. His work concerns the use of digital communication @mikejjensen technologies in the development of new forms of political organization within political campaigning and protest movements.
MEMBER Dr Yoonmo Sang Research expertise: New digital culture, Media law and policy Yoonmo’s primary research interests center on the intersection of new media technologies and the law and focus on the question of how socio-cultural and technological changes advantage and/or disadvantage different stakeholders. He brings his international perspective and cross-cultural research experience to the study of the @iwbaj01 intersection of new communication technologies and the law. He is on the editorial boards of three journals: Social Media + Society, Communication Law Review, and the Journal of Media Law, Ethics, and Policy Research, a journal of the Korean Society for Media Law, Ethics, and Policy Research. His previous positions include Assistant Professor at Howard University in Washington, D.C., Research Associate at the American Library Association’s Office for Information Technology Policy, Doctoral Research Assistant at the Technology and Information Policy Institute at the University of Texas at Austin, and Business Banker at Shinhan Bank in South Korea.
ECR REPRESENTATIVE Dr Catherine Page Jeffery Research expertise: Digital media and technological change, parenting cultures and digital media use within families, moral panics and mass media framing of digital media use, teenagers’ digital mass media use and the intersection of gender, including perceptions about ‘gendered’ online practices such as ‘drama’ and cyberbullying, and sexualised self-representation. @Catpage78 Dr Catherine Page Jeffery is a Lecturer in Communication and Media at the University of Canberra. She completed her PhD in 2019 which examined parental anxieties, knowledges and practices in relation to their teenage children’s use of digital to media. Prior to academia she worked for Australia’s ICT research centre of excellence; and in cyber safety education and media regulation.
HDR REPRESENTATIVE Dan Andrew RTP Stipend Scholarship Recipient Thesis Title: Selling the Audience: The role of advertisers in the audience marketplace
Supervisory Panel: Kerry McCallum (Primary) and Glen Fuller (Secondary)
PROFESSIONAL STAFF Peta Sinclair Research Support Coordinator
ABOUT US 13 EMERITUS PROFESSORS
R. Warwick Blood Peter Putnis R. Warwick Blood has published widely Peter Putnis researches journalism on risk communication, especially the and media history. He has been an news reporting and portrayal of health Expert Panel Member of the Australian issues, such as suicide, mental illness, Research Council in the area of obesity and influenza. He has conducted Humanities and Creative Arts, and research in these areas for several has contributed to scholarship on government departments, including the international communication and global National Health and Medical Research news networks, politics and media. Council and BeyondBlue.
ADJUNCTS & ASSOCIATE MEMBERS
Jason Bainbridge Sarah Maslen Executive Dean, Faculty of Arts and Design, University of Associate Professor of Sociology, University of Canberra. Canberra Catherine Middleton Scott Bridges Canada Research Chair in Communication Technologies in the Managing Director, Australia-Middle East Journalism Exchange Information Society, Ryerson University. and Lecturer in Communication and Media, University of Katharine Murphy Canberra. Political Editor, Guardian Australia. Shaun Cheah Laure Muselli Senior Lecturer, University of Canberra. Associate Professor of Information Systems Management, Michelle Dunne Breen Telecom Paris. Assistant Director, Communication and Engagement (Media), Franco Papandrea ACT Health Directorate. Adjunct Professor of Communication, University of Canberra. Tom Greenwell Luke Pearson Freelance journalist. @IndigenousX founder and Aboriginal Education Consultant. Virginia Haussegger Robert G. Picard Director, 50/50 by 2030 Foundation. Professor and North American Representative of the Reuters Greg Jericho Institute for the Study of Journalism, Oxford University. Columnist for Guardian Australia and The Drum, Lecturer in Peter Radoll Communication and Media Studies, University of Canberra. Professor of Information Technology and Pro Vice Chancellor, Irfan Khan Indigenous, University of Canberra. Assistant Professor of Marketing, Canberra School of Business, Mike Santer University of Canberra Adjunct Professor ICT4D and Founder Director, BluPoint. James Mahoney Luke Toy Adjunct Professor of Professional Communication, University of Director, Medical Practice, Australian Medical Association. Canberra. Barbara Walsh David Marshall AM Associate Dean, Partnerships and WIL, University of Canberra. Director, Talkforce Media Consultants.
14 N&MRC ANNUAL REPORT 2020 ADVISORY BOARD
The N&MRC is overseen by an international advisory board which reviews and monitors the Centre’s strategic direction and performance on a regular basis. The 2020 Advisory Board meeting was held via Zoom in September, with Board members providing detailed feedback on revised research foci and the N&MRC research agenda. Their feedback was instrumental in refining the Centre’s focus into three new research Labs, and to shaping the N&MRC’s successful UC Strategic Research Centre funding bid.
2020 Advisory Board members: Robert Ackland | Leader, Virtual Observatory for the Study Lelia Green | Professor of Communications, of Online Networks, ANU. Edith Cowan University. Rachel Davey | Director, Health Research Institute, Catherine Middleton | Canada Research Chair in University of Canberra. Communication Technologies in the Information Society, Glen Fuller | Head of School of Arts and Communication, Ryerson University. University of Canberra. Katharine Murphy | Political Editor, The Guardian Australia. Gerard Goggin | Wee Kim Wee Professor of Julian Thomas | Director, ARC Centre of Excellence, Communication Studies, RMIT University. Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.
ALUMNI
2020 2017 Morris Carpenter | Senior Research Assistant, School of Melissa Sweet | Freelance Journalist and Non-Fiction Public Health, University of Queensland. Writer, Sweet Communications. Liam Engel | Research Assistant on various projects. Temple Uwalaka | Lecturer, Arts and Communication, Chris Kim, Researcher | Department of Defence. University of Canberra. Kieran McGuinness | Postdoctoral Research Fellow, N&MRC, University of Canberra. 2015 Michelle Dunne Breen | Assistant Director, 2019 Communication and Engagement (Media), Jayan Kurian | Lecturer, Information and Communications ACT Health Directorate. Technology, University of the Sunshine Coast. James Mahoney | Adjunct Professor of Professional Catherine Page Jeffery | N&MRC Member and Lecturer Communication, University of Canberra. in Communication and Media, University of Canberra. David Marshall | Director, Talkforce Media Consultants. Prarawan Senachai | Lecturer, Department of Marketing, Khon Kaen University. 2013 Katrina Clifford | Senior Lecturer in Communication, 2018 Deakin University. Jee Young Lee | N&MRC Member and Lecturer in Lisa Waller | Professor, Digital Communication, Communication and Media, University of Canberra. RMIT University. Teresa Ryan | Senior Project Officer/Lecturer, Office of the First Peoples Directorate, Australian Catholic University.
ABOUT US 15 HIGHER DEGREE BY RESEARCH STUDENTS
Fawzia Alosaimy Thesis Title: Exploring the Use of Snapchat in Family Life in Saudi Arabia. Supervisory Panel: Glen Fuller, Sora Park, Scott Bridges.
Dan Andrew RTP Stipend Scholarship Recipient Thesis Title: Selling the Audience: The role of advertisers in the audience marketplace. Supervisory Panel: Kerry McCallum, Glen Fuller.
Nabeela Asghar Thesis Title: Youth and Hate Speech: Role of Religious Leadership in the Shia-Sunni Conflict. Supervisory Panel: Mathieu O’Neil, Tahmina Rashid.
Morris Carpenter Thesis Title: mHealth adoption for the self-management type 2 diabetes. Supervisory Panel: Sora Park, Sally Burford, James Mahoney.
Mona Chatskin Thesis Title: Cases of Alleged Jewish Institutional Child Sex Abuse in Australian Mainstream and Religious Media: Malka Leifer in News Landscapes. Supervisory Panel: Kerry McCallum, David Nolan.
Paul Conroy Thesis Title: The Media’s Role in the Politics of Contemporary Serious Police Misconduct in Australia. Supervisory Panel: David Nolan, Kate Holland, Kerry McCallum.
Liam Engel Thesis Title: An Online Australian Drug Discussion: Illicit drug policy and the Australian Drug Discussion (AusDD) forum. Supervisory Panel: Glen Fuller, Caroline Fisher, Deborah Lupton, Monica Barratt.
Emma John ‘Breaking Silences’ Stipend Scholarship Recipient Thesis Title: Different Voices: A critical discourse analysis of the ABC’s coverage of Australia’s Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. Supervisory Panel: Kerry McCallum, Caroline Fisher Lidia Kelly N&MRC Stipend Scholarship Recipient Thesis Title: Capturing Crimea, Construing Hong Kong: Challenges and Constraints for Foreign Correspondents in Contemporary Territorial Conflicts. Supervisory Panel: David Nolan, Kerry McCallum, Peter Putnis. Chris Kim Thesis Title: Exploring the Practice of Co-Production as a Habitualised Response to Problematic Situations: A Qualitative Study of Community Recovery in Christchurch, New Zealand. Supervisory Panel: Sora Park, Kate Holland, Barbara Walsh.
16 N&MRC ANNUAL REPORT 2020 Zorana Kostic Thesis Title: Broadcasting Digitalization in Japan: The Case Study of the Japanese Broadcast Corporation (NHK) and its Role and Regulatory Practice between 2000–2020. Supervisory Panel: Kerry McCallum, Caroline Fisher.
Natalie Larkins Thesis Title: Disconnect Between Normative Ideals of Journalism and Practice in Australia. Supervisory Panel: Caroline Fisher, Kerry McCallum, David Nolan.
Kieran McGuinness Thesis Title: Power, Politics and Secrecy: Newspaper reporting of submarine procurement in Australia. Supervisory Panel: Kerry McCallum, Caroline Fisher, Peter Putnis, Greg Austin.
Nadrah Nadrah Thesis Title: The Use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in Teacher Professional Education Program (TPEP) for English Teachers in Indonesia. Supervisory Panel: Sora Park, Caroline Fisher, Yoonmo Sang.
Anji Perera RTP Stipend Scholarship Recipient Thesis Title: Connecting the drops – connecting communities: beyond boundaries of water literacy. Supervisory Panel: Sora Park, Mathieu O’Neil, Ross Thompson, Thomas Mollenkopf.
Shara Ranasinghe Thesis Title: Enhancing Patient-centered Cancer Communication during cancer treatment. Supervisory Panel: Kate Holland, Kasia Bail, Sora Park.
Prue Robson Thesis Title: Positioning Canberra: the effectiveness of place image communications in attracting residents to places facing unfavourable stereotypes. Supervisory Panel: Kerry McCallum, Cathy Hope, James Mahoney.
Sonya Sandham Thesis Title: Overflow: contending with employee voices in organisational discourse in an era of digital disruption. Supervisory Panel: Glen Fuller, Cathy Hope.
Hang Tran Thesis Title: A Qualitative Research on Framing of Australia’s Online News Media in Representing Indigenous Australians: Stories Between 2015 and 2020. Supervisory Panel: Kerry McCallum, Sora Park, Wendy Somerville.
Danyi Wang Thesis Title: Negotiating and Integrating Sociocultural Identities Among Chinese Immigrants in Australia. Supervisory Panel: Sora Park, Susan Thwaites.
ABOUT US 17 RESEARCH ASSISTANTS & INTERNS
RESEARCH ASSISTANT
Noor Al Khaldi Ummi Kultsum Master of Communication Intern Project: State of the News Media in Project: Digital Trust and privacy Asia (Caroline Fisher) awareness (Jee Young Lee)
Xiaolan Cai Kieran McGuinness Projects: Mapping the co-production Projects: Digital News Report: Australia of digital infrastructure by peer projects 2020 (Sora Park), State of the News Media and firms (Mathieu O’Neil) and Health in Asia (Caroline Fisher), Journalistic Role and Misinformation in Social Media Performance (David Nolan), Covering (Mathieu O’Neil) COVID-19 (David Nolan).
Dr Megan Deas Dr Alanna Myers Research Associate and Designer Projects: Amplifying Indigenous News: Projects: Breaking silences: Media and A digital intervention (David Nolan) the Child Abuse Royal Commission and Breaking silences: Media and the (Kerry McCallum) and Digital News Child Abuse Royal Commission (Kerry Report: Australia 2020 (Sora Park). McCallum)
Emma John Jing Su Projects: News and Wellbeing: Older Projects: State of the News Media in Asia generations and news consumption (Caroline Fisher), Podcast Trends and Issues (Caroline Fisher) in Australia and Beyond: Global Perspectives (Yoonmo Sang) and Journalistic Role Performance (David Nolan)
Mas Ju Hang Tran Project: State of the News Media in Project: State of the News Media in Asia (Caroline Fisher) Asia (Caroline Fisher)
REPORT PRODUCTION DESIGNER
Zita Leung Ava Wang Projects: Digital News Report: Australia Project: Digital News Report: Australia 2020 (Sora Park), Australian Regional 2020 (Sora Park) Journalists: What they need now and how they see the future (Sora Park), Australian Perspectives on Misinformation (Mathieu O’Neil) and State of the News Media in Asia (Caroline Fisher)
18 N&MRC ANNUAL REPORT 2020 FACULTY OF ARTS AND DESIGN — FACULTY OF ARTS AND DESIGN — HDR MASTER OF COMMUNICATION INTERNS TRAINING PROGRAM
The FAD HDR Training Program was introduced in 2020 at the Faculty of Arts & Design in order to address the ongoing needs Sue Atkinson and demand of HDR students in their professional development. Master of Communication Intern & While student satisfaction in the supervision quality is very high, Research Assistant students have been expressing their desire to be a part of a broader research community and to learn about the trajectory of Projects: Safe Online Together: an integrated approach to academic careers that can lead to post-award outcomes. navigating the risks and opportunities of digital media for families The Faculty developed this scheme to provide structured and young people (Catherine Page Jeffery), Social Media: training to HDR’s in both education and research, by allocating connecting and sharing in a bushfire crisis (Jee Young Lee) and students to training supervisors and adopting an internship Adult Media Literacy in Australia: Attitudes, Experiences and model of learning. Teaching and research staff will take on Needs (Sora Park) trainees in their units or research projects for a three to nine Biography: Susan is a Master of Strategic Communication month duration in a calendar year. The training supervisor student who has been studying part time for the last three years and trainee agrees upon a work plan and both parties write an while working as a management consultant. Susan is undertaking outcome report at the end of the program. This will not only help her research project “Facebook as an official communication HDR’s learn new skills but also will build a culture of learning and channel in a crisis” which has been developed in Communication support within the Faculty. and Information Project (CIP) (9107). During the research This program provides a space where HDR’s consolidate internship, she will be preparing a journal submission (Australian and broaden their learning by applying theory to practice in Journal of Emergency Management) and Ethics Application for an academic work setting. In the process they deepen their further focus group interview studies under supervision at theoretical understanding, develop employability skills and gain the Centre. an understanding of how they can contribute to their field as emerging researchers.
Pinker Yao Master of Communication Intern Nandita Dutta FAD Training Program Intern Biography: Pinker is a Master of Communication student who has been studying full-time. Prior to commencing the Master Project: Journalistic Role Performance (David Nolan) degree, Pinker worked in China Beijing TV as a Broadcast Journalist. Pinker is working on “Asian Stories: News Media in Asia” (JNI) (CI: Caroline Fisher) and undertaking desk research on Chinese media and news industries. She conducted a secondary analysis on generational differences in news access Kieran McGuinness using Digital News Report Australia as her research project in Research Assistant & FAD Training CIP, enhancing her understanding of digital news consumption. Program Intern
Projects: Digital News Report: Australia 2020 (Sora Park), Australian Regional Journalists: What they need now and how they see the future (Sora Park), State of the News Media in Asia (Caroline Fisher), Journalistic Role Performance (David Nolan) and Covering COVID-19 (David Nolan)
ABOUT US 19 KEY OUTCOMES & OUTPUTS
20 N&MRC ANNUAL REPORT 2020 NEW RESEARCH FUNDING IN 2020
PROJECT TITLE COVERING COVID-19 TYPE DVCR&I COVID Research Grant (University of Canberra) TEAM David Nolan, Sora Park, Caroline Fisher, Kerry McCallum & Glen Fuller SUMMARY This study will capture how the COVID-19 was reported, how that changed over the course of the pandemic, and how journalists perceived and performed their roles during the outbreak.
PROJECT TITLE COVID-19: AUSTRALIAN NEWS AND MISINFORMATION LONGITUDINAL STUDY TYPE Category 2 (Australian Communication and Media Authority) TEAM Sora Park, Kerry McCallum, Jee Young Lee, Kieran McGuinness, Caroline Fisher & Kate Holland SUMMARY The COVID-19 pandemic has proven that everyone is thirsty for credible and fast news. Across the globe reporters, governments and public health professionals have worked overtime to inform communities. News consumption has increased as the public tries to make sense of this rapidly evolving crisis. This project will enhance understanding around the access, consumption and critical engagement with news and information during a global pandemic. A repeat survey of news consumption and misinformation during COVID-19 will be accompanied by a qualitative research will provide insights into how and where Australians are getting information about COVID-19, which sources they find trustworthy, and what impacts misinformation has on news consumers.
PROJECT TITLE COVID-19: AUSTRALIAN NEWS AND MISINFORMATION TYPE DVCR&I COVID Research Grant (University of Canberra) TEAM Sora Park, Caroline Fisher, Jee Young Lee & Kieran McGuinness SUMMARY This project examines how Australians responded to a health crisis in the period shortly after social distancing measures were put in place by the government to stop the spread of coronavirus. We conducted a national online survey of 2,196 Australians aged 18 or above to ask questions about how they get information about COVID-19, how they understand and respond to the crisis, how concerned they are and what sources of information they find to be trustworthy.
PROJECT TITLE HEALTH MISINFORMATION IN SOCIAL MEDIA NETWORKS TYPE DVCR&I COVID Research Grant (University of Canberra) TEAM Mathieu O’Neil, Irfan Khan & Kate Holland SUMMARY This project explores the spread of health misinformation and disinformation across online social networks. Using a combination of advanced data harvesting techniques and qualitative interviews, the project will focus in a first stage on how health professionals interact with COVID-19 rumours prevalent in major social media platforms such as Twitter and YouTube. The findings of this research are expected to assist in developing strategies to combat COVID 19 misinformation within the Australian healthcare context.
PROJECT TITLE MEDIA LITERACY IN AUSTRALIA: UNDERSTANDING THE NEEDS AND DEVELOPING A NATIONAL STRATEGY TYPE Category 3 (Western Sydney University) TEAM Sora Park, Tanya Notley & Michael Dezuanni SUMMARY This project will address information gaps relating to the media literacy values, practices and needs of Australian citizens. It will build on our recent research focused on young Australians and media literacy to ask questions about media literacy in our broader society. It will also work in partnership with the Australian Media Literacy Alliance.
KEY OUTCOMES & OUTPUTS 21 PROJECT TITLE NEWS BUSINESS MODELS TYPE Category 3 (Queensland University of Technology) TEAM Sora Park SUMMARY This study is a part of a global study examining business models and government policies for journalism in the digital environment that has a multination component. It examines how digital disruption is changing the news industry in South Korea and how tradition news outlets have been adjusting to the new environment. Various policy interventions and government support systems are also examined. More importantly, South Korea’s new model of implementing partnership agreements between news providers and major internet companies and its outcomes are explored.
PROJECT TITLE SAFE ONLINE TOGETHER: AN INTEGRATED APPROACH TO NAVIGATING THE RISKS AND OPPORTUNITIES OF DIGITAL MEDIA FOR FAMILIES TYPE Category 2 (eSafety Commissioner) TEAM Kerry McCallum, Catherine Page Jeffery & Yoonmo Sang SUMMARY Summary: Safe Online Together aims to develop and deliver a series of evidence-based, innovative workshops and online resources to provide families with school-aged children with the skills to balance the risks and opportunities of digital technologies and reduce family conflict around technology use. By training young people to deliver the programs to parents and children as a family unit, the project aims to promote intergenerational knowledge and understanding, facilitate discussion about managing online risks, and develop a set of tailored family protocols for digital technology use amongst families.
PROJECT TITLE STATE OF THE NEWS MEDIA IN ASIA TYPE Category 3 (Judith Neilson Institute) TEAM Caroline Fisher, Sora Park, Jee Young Lee & Kerry McCallum SUMMARY Summary: This investigation of news and media in Asia will provide journalists, policymakers and communication professionals with valuable information and ideas about audiences, news infrastructures, and policy frameworks. We have designed a comprehensive program of work to address an urgent need for analysis of the state of the media industries in Asia. This will be the first multi-site comparative study of news media industries, policy frameworks and news consumption in the Asian region. Its innovative research design is underpinned by robust, proven and independent comparative analysis methodologies into digital media consumption that can yield real impact for journalism, industry and government.
PROJECT TITLE THE RISE OF MISTRUST: DIGITAL PLATFORMS AND TRUST IN NEWS MEDIA TYPE Category 1 (Australian Research Council) TEAM Sora Park, Caroline Fisher, Terry Flew, Uwe Dulleck, Richard Fletcher, Edson Tandoc & Se-Uk Oh SUMMARY Mistrust in news accessed from digital platforms is an area of significant public concern both worldwide and in Australia, yet we lack empirical research into what cues on digital platforms are related to building trust or mistrust, how that leads to action or inaction, and whether news consumers would value trust signalling. This project will advance understanding of how trust and mistrust in news influence audience behaviour, through a longitudinal cross-country comparison, an experiment in four countries and qualitative interviews with news audiences. It will provide policy-makers with new insights to inform interventions to improve the quality of digital news ecosystem.
22 N&MRC ANNUAL REPORT 2020 ONGOING FUNDED PROJECTS
PROJECT TITLE AMPLIFYING INDIGENOUS NEWS: A DIGITAL INTERVENTION TYPE Category 1 (Australian Research Council) TEAM David Nolan, Kerry McCallum, Peter Radoll, Lisa Waller, Scott Wright & Margaret Simons SUMMARY This project aims to road-test, document, and analyse an innovative strategy for amplifying Indigenous voices in news media. The project will deploy and assess the impact of a new digital application designed to enable access to a diverse range of Indigenous voices, stories, and agendas. The anticipated outcomes will assist the project’s industry partners to meet their strategic goals of increasing the level of Indigenous media representation in Australia and consolidate their roles as leading outlets for Indigenous content and coverage.
PROJECT TITLE BREAKING SILENCES: MEDIA AND THE CHILD ABUSE ROYAL COMMISSION TYPE Category 1 (Australian Research Council) TEAM Kerry McCallum, Tanya Dreher, Kristy Hess, Eli Skogerbø & Lisa Waller SUMMARY Summary: This project will analyse the role of media, journalism and social media activism in relation to the ground-breaking Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse (2013–17) (RCIRCSA). It is the first major Australian research to explore the media-related dimensions of commissions of inquiry in the digital era. The project will document and analyse changing media practices and impacts of such critical national conversations by examining public discussion of the child abuse royal commission over a 10-year period from 2010–2020. A case study approach is used to assess the role of a transitioning local, national and social media in triggering, reporting on and keeping alive the findings of the royal commission, ensuring victims of child sexual abuse are heard, and justice is upheld.
PROJECT TITLE DIGITAL MEDIA AND WOMEN IN WEST PAPUAN TRIBAL LIFE TYPE Category 3 (Geoff Hartwig) TEAM Jee Young Lee & Sora Park SUMMARY This study examines the ‘sugar dating phenomenon’ in tribal societies. To date, most of what is known about sugar babies’ experience is in the context of western cultures. By drawing on data gathered from surveys and in-depth qualitative interviews with Papuan female university students, this study explores the experiences and perceptions of ‘Bapa-bapa kaliabo’ (sugar dating). In particular, this study seeks to determine to what extent sugar dating is pervasive among female university students in West Papua; what roles increasing internet and smartphone adoption play in sugar dating practices; and whether there are different contexts involved in sugar dating practices in tribal cultures compared with the observed contexts, such as financial factors in the literature. Ultimately, this study aims to better understand how the emergence of sugar dating with the development of digital technologies in tribal societies has influenced indigenous young women’s lives in West Papua.
PROJECT TITLE FAKE BUT NOT FATAL: OPTIMAL SOCIAL MEDIA REGULATION IN THE ERA OF FAKE NEWS TYPE Category 3 (Korea Foundation) TEAM Benedict Sheehy, Sujin Choi, Bruce Arnold, Jaejin Lee, and Yoonmo Sang SUMMARY The aim of this project is to develop a viable South Korea-specific strategic policy response to address harms attributable to fake news on digital platforms (particularly social media) while deepening appropriate freedom of press and freedom of speech rights in environments where traditional media are of decreasing importance.
KEY OUTCOMES & OUTPUTS 23 PROJECT TITLE FRAMING AND SHARING NEWS TYPE Category 3 (Social Science Research Council) TEAM Sora Park, Michael Jensen, Glen Fuller, Caroline Fisher, Yoonmo Sang & Jee Young Lee SUMMARY In the digital environment, news consumers are accessing news sources directly by ‘following’ organisations and individuals on social media, bypassing the news media. Consumers also constantly create, co-create, and distribute information and news via social media platforms by using the interactive functions afforded by the platforms. The focus of this project is to examine how these new behaviours are affecting the news ecosystem in Australia. We investigate how Facebook users respond to different types of information by interacting with the information that is shared within their Facebook network. We examine what types of news and information are widely shared and how they are framed by the person who shared the information. It also examines the responses to the sharing activity through likes and comments and the shape of diffusion networks. The project has three aims: identify distinct temporalities between categories of news and non-news platforms, analyse differences in interactions with news and non-news URLs and domains, and investigate polarisation in news and its implications for sharing practices.
PROJECT TITLE LOCAL NEWS CONSUMERS TYPE Category 3 (Google News Initiative) TEAM Sora Park, Caroline Fisher & Jee Young Lee SUMMARY Summary: Local news organisations are suffering from both the loss of advertising revenues and readership with the migration of news production and distribution online. This has resulted in job losses, newsroom closures and amalgamations. Some research suggests this is having a negative impact on the amount of public interest journalism and other daily news available to local audiences, particularly in regional parts of the country. To date, much of the research on local journalism has mainly focused on larger metropolitan areas. More research needs to be done to identify the news gaps and information needs of local communities.
PROJECT TITLE MAPPING THE CO-PRODUCTION OF DIGITAL INFRASTRUCTURE BY PEER PROJECTS AND FIRMS TYPE Category 3 (Alfred P. Sloan Foundation/Ford Foundation Critical Digital Infrastructure Fund) TEAM Mathieu O’Neil, Laure Muselli, Mahin Raissi & Stefano Zacchiroli SUMMARY Free and Open source software (FOSS) produced by volunteers in self-governed projects is being used in most digital devices and infrastructures. Firms are paying some developers to create FOSS, raising questions about the sustainability of projects and the profits derived by non-contributing firms. This project maps the firm-project co-production network and its representation in IT news media. It also analyses to what extent firm discourses disseminated at trade conferences are present in volunteer projects. The research aims to raise awareness of the role of digital commons in the economy. As automation gathers pace and job scarcity grows, the communal and commercial sectors are destined to invent together newforms of collaboration, and the long-term viability of innovation-rich peer projects becomes a key concern.
PROJECT TITLE MOTIVATING ACT YOUTH ENGAGEMENT PILOT TYPE Category 2 (ACT Government) TEAM Kerry McCallum, Barbara Walsh, Prue Robson, Mihn Thu Phan Tran & Jaiya Wang SUMMARY Summary: This project provides baseline evidence to the ACT Communication and Engagement Directorate on how young people18–25 understand local government and what motivates local civic engagement. The project team undertook a review of grey and academic literature, consulted with the ACT Youth Advisory Council, and conducted focus groups through the ACT Government YourSay panel. A final report provided the ACT Government with recommendations on the development of a youth civic engagement communication campaign.
24 N&MRC ANNUAL REPORT 2020 PROJECT TITLE NEWS AND WELLBEING: OLDER GENERATIONS AND NEWS CONSUMPTION TYPE Category 3 (Council on the Ageing ACT) TEAM Caroline Fisher, Sora Park, Jee Young Lee, Kate Holland & Emma John SUMMARY This report examines the connection between information and news consumption and the wellbeing of 562 older Australians living in the national capital, Canberra. It explores how their use and perceptions of news have changed over their lifetime and identifies some of the barriers and opportunities for older Canberrans to staying informed.
PROJECT TITLE PEDALLING FOR CHANGE: CULTURAL GEOGRAPHY FOR TRAFFIC CONGESTION INNOVATION TYPE Category 1 (Australian Research Council) TEAM Gordon Waitt, Teresa Lea, Ian Buchanan, Glen Fuller, Lance Barrie & Nicolas Ozolins SUMMARY This project aims to improve understanding of cultural resistances to cycling as a mode of transport to address traffic congestion in cities. Academic knowledge on this topic underscores the benefits for productive, healthy and sustainable cities. Yet, despite multiple plans, the number of commuter cyclists fails to grow in most Australian metropolitan centres. This project aims to synthesise insight from media, governance and embodied analysis to help explain why commuter cycling has failed to increase at a time when leisure cycling grows exponentially. Making this knowledge comprehensible to policymakers, cyclists and other stakeholders is expected to both improve public debate and policy outcomes and the health and safety of Australian.
PROJECT TITLE SHARING INFORMATION ON WECHAT AND WHATSAPP: GENERATIONAL AND CULTURAL DIFFERENCES AMONG CHINESE AND AUSTRALIAN MESSAGING APP USERS TYPE Category 3 (Academy of the Social Sciences of Australia) TEAM Sora Park, Jee Young Lee, Chen He & Ping Sun SUMMARY Summary: With the rapid uptake of digital platforms in both China and Australia, the ways of accessing and sharing information have become diverse. In particular, the uses of messaging apps to share information and news have grown. This study explores this emerging trend of information sharing and communication via messaging apps focusing on technological (WhatsApp WeChat), generational (Under 35 vs 35+) and socio-cultural (China vs Australia) factors by conducting a cross-cultural and generational study. Focus group interviews in both countries will be conducted to better understand information sharing activities on messaging apps. This study will provide a deeper understanding of how digital platforms are used by citizens to share and circulate information in different cultural contexts.
PROJECT TITLE THE STATE OF REGIONAL NEWS IN AUSTRALIA TYPE Category 3 (Google News Initiative) TEAM Caroline Fisher, Sora Park, Saffron Howden, Jee Young Lee & Kieran McGuinness SUMMARY Summary: The purpose of the project is to investigate the state of regional journalism in Australia, the work conditions of journalists in regional news outlets, their perception of the changing role of journalists in the community, their professional challenges and needs.
KEY OUTCOMES & OUTPUTS 25 AWARDS
UNIVERSITY OF CANBERRA AWARDS FOR TEACHING EXCELLENCE Commendation: Shara Ranasinghe (N&MRC, HDR Student).
AUSTRALIAN WALKING AND CYCLING CONFERENCE — BEST POSTER — see image below Fuller, G., Waitt, G., Lea, T., Buchanan, I. & McGuinness, K., 2 Oct 2020, p. 1–1. 1 p. Research output: Contribution to conference (non-published works).
26 N&MRC ANNUAL REPORT 2020 ACT WATER AWARDS, STUDENT WATER PRIZE 2020 Finalist: Anji Perera (N&MRC, HDR Student).
UNIVERSITY OF CANBERRA BIG PITCH COMPETITION Finalist: Dr Irfan Khan (Associate, N&MRC). Mentor: Dr Mathieu O’Neil.
UNIVERSITY OF CANBERRA AWARDS FOR RESEARCH EXCELLENCE Nominee: 2020 DNR Team (Sora Park, Caroline Fisher, Jee Young Lee, Kieran McGuinness, Yoonmo Sang, Mathieu O’Neil, Michael Jensen, Kerry McCallum & Glen Fuller).
KEY OUTCOMES & OUTPUTS 27 PUBLICATIONS & OUTPUTS
JOURNAL ARTICLES • Lewis, P., & Lee, J.Y. (2020). The labour market outcomes of Australian Creative Arts degree holders. Australian Journal of • Brook, S., Comunian, R., Jewell, S., & Lee, J.Y. (2020). Labour Economics, 23(1), 21–42. https://search.informit.com. ‘More than a day job, a fair job: music graduate employment au/documentSummary;dn=315586652826585;res=IELBUS in education’. Music Education Research, 22(5), 541–554. • McCallum, K. & Waller, L. (2020). Un-braiding deficit https://doi.org/10.1080/14613808.2020.1840539 discourse in Indigenous education news 2008–2018: • Fisher, C., Flew, T., Park, S., Lee, J.Y., & Dulleck, U. (2020). performance, attendance and mobility. Critical Discourse Improving Trust in News: Audience Solutions. Journalism Studies. https://doi.org/10.1080/17405904.2020.1817115 Practice, 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1080/17512786.2020.17878 • McCallum, K., Ryan, T. & Caffery, J. (2020). Deficit metrics 59 in Australian Indigenous education: through a media studies • Freeman, J., Park, S., & Middleton, C. (2020). Technological lens. Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education. literacy and interrupted internet access. Information https://doi.org/10.1080/01596306.2020.1828285 Communication and Society, 23(13), 1947–1964. https://doi. • Nolan, D., Brookes, S., & Imison, M. (2020). Abandoning org/10.1080/1369118X.2019.1623901 Either/Ors in Analyzing Shifts in Humanitarian Reporting. • Fuller, G. (2020). Sharing News Online: Commendary Journalism Practice, 14(1), 17–33. https://doi.org/10.1080/175 Cultures and Social Media News Ecologies, Fiona Martin and 12786.2019.1597638 Tim Dwyer (2019). Australian Journalism Review, 42(2), • O’Neil, M., Muselli, L., Raissi, M., & Zacchiroli, S. (2020). 333–334. https://doi.org/10.1386/ajr_00044_5 ‘Open source has won and lost the war’: Legitimising • Gearing, A. & Fisher, C. (2020). (in print). In memorarium commercial–communal hybridisation in a FOSS — Brian McNair (1959–2020). Australian Journalism Review project. New Media and Society, 1–36. https://doi. 42(2):151–153. org/10.1177/1461444820907022
• Holland, K. (2020). ‘We want to deliver good talent’: • O’Neil, M., Raissi, M., & Turner, B. (2020). The Case for investigating the media-related practices of Australian mental Asymmetry in Online Research: Caring About Issues in health organisations. Communication Research and Practice, Australian and Canadian Web 1.0 Bee Networks. International 6:4, 357–375. https://doi.org/10.1080/22041451.2020.18404 Journal of Communication, 14, 5150–5173. [1]. https://ijoc. 90 org/index.php/ijoc/article/view/12056
• Holland, K., & Park, S. (2020). Making sense: data, publics • Page Jeffery, C. (2020). Parenting in the Digital Age: and storytelling. Communication Research and Practice, 6(1), Between socio-biological and socio-technological 1–2. https://doi.org/10.1080/22041451.2020.1734287 development. New Media Society, 1–18. https://doi. org/10.1177/1461444820908606 • Kim, G., & Lee, J.Y. (2020). Digital Trust Gap: The differences in perceptions of trust between experienced and inexperienced • Page Jeffery, C. (2020). “It’s really difficult. We’ve only users. Australian Journal of Telecommunications and the got each other to talk to.” Monitoring, mediation and good Digital Economy, 8(2), 94–109. https://doi.org/10.18080/jtde. parenting in Australia in the digital age. Journal of Children v8n2.237 and Media, 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1080/17482798.2020.174 4458 • Kim, J. W., Park, S., & Sang, Y. (2020). A longitudinal study on the effects of motivational mobile application uses on • Park, S., Fisher, C., Flew, T., & Dulleck, U. (2020). Global online news engagement. International Journal of Mobile Mistrust in News: The Impact of Social Media on Trust. JMM Communications, 18(3), 327–342. https://doi.org/10.1504/ International Journal on Media Management, 22(2), 83–96. IJMC.2020.107103 https://doi.org/10.1080/14241277.2020.1799794
• Lewis, P. & Lee, J.Y. (2020). The labour market • Sample, C., Jensen, M., Scott, K., McAlaney, J., Fitchpatrick, outcomes of Australian Creative Arts degree holders. S., Brockinton, A., Ormrod, D., & Ormrod, A. (2020). Australian Journal of Labour Economics, 23(1), Interdisciplinary Lessons Learned while Researching Fake 21–42. https://econpapers.repec.org/article/ozljournl/ News. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 1–22. [537612]. https://doi. v_3a23_3ay_3a2020_3ai_3a1_3ap_3a21-42.htm org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.537612
28 N&MRC ANNUAL REPORT 2020 • Sang, Y., Lee, J.Y., Park, S., Fisher, C., & Fuller, G. (2020). media/885136/govinst_digital_trust_report_august_2020. Signalling and expressive interaction: OnlinenNews users’ pdf different modes of interaction on digital platforms. Digital • McCallum, K. Robson, P. & Walsh, B. (2020). Motivating Journalism, 8(4), 467–485. https://doi.org/10.1080/216708 ACT Youth Engagement: a pilot project. Canberra: News & 11.2020.1743194 Media Research Centre, University of Canberra. Report to • Sandham, S., & Fuller, G. (2020). The ‘Damore Memo’: the ACT Government Communication and Engagement what is the value of antenarrative in organizational Division. https://www.cmtedd.act.gov.au/__data/assets/ communication? Continuum, 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1080 pdf_file/0005/1620869/2020-134_Part5.pdf /10304312.2020.1724881 • O’Neil, M., & Jensen, M. (2020). Australian Perspectives on • Waller, L., Dreher, T., Hess, K., McCallum, K. & Skogerbø, Misinformation. News Media Research Centre, University of E. (2020). Media hierarchies of attention: News values and Canberra. https://doi.org/10.25916/js74-jx96 Australia’s Royal Commission into Institutional Responses • Park, S., Fisher, C., & Lee, J.Y. (2020). Local News to Child Sexual Abuse. Journalism Studies, 21(2), 180–196. Consumers. News Media Research Centre, University of https://doi.org/10.1080/1461670X.2019.1633244 Canberra. https://doi.org/10.25916/5ef962efef836 • Werder, O., Holland, K., & Munro, J. (2020). • Park, S., Fisher, C., Lee, J.Y., McGuinness, K., Sang, Communication’s role in overcoming challenges for obesity Y., O’Neil, M., Jensen, M., McCallum, K., & Fuller, G. prevention partnerships. Health Promotion International, (2020). Digital News Report: Australia 2020. News Media 35(2), 205–216. https://doi.org/10.1093/heapro/daz005 Research Centre, University of Canberra. https://doi. • Xu, W.W., Sang, Y., & Kim, C. (2020). What Drives org/10.25916/5ec32f8502ef0 Hyper—Partisan News Sharing: Exploring the Role of • Park, S., Fisher, C., Lee, J.Y., & McGuinness, K. (2020). Source, Style, and Content. Digital Journalism, 8(4), COVID-19: Australian news and misinformation. News 486—505. https://doi.org/10.1080/21670811.2020.1761264 Media Research Centre, University of Canberra. https://doi. org/10.25916/5f04158db291a
• Sang, Y., Lee, J.Y., & Park, S. (2020). Podcast trends and RESEARCH REPORTS issues in Australia and beyond: Global perspectives. News Media Research Centre, University of Canberra. https://doi. • Fisher, C., Park, S., Howden, S., Lee, J.Y., & McGuinness, org/10.25916/sgv0-qh32 K. (2020). Australian regional journalists: What they need and how they see the future. News Media Research Centre, University of Canberra. https://doi. org/10.25916/5ef96413ef837 BOOKS/CHAPTERS • Fisher, C., Park, S., Lee, J.Y., Holland, K., & John, E. • Nolan, D., Waller, L., Latimore, J., Simons, M., & McCallum, (2020). News and wellbeing: Older Generations and News K. (2020). Analysing the Indigenous News Network in Consumption. News Media Research Centre, University Action: IndigenousX, The Guardian and the Wakul App. In of Canberra. https://doi.org/10.25916/5f585912f2272 S. Maddison, & S. Nakata (Eds.), Questioning Indigenous- • Flew, T., Dulleck, U., Fisher, C., Park, S., & Isler, O. Settler Relations: Interdisciplinary Perspectives (pp. 69–86). (2020). Trust and Mistrust in Australian News Media. (Indigenous-Settler Relations in Australia and the World). BEST Centre, Queensland University of Technology. Springer. https://research.qut.edu.au/best/wp-content/uploads/ • Nolan, D., & Waller, L. (2020). An uncritical incident? sites/244/2020/03/Trust-and-Mistrust-in-News-Media. Journalism and Indigenous deaths in custody in pdf Australia. In E. C. Tandoc, J. Jenkins, R. J. Thomas, & • Hanson, R., Rennie , E., Lee, J.Y., & Grobler, M. (2020). O. Westlund (Eds.), Critical Incidents In Journalism: Digital Trust, an Australian Perspective: Corporate Pivotal moments reshaping journalism around the world awareness and attitudes to consumer data. CSIRO (pp. 230–243). Routledge. file:///C:/Users/s436441/ Publishing. https://web.governanceinstitute.com.au/ Downloads/10.4324_9781003019688-23_chapterpdf%20(3). pdf
KEY OUTCOMES & OUTPUTS 29 • Sang, Y., & Popiel, P. (2020). Copyright Alert System. In Sociological Association Annual Meeting, San Francisco, The SAGE International Encyclopedia of Mass Media and Communication, Information and Technology Section: Society (pp. 394–396). SAGE Publications Ltd. https://doi. Critical Debates, August 8–10. org/10.4135/9781483375519.n156 • O’Neil, M., Raissi, M. & Turner, B. (2020). Making the Case • Werder, O., & Holland, K. (2020). Australia and New for Asymmetry: Why Do Online Actors Connect to Matters Zealand: A circuitous path to health humanities. In of Concern?. Paper presented at the American Sociological Crawford, P., Brown, B. & Charise, A. (Eds), The Routledge Association Annual Meeting, San Francisco, Science, Companion to Health Humanities (pp. 215–229). Routledge: Knowledge, and Technology Roundtables — Life Online: London UK. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429469060 Engagement, Activism, and Internet Politics, August 8–10.
• Page Jeffery, C. (2020). Bedroom Culture and Intimate Spaces: Parental Perspectives on the Psychological CONFERENCE PAPERS Geography of Teenagers’ Digital Media Use. Abstract from 70th Annual International Communication Association • Brook, S., Lee, J.Y. & Park, S. (2020). Selection and Survival in Conference, Gold Coast, Australia. the Field of Cultural Production: A Longitudinal Study or the • Page Jeffery, C. (2020). ‘Bullying Is Too Strong a Word....’ Australian Census. Abstract from 70th Annual International Parental Accounts of Their Children’s Experiences of Online Communication Association Conference, Gold Coast, Conflict, Exclusion and Relational Aggression. Abstract from Australia. 70th Annual International Communication Association • Fisher, C., Park, S., John, E., & Lee, J.Y. (2020). News and Conference, Gold Coast, Australia. Loneliness: Older People’s News Consumption and Wellbeing. • Park, S., Fisher, C., Flew, T., & Dulleck, U. (2020). Mistrust Abstract from 70th Annual International Communication in news: the link between digital platforms and scepticism Association Conference, Gold Coast, Australia. in news. 70th Annual International Communication • Fuller, G., Waitt, G., Lea, T., Buchanan, I. & McGuinness, K., Association Conference, Gold Coast, Australia. 2 October 2020, Poster. This won best poster at the 2020 • Sang, Y., Lee, J.Y., McCallum, K., Park, S. & Su, J. (2020). Australian Walking and Cycling Conference. Image-based Online Interactions among Australian University • Lee, J.Y., & Al Khaldi, N. (2020). Exploring the ethical Students: What is ‘Normal’ and What is Not?. Abstract from implications of new media technologies: A survey of online International Association for Media and Communication platform users’ digital literacy and its effects on digital trust Research Conference, Tampere, Finland. and privacy awareness. 1–2. Abstract from 70th Annual • Sang, Y. & Popiel, P. (2020). Analyzing digital platforms’ International Communication Association Conference (ICA policy preferences. Abstract from 70th Annual International 2020), Washington D.C, United States. Communication Association Post-Conference, Gold Coast, • Lee, J.Y., & Lewis, P. (Accepted/In press). In demand? Australia. Career paths of Australian communication and media degree • Suwana, F., & Lee, J.Y. (2020). Gender Differences in holders. 1–1. Abstract from 70th Annual International Social Media Use and Digital Literacy through Mobile Communication Association Conference (ICA 2020), Communication. Abstract from 70th Annual International Washington D.C, United States. Communication Association Conference (ICA 2020), • McCallum, K. & Waller, L. (2020). Un-Braiding Media Washington D.C, United States. Stories of Indigenous Education 2008–2018. Abstract from • Xu, W., Sang, Y. & Kim, C. (2020). What drives hyper- 70th Annual International Communication Association partisan news sharing: Exploring the role of source, style, Conference, Gold Coast, Australia. and content. Abstract from 70th Annual International • McCallum, K. (Chair – Reconciling Past Injustices: Media Communication Association Conference, Gold Coast, and National Inquiries as ‘Critical Conversations’). (2020). Australia. Media Ethics and the ‘Global Chain of Inquiry’. Abstract from 70th Annual International Communication Association Conference, Gold Coast, Australia. OTHER PUBLICATIONS • O’Neil, M., Cai, X., Muselli, L., Pailler, F. & Zacchiroli, S. (2020). Mapping Open Source Capitalism: The Firm- • Lee, J.Y. (2020). Korean pop culture in Australia: Global Volunteer Project Co-Production Network and its Media Hallyu Issue Magazine. Hallyu Now (Wave Now) - Global Representation. Paper presented at the American Hallyu, 34(1–2), 41–47.
30 N&MRC ANNUAL REPORT 2020 • Jensen, M. (2020). How misinformation about 5G is • Page Jeffery C. [book review] of Lahikainen, A. R., spreading within our government institutions – and who’s Mälkiä, T. & Repo, K. (Eds.), Media, Family Interaction responsible. The Conversation, 2020(July), 1–5. https:// and the Digitalization of Childhood. Mobile Media theconversation.com/how-misinformation-about-5g-is- & Communication. 2020;8(3):436–437. https://doi. spreading-within-our-government-institutions-and-whos- org/10.1177/2050157920928534 10.1177/2050157920928534 responsible-139304 • Sang, Y. (2020). The growing concentration of media • Page Jeffery, C. (2020). Anja Riita Lahikainen, ownership: Australians are less interested in the news. In K. Tiina Mälkiä, and Katja Repo (Eds.), Media, Family Kim (Ed.), Digital news consumers: from citizen journalists Interaction and the Digitalization of Childhood. Mobile to slow media (pp. 217–247). CommunicationBooks. [written Media and Communication, 8(3), 436–440. https://doi. in Korean] org/10.1177/2050157920928534
• O’Neil, M., & Jensen, M. (2020). Australian Perspectives on Misinformation. News Media Research Centre, University of Canberra. https://doi.org/10.25916/js74- jx96
• Sang, Y., Lee, J.Y., & Park, S. (2020). Podcast trends and issues in Australia and beyond: Global perspectives. News Media Research Centre, University of Canberra. https:// doi.org/10.25916/sgv0-qh32
• Fisher, C., Park, S., Lee, J.Y., Holland, K., & John, E. (2020). News and wellbeing: Older Generations and News Consumption. News Media Research Centre, University of Canberra. https://doi.org/10.25916/5f585912f2272
• Park, S., Fisher, C., Lee, J.Y., & McGuinness, K. (2020). COVID-19: Australian news and misinformation. News Media Research Centre, University of Canberra. https:// doi.org/10.25916/5f04158db291
• Park, S., Fisher, C., & Lee, J.Y. (2020). Local News Consumers. News Media Research Centre, University of Canberra. https://doi.org/10.25916/5ef962efef836
• Fisher, C., Park, S., Howden, S., Lee, J.Y., & McGuinness, K. (2020). Australian regional journalists: What they need and how they see the future. News Media Research Centre, University of Canberra. https://doi. org/10.25916/5ef96413ef837
31 ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES
32 N&MRC ANNUAL REPORT 2020 Engagement and Impact ACADEMIC PROMOTIONS
• Caroline Fisher was promoted to Associate Professor. • Sora Park was promoted to Professor.
DISCIPLINARY LEADERSHIP
• Kate Holland: Signed book contract with Palgrave Society; Internet Policy Review; International Journal of for edited collection ‘Communicating COVID-19: Press/Politics; Information, Communication & Society. Interdisciplinary perspectives’ (with Monique Lewis & Eliza • Mathieu O’Neil: Peer reviewed applications for Australian Govender) Research Council DECRA grants. • Kate Holland & Sora Park were guest editors for special • Mathieu O’Neil Digital Concepts and Methods Workshop: issue ANZCA 2019, Communication Research & Practice, ISSUES/ACTORS, N&MRC, University of Canberra, 2019–2020. 26–27 & 30 March. • Kate Holland examined two PhD dissertations at Edith • Sora Park: Invited to join the Expert Research Panel, Public Cowan University. Interest Journalism Initiative (Aug 2020) • Jee Young Lee: Hosted half day SPSS training session • Sora Park & Yoonmo Sang (& Natalie Stroud, Jaemin (Zoom) for students (Master of communication and Jung) were guest editors for special issue, ‘Engaging news marketing) and N&MRC research assistant/research intern audiences: Exploring the links between digital platform (27 May) affordances, selective exposure and social endorsement’, • Jee Young Lee: Led Discover FAD short course (K-pop Digital Journalism, 2019–2020. and global media culture) (5, 7, 9 October) • Sora Park (& Terry Flew) was a guest editor for Special • Kerry McCallum: Hosted VC Visit to N&MRC, 9 July. Collection for the Communication and Media Section, ‘Trust and Digital Platforms’, Global Perspectives, 2019– • Kerry McCallum: Delivered N&MRC Masterclass 2020. ‘Qualitative Interviewing’, 9 July 2020 • Sora Park is part of an Expert Research Panel for the Public • Kerry McCallum: Delivered N&MRC Masterclass: Interest Journalism Initiative, Aug 2020–present. Qualitative Interview Analysis in Media Studies (online), 7 August 2020. • Sora Park: News Media Businesses. Research Consultancy for QUT. • Mathieu O’Neil: Peer reviewed scientific articles for Terminal; Communication Research; New Media and • Yoonmo Sang: Invited to serve on the editorial board of Digital Journalism (starting from January 2021).
ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES 33 GOVERNMENT COMMITTEES, INQUIRIES AND BRIEFINGS
• Caroline Fisher presented key findings of DNR Australia • Sora Park, Caroline Fisher, Jee Young Lee & Kieran 2020 to the Public Relations Institute of Australia. McGuinness: DNR team invited to a private briefing to ACCC (5 June). • Kerry McCallum, Caroline Fisher, Sora Park, Jee Young Lee & Kieran McGuinness: Submission to the Senate • Sora Park, Caroline Fisher, Kerry McCallum, Kieran Media Diversity Committee, 11 December 2020. McGuinness and Jee Young Lee: DNR team invited to a briefing to ACMA (24 June). • Kerry McCallum, Caroline Fisher, Jee Young Lee & Sora Park: N&MRC’s response to the Environment and • Sora Park, Kerry McCallum, Caroline Fisher & Jee Communications References Committee Inquiry into Media Young Lee: N&MRC’s response to DIGI’s Australian Code Diversity in Australia. of Practice on Disinformation.
• Kerry McCallum and Sora Park were invited to present • Sora Park & Caroline Fisher attended a private briefing to the Communication and Media Branch, Australian Navy, to the Australian Communication and Media Authority “Digital News Report”. (ACMA) on ‘The State of News in Australia’.
• Mathieu O’Neil, Kerry McCallum & Michael Jensen: • Sora Park & Caroline Fisher attended a private briefing Presented findings and made policy recommendations to to the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission Senate Select Committee on Foreign Interference through (ACCC) on ‘The State of News in Australia’. Social Media, June 22 (with Ackland and Jensen) and • Sora Park was invited to a private briefing to the Standing September 25. Committee on Communications and the Arts, Inquiry into • Mathieu O’Neil, Michael Jensen & Robert Ackland: the deployment, adoption and application of 5G in Australia Submission to Senate Select Committee on Foreign on ‘Exposure to fake news on digital platforms’. Interference through Social Media: “Internet Research • Sora Park was invited to a private briefing to the Agency troll activity in the Australian political Twittersphere, Submarines Branch, Navy Headquarters on ‘Australian News 2015–2016”, March 18: https://www.aph.gov.au/ Consumers’. DocumentStore.ashx?id=4e39e22a-b36f-4b3c-8a50- 4548a45b15c2&subId=679560
INTERNATIONAL ENGAGEMENT
• Caroline Fisher was invited to present at the Conflict of accepted by Association of Internet Research #AOIR2020 Interest in Science Journalism in Seattle at the American virtual conference, Dublin, October 27–31. Association of Applied Science. • Mathieu O’Neil: Mapping Open Source Capitalism: • American Political Science Association 2020 Annual The Firm-Volunteer Project Co-Production Network Meeting. Scudder, M., Ercan, C. and McCallum, K. and its Media Representation (O’Neil, Cai, Muselli, Listening interventions in the deliberative system. Paper Pailler, Zacchiroli), full paper accepted at American Accepted, September 10–13. Sociological Association Annual Meeting, San Francisco, Communication, Information and Technology Section: • Scudder, M., Ercan, S. & McCallum, K. “Institutional Critical Debates, August 8–10. Listening: A Deliberative Systems Approach”, 2020 Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association, • Mathieu O’Neil: Making the Case for Asymmetry: Why September 10–13, 2020. Do Online Actors Connect to Matters of Concern? (O’Neil, Raissi, Turner), full paper accepted at American Sociological • Mathieu O’Neil: Invited to join the International Network Association Annual Meeting, San Francisco, Science, on Digital Labour (Centre National de la Recherche Knowledge, and Technology Roundtables - Life Online: Scientifique & University of Toronto). Engagement, Activism, and Internet Politics, August 8–10. • Mathieu O’Neil: Firm discourses and digital infrastructure • Yoonmo Sang: Delivered an invited talk at the Korean projects (O’Neil, Cai, Muselli, Pailler, Zacchiroli), short paper American Communication Association’s professional development webinar (US time, May 25, 2020).
34 N&MRC ANNUAL REPORT 2020 PANELS & PRESENTATIONS
• Caroline Fisher: Talk to Lyneham High about Truth in • Mathieu O’Neil: Presented ‘The Social Production of Journalism – Friday 28th August. Mental Health Online’ (with Kate Holland & Xiaolan Cai), Digital Concepts and Methods Workshop: ISSUES/ • Caroline Fisher presented to the International Journal of ACTORS, N&MRC, University of Canberra, 27 March. Press Politics online conference with Prof. Ivor Gaber. • Mathieu O’Neil: Invited to participate in PolicyForum • Caroline Fisher presented as part of a panel on strategic podcast, “Countering violent extremism”. Crawford School communication for the Journalism 2020 conference with of Public Policy, Australian National University, March 29. Prof. Ivor Gaber. • Catherine Page Jeffery: Presented at a virtual Salon • Caroline Fisher: Panel participant in science week about Canberra event on ‘The Year of Living Remotely’ with Jason Climate Change and News consumption (Aug 20th). Bainbridge and Erin Hinton on 14 April. • Caroline Fisher: Hosted live stream event at the National • Catherine Page Jeffery: Recorded and delivered two Library interviewing Michelle Grattan for the launch of a presentations for the ICA conference which ran 21 – 26 May. book called “The Year that changed us”. 17th November, 2020. • Catherine Page Jeffery: Participated in Community of Practice organised by Office of eSafety Commissioner with • Caroline Fisher, Sora Park, Kerry McCallum, Kate other grantees. Presented an overview of our proposed Holland & Emma John: Launch of News and Wellbeing: research project. Older Generations and News consumption – report Sept 3. • Sora Park, Caroline Fisher, Jee Young Lee & Kieran • Glen Fuller: DP190100185 “Pedalling for Change” McGuinness: Digital New Report Sponsors and Partners presentations on the media archive work to two policy- Workshop (3 Sep) based focus groups (26/5 and 30/5). • Sora Park, Caroline Fisher & Kerry McCallum: Hosted • Kate Holland was a Guest Interviewee (online) for a Health online launch and Q&A Session of Digital News Report: and Science Communication unit at Griffith University. Australia 2020, 16 June. • Kerry McCallum: Chair, Launch of Regional Journalists and • Sora Park, Caroline Fisher, Kieran McGuinness and Jee Local Consumers Reports and Panel Discussion, Google Young Lee: Regional News Briefing: New Research and and N&MRC. Panel Discussion (2 July). • Kerry McCallum and Sora Park were invited to speak at • Sora Park & Caroline Fisher were part of the JERAA 2020 the launch of Faculty of Arts & Design (FAD) Mentoring Conference Panel Discussion titled “What is local news?: program for 2020. Journalists’ and audiences’ perception in regional Australia. • Kerry McCallum: Invited Presentation and briefing to Local news in Australia: Trends, policy debates and the Indigenous Australians Agency Indigenous Broadcasting future”. Roundtable “The Current and Changing Media • Sora Park was a guest lecture (online) in Producing Environment, 20 September. Credible Communication Week 6 “Trust, misinformation, • Kerry McCallum: Invited Seminar to Centre for and fact-checking”. Deliberative Democracy & Global Governance. “Mediating • Sora Park was an invited speaker at KPF Journalism the national conversation: Journalism and the Child Abuse Conference 2020 ‘Connect: The role of journalism after Royal Commission 2013–17”, 12 May 2020. COVID-19’, presenting ‘The changing nature of media • Mathieu O’Neil: Buzzkill: Why do matters of concern literacy’. emerge in digital bee networks? (O’Neil, Raissi, Turner), • Yoonmo Sang: Guest lecture (online) in Producing Social and Behavioural Dynamics of Attention Research Credible Communication Week 10 “Law of Workshop, School of Sociology, Australian National Communication”. University, February 14.
• Mathieu O’Neil: Presented ‘Digital Methods and Concepts: The Case for Asymmetry’, Digital Concepts and Methods Workshop: ISSUES/ACTORS, N&MRC, University of Canberra, 27 March.
ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES 35 MEDIA ENGAGEMENT
TV & RADIO INTERVIEWS
• Caroline Fisher: Podcast interview: The J Word: Episode 5 • Sora Park: WIN TV Canberra “Exclusive access to Measuring Audience Trust in News Pt 1. Facebook data” (24 Feb 2020) http://my.tvey.es/s8G5K
• Caroline Fisher: Radio interview 2cc about fake news in the • Sora Park: Radio interview with Adam Shirley about Framing ACT. 11/02/20. and Sharing News on Social Media grant (SSRC), ABC Canberra Mornings (24 Feb 2020). https://soundcloud. • Caroline Fisher: The Conversation: Week in politics with com/sora-park-30/666-abc-canberra-mornings-with-adam- Michelle Grattan x 20. shirley-part-1
• Caroline Fisher: Podcast recording for Uncover re fake news • Sora Park: Contentgroup GovComms podcast interview (10 to be played on Canberra metro. Sep 2020)
• Caroline Fisher: Interviews with news.com.au, ABC 666, The • Sora Park: Featured in Podcastone Australia, The Briefing Conversation re covid report. with Tom Tilley, “A message from a young person with • Caroline Fisher: Podcast recording about DNR 2020 for Covid” (21 Aug 2020). https://www.podcastoneaustralia. Canberra tram series – UC Media. com.au/podcasts/the-briefing-podcast/a-message-from-a- young-person-with-covid • Caroline Fisher: ABC 666 – Interview about ‘Trust in News’. Saturday 14th November 4.30pm. • Sora Park: Featured in Radioinfo ‘Podcast listening up by one third: Canberra University study’ (22 Oct 2020). https:// • Caroline Fisher: Interview with Informer TV — a new online www.radioinfo.com.au/news/podcast-listening-one-third- TV news service — about Trust in News. 9.30am Thursday canberra-university-study 26th November. • Sora Park: Radio interview with Anna Vidot on podcasting, • Michel Jensen: Interview on ABC News Radio June 11 ABC Radio Canberra (22 Oct 2020). regarding “fake news”. • Sora Park: Radio interview with Anna Vidot on The Rise of • Michel Jensen: Interview on ABC Adelaide The Drive June Mistrust, ABC Radio Canberra (20 Nov 2020). 12 regarding social media manipulation, bots and trolls, and foreign and domestic sources of media distortion. • Sora Park: Featured in Radioinfo ‘Podcast listening up by one third: Canberra University study’ (22 Oct 2020). https:// • Kerry McCallum: Interview with ABC Capricornia on News www.radioinfo.com.au/news/podcast-listening-one-third- Limited newspaper closures and closing of Rockhampton canberra-university-study printing press, 2 June. • Sora Park: Radio interview with Anna Vidot on podcasting, • Mathieu O’Neil: Interviewed by Philip Adams on ABC ABC Radio Canberra (22 Oct 2020). Radio National, Late Night Live: “Fact, fiction or fake: How Australians perceive their news”, November 18. • Sora Park: Radio interview with Anna Vidot on The Rise of Mistrust, ABC Radio Canberra (20 Nov 2020). • Catherine Page Jeffery: 10 September – ABC Radio Canberra interview with Paul Kruger about disturbing social • Sora Park: Radio interview with Rebecca McLaren ‘The media content (suicide video circulating on social media). rise of ‘doomscrolling’ ABC Radio Darwin Afternoons (23 Sep 2020). https://www.abc.net.au/radio/darwin/programs/ • Catherine Page Jeffery: 5 October – ABC Radio Canberra afternoons/afternoons/12671622 interview with Georgia Stynes about online safety issues, including discussion of the Safe Online Together Project.
• Catherine Page Jeffery: 10 October – ABC Radio – National Drive program interview with Francis Owusu about parenting in the digital age.
• Sora Park: Radio interview with Lish Fejer and Adam Shirley about Parasite and Korean movie industry, ABC Canberra Breakfast (11 Feb 2020)
36 N&MRC ANNUAL REPORT 2020 ARTICLES & FEATURES
• Caroline Fisher: Interview with SMH https://www.smh. • Catherine Page Jeffery: 23 September – LSE Parenting com.au/business/companies/the-other-viral-problem-in- for a Digital Future article published: ‘Is that appropriate?’ the-covid-19-pandemic-online-misinformation-20200318- Parental judgements about the risks and opportunities p54bd3.html. of teenagers’ digital media use. https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/ parenting4digitalfuture/2020/09/23/parental-judgements- • Caroline Fisher: The Independent (UK) “Politicians are using about-risks-and-opportunities/ ‘strategic lies’ to grab attention – and it’s working”. • Fisher, C., Park, S. & Flew, T. (2020) How can we restore trust • Caroline Fisher, Sora Park, Jee Young Lee & Kieran in media? Fewer biases and conflicts of interest, a new study McGuinness: (2020). Coronavirus ‘news fatigue’ starts to shows, The Conversation (17 April). https://theconversation. bite for Australians in lockdown, The Conversation. (6 May), com/how-can-we-restore-trust-in-media-fewer-biases-and- https://theconversation.com/coronavirus-news-fatiguestarts- conflicts-of-interest-a-new-study-shows-135680 to-bite-for-australians-in-lockdown-137780 • Sora Park: Overcoming the “One-Inch Tall Barrier”: • Kate Holland: Interview with Dr Monique Lewis (Griffith What the Success of Parasite Tells Us About the Film Uni) about risk communication for her Health and Science Industry, Australian Outlook (27 Feb 2020), http://www. Communication Unit. internationalaffairs.org.au/australianoutlook/overcoming- • Michael Jensen: Research featured in The Age June 21 the-one-inch-tall-barrier-what-the-success-of-parasite-tells- regarding the impact of bots in promoting #BLM on Twitter us-about-the-film-industry/. (I found bots weren’t the driver). • Sora Park: Featured in The Educator, “University gets • Michel Jensen: Interviewed by Crikey for an article access to Facebook data for research” by Anna Mogato appearing on COVID-19 and government communications. (6 March 2020). https://www.theeducatoronline.com/ he/news/university-gets-access-to-facebook-data-for- • Jee Young Lee: Invited to contribute an article on the research/270318 Australian news media bargaining code to Newspapers and Broadcasting (Korea Press Foundation monthly media • Sora Park: Featured in Canberra Times “The online news industry magazine) habits of Facebook users to be the focus of world-first research” by Adrian Rollins (24 Feb 2020) https://www. • Jee Young Lee: Invited to contribute an article on children canberratimes.com.au/story/6646618/online-news-habits- and YouTube (online safety) to Media Literacy (Korea Press the-focus-of-world-first-research/ Foundation bimonthly media education magazine) • Sora Park: Featured in the Educator, Australians ‘distressed • Kerry McCallum: Interview with Mike Stutchbury, Editor but resilient’ amid pandemic – studies by Mark Rosanes Financial Review, 15 July. (20 May 2020), https://www.theeducatoronline.com/he/ • Kerry McCallum: Podcast, Listening to Institutions, BGL news/australians-distressed-but-resilient-amid-pandemic-- 11236 Investigating and explaining society https://www. studies/271480 youtube.com/watch?v=1rZ-ViojUYU&feature=youtu.be • Sora Park: Featured in RiotACT, Fake, fatigued and fed up: • Mathieu O’Neil: Kirsten Lawson, “WeChat the channel for what we really think about COVID-19 coverage by Michael China disinformation campaigns”, The Canberra Times, June Weaver (14 May 2020) https://the-riotact.com/fake- 22. fatigued-and-fed-up-what-we-really-think-about-covid-19- coverage/374682?utm_medium=facebook&utm_source=tcp • Mathieu O’Neil: Karen Middleton, “Home Affairs extends reach in tackling foreign interference”, The Saturday Paper, • Sora Park: Featured in Australians accessing more news than Edition No. 307, June 27. usual during COVID-19 pandemic (7 May 2020), http://www. researchnewslive.com.au/2020/05/07/australians-accessing- • Mathieu O’Neil: Interviewed by ABC Digital, “Millions more-news-than-usual-during-covid-19-pandemic/ view viral Plandemic video featuring discredited medical researcher Judy Mikovits”, May 13. https://www.abc.net.au/ • Sora Park:. Featured in news.com.au, Are we sick of hearing news/2020-05-13/who-is-judy-mikovits-what-is-plandemic- about coronavirus? (12 May 2020) https://www.youtube.com/ movie/12233412 watch?v=wIJqqC7R6qg
ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES 37 • Sora Park: Featured in NewsGP, Social media platforms • Sora Park: Featured in Canberra Weekly ‘Younger seek to stop misinformation, by Anastasia Tsirtsakis (12 May generations turning to podcasts’ by Danielle Meddemmen 2020), https://www1.racgp.org.au/newsgp/clinical/social- (26 Oct 2020). https://canberraweekly.com.au/younger- media-platforms-seek-to-stop-misinformation generations-turning-to-podcasts/
• Sora Park: Featured in Canberra Times, Aussies fatigued • Sora Park: Featured in ABC Life, What to do if you can’t stop by constant COVID-19 news by William Ton (7 May 2020) ‘doomscrolling’ bad news by Patrick Wright (22 Sep 2020). https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6748235/aussies- https://www.abc.net.au/life/what-to-do-if-you-cant-stop- fatigued-by-constant-covid-19-news/ doomscrolling-bad-news/12666152
• Sora Park: Featured in SBS World News Radio, People are consuming more news than ever - but there are consequences by Cassandra Bain (6 May 2020) https://soundcloud.com/ sora-park-30/people-are-consuming-more-news-than-ever- but-there-are-consequences-1; https://www.sbs.com.au/ news/audiotrack/people-are-consuming-more-news-ever- there-are-consequences
• Sora Park & Caroline Fisher: Here is the news (good and bad) for local readers, Inside Story (13 Aug 2020). https:// insidestory.org.au/here-is-the-news-good-and-bad-for- local-readers/
• Sora Park: Featured in ABC News, Health & Wellbeing, ‘Young Australians avoid COVID-19 news so traditional health messaging doesn’t work’ (7 Aug 2020) https://www.abc. net.au/news/science/2020-08-07/why-young-people-are- avoiding-covid-news/12531468
• Sora Park: Featured in GovComms EP#83 Government content in developing media markets, contentgroup (26 Oct 2020). https://contentgroup.com.au/govcomms/ep83- government-content-in-developing-media-markets-with- professor-sora-park/
• Sora Park: Featured in Canberra Weekly ‘Younger generations turning to podcasts’ by Danielle Meddemmen (26 Oct 2020). https://canberraweekly.com.au/younger- generations-turning-to-podcasts/
• Sora Park: Featured in CNET ‘How COVID-19 infected the world with lies’ by Jackson Ryan (21 Oct 2020). https://www. cnet.com/features/how-covid-19-infected-the-world-with- lies/
• Sora Park: Featured in GovComms EP#83 Government content in developing media markets, contentgroup (26 Oct 2020). https://contentgroup.com.au/govcomms/ep83- government-content-in-developing-media-markets-with- professor-sora-park/
38 N&MRC ANNUAL REPORT 2020 FEATURED MEMBERS & HDR GRADUATE and journalism in the politics of race, ethnicity and belonging. This is best demonstrated through his two major ARC-funded research projects.
David says: ‘I’ve long been interested in developing a critical understanding of the role played by journalism in social politics that goes beyond textual critique, but which seeks to take account of the changing forces and actors that shape journalism and media practices. Initially, I saw the value of my work as adding to a field of resources that allow journalists and other media actors to better understand and reflect on their own practices, and the forces and relationships that shape them. While that remains true, as my career has developed I’ve become increasingly interested in the potential of research that seeks to make critical and practical interventions to support positive change in the field of journalism and media representation, and that engages more directly with the perspectives and concerns of practitioners. I see this agenda DR DAVID NOLAN as aligning quite directly with the goals of the News and Media Research Centre, and am excited to be here and working with N&MRC MEMBER colleagues who share similar ambitions.’
Before joining UC in February 2020 David was Associate ABOUT DAVID Professor at the University of Melbourne where he gained 20 years’ experience as a teacher, subject coordinator and Dr David Nolan joined the University of Canberra in February curriculum leader. David is a passionate research-led educator 2020 as Associate Professor of Communication and researcher who has specialised in the teaching of journalism studies in Journalism Studies. David’s research in the News & Media and humanitarian communication, and played a leading role Research Centre has three interconnected strands of inquiry: a) in the development of several highly successful degrees understanding how media and journalism practices shape and are at the University of Melbourne (Master of Global Media shaped by shifting social and political relations; b) understanding Communication, Master of Journalism, Master of International the role of journalism and changing media environments in Journalism, Master of Marketing Communication). He is also an intercultural relations and the politics of ‘race’, citizenship and experienced research supervisor, who has supervised numerous belonging, and c) The implications of media change in the field successful PhD projects. of humanitarian communication. David is author of more than 50 academic publications and has been lead researcher on two ARC Media Representation and Communication Needs of Linkage projects: Media Treatment and Communication Needs Sudanese Australians (LP110100063) of Sudanese Australians (2011–14) and Amplifying Indigenous David led this project out the Centre for Advancing Journalism News: A Digital Intervention (2019–22). He is the Vice-President with partners ABC and AMES to research how Sudanese Elect of the Australian & New Zealand Communication Australians’ experience of belonging is affected by media Association and will chair the 2021 ANZCA Conference coverage, and the potential and value of interventions that in Melbourne. sought to empower groups to challenge and change media representation. This project included a training and mentoring program for Sudanese Australians in media production, DAVID’S STORY incorporating the expertise of practioners from some of David was born and raised in Huddersfield in the north of Australia’s leading media organisations. This project advanced England and is a lifelong Huddersfield Town and Liverpool FC David’s work on how minority groups experience rights in a supporter. He completed honours degrees in English and Drama multicultural society, and how media practices have contributed at the University of Manchester, before going on to undertake to recent shifts in the politics of multiculturalism, ethnicity and his PhD at RMIT University, Melbourne. His thesis focused on ‘race’. Crucially, by combining analysis of media coverage the role played by journalism in the rise of Pauline Hanson, based with an ethnographic study of its impacts for particular groups on a theoretically informed analysis of ‘media governmentality’, such as Sudanese Australians, his research has enabled deeper and that study’s focus on the role of media in racial politics has understanding of how media contribute to different populations’ remained a strong research interest through his career. experience of ‘belonging’ — an important basis upon which different subjects variably experience affective and material David’s research is internationally resonant and reflects a deep dimensions of security and/or social exclusion and discrimination. commitment to understanding and changing the role of media
40 N&MRC ANNUAL REPORT 2020 FEATURED MEMBERS & SCHOLARS Amplifying Indigenous News: A digital intervention PUBLICATIONS & OUTPUTS (LP180100201) • Nolan, D., & Waller, L. (2021). An uncritical incident?: Journalism David leads this innovative industry linkage project, in and Indigenous deaths in custody in Australia. In Critical Incidents collaboration with partners The Guardian and IndigenousX, from In Journalism: Pivotal moments reshaping journalism around the the N&MRC. Amplifying Indigenous News focuses on shifts world (pp. 230–243). New York: Routledge. in the production of news focused on Indigenous Australians, • Nolan, D., Waller, L., Latimore, J., Simons, M. and McCallum, and the potential for a further media intervention to improve K. (2020) ‘Analysing the Indigenous News Network in Action: Indigenous news representation. The research project seeks to The Guardian, IndigenousX and the Wakul App’ pp. 69–86 in S. Maddison and S. Nakata (Eds.) Questioning Indigenous-Settler track the results of an initiative that supports the employment Relations, Singapore: Springer. of an Indigenous journalist working at The Guardian to produce • Nolan, D., Brookes, S. and Imison, M. (2020) ‘Abandoning Either/ stories through the use of a new digital tool, the Wakul app. Ors in Analysing Shifts in Humanitarian Reporting’ Journalism Wakul tracks both a diverse range of Indigenous news stories, Practice 14 (1): 17–33. produced across mainstream, community and emergent • Nolan, D., Farquharson, K. and T. Marjoribanks (2018) (Eds.) digital media outlets, and gathers data to show which stories Australian Media and the politics of belonging (First ed.). London: generate engagement on social media. Designed to support Anthem Press. improvements in the range and quality of Indigenous news, • Simons, M., Nolan, D., & Wright, S. (2017). ‘We are not North the project’s introduction of Wakul into a media production Korea’: propaganda and professionalism in the People’s Republic of China.’ Media, Culture and Society, 39(2): 219–237. provides a diagnostic tool to better understand the ‘Indigenous • Nolan, D., Burgin, A., Farquharson, K., & Marjoribanks, T. (2016). news network’, a term that refers to the field of social, economic, Media and the politics of belonging: Sudanese Australians, letters to political and technological relations that shape Indigenous news the editor and the new integrationism. Patterns of Prejudice, 50(3), agendas and stories. This research is founded on a strong working 253–275. relationship with both Indigenous and non-indigenous journalists. • Nolan, D., & Mikami, A. (2013). ‘The things that we have to do’: It traces how the dynamics of the Indigenous News Network Ethics and instrumentality in humanitarian communication. Global may be changing, and how far innovations in this field might Media and Communication, 9(1), 53–70. successfully contribute to positive change by increasing the range • Cottle, S. and Nolan, D. (2007). Global Humanitarianism and the and quality of Indigenous stories in the Australian public sphere. Changing Aid-Media Field: ‘Everyone was Dying for Footage’. Journalism Studies, 8(6), 862–878.
ABOUT SORA Sora Park leads the N&MRC’s Digital News+ Lab in conjunction with her roles as Associate Dean of Research and Professor of the Faculty of Arts & Design Communication. She is the powerhouse of the Centre’s research focus on media policy and news consumption. Sora has a long and deep commitment to researching and improving the digital inclusion of Australia and global citizens.
Sora has an outstanding record of grants management and research translation, producing more than 200 academic publications and over 70+ invited talks and presentations. She has extensive global experience in government and private sector consulting with research expertise ranging from large- scale surveys to in-depth qualitative methods. She is a major contributor to the field of Communication and Media Studies in Australia and internationally, notably as a former N&MRC PROFESSOR Director, Chair of the International Communication Association (ICA) Media Industry Studies Interest Group and President SORA PARK of Australian and New Zealand Communication Association (ANZCA). Her research and leadership achievements have N&MRC MEMBER been recognised by the Vice Chancellor’s Award for Research Excellence UC (2016) and Vice Chancellor’s Award for Outstanding Team Achievement (2018).
FEATURED MEMBERS & HDR GRADUATE 41 SORA’S RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS Literacy in Australia: Attitudes, Experiences and Needs project is the first in Australia to conduct a comprehensive analysis Digital News Report into how adults Australians understand and use different forms Sora was instrumental in bringing to Australia the Reuters Digital of traditional and digital media, and how this relates to their News Report (see p44) that tracks changes in digital news full participation in civic life. The study, which was launched at consumption through an annual survey in 46 countries. As the a sector-defining national event, found a gap in adult media UC Project lead Sora has an ongoing collaboration with the literacy education and the compounding effects of social and Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at the University of digital exclusion. Sora’s UC team investigated the multi-layers Oxford and a global team of researchers. Sora says: of digital divide among disadvantaged groups and is now “The Digital News Report has been fundamental in growing developing new models of teaching media literacy that are the N&MRC from a group of talented researchers to a research tailored to individuals’ needs. centre with common focus, purpose and industry impact. The report gives the Centre national profile and makes us part of a global research agenda. But most importantly the DNR builds SELECTED PUBLICATIONS & OUTPUTS the capacity of talented HDRs, ECRs and • Park, S. (forthcoming). Multidimensional digital exclusion and experienced researchers.” demand-driven intervention models, Tsatsou, P. (ed). Digital Inclusion: Enhancing Vulnerable People’s Social Inclusion and The rise of mistrust: Digital platforms and trust Welfare? Palgrave MacMillan. in news media (Australian Research Council Discovery Project) • Picard, R. & Park, S. (2021). ‘Accidental policy’: Examining the In 2020 Sora was successful in securing funding for an ARC Australian Digital Platforms Inquiry and theorising accidental policy, Discovery Project that focuses on how trust and mistrust in Journal of Digital Media Policy. news changes audiences’ behaviours as they increasingly access • Fisher, C., Park, S., Lee, J. Y., Holland, K., & John, E. (2021). Older people’s news dependency and social connectedness. Media news through digital platforms. Mistrust in news in the digital International Australia. https://doi.org/10.1177/1329878X211006497. environment is an area of significant public concern in Australia, • Park, S., Fisher, C., & Lee, J. Y. (2021). Regional news audiences’ with the decline in journalism jobs and the news industry as well value perception of local news. Journalism. https://doi. as implications of the power imbalances between traditional news org/10.1177/1464884921992998. media and digital platforms. Through a four-country comparative • Brook, S., Lee, J. & Park, S. (2021). Selection and survival in the field analysis, experimental methods, and an in-depth qualitative of cultural production: A longitudinal study of the Australian Census, investigation, the project will analyse sources of trust and mistrust Cultural Trends. https://doi.org/10.1080/09548963.2021.1874820. in news and how they influence behaviour. It addresses the • Park, S., Fisher, C., Flew, T. & Dulleck, U. (2020). Global mistrust growing crisis of trust of core social, political and civic institutions, in news: Social media news consumers’ increased scepticism, International Journal on Media Management. and the sustainability of high-quality news as a vital component • Fisher, C., Park, S., Lee, J., Flew, T. & Dulleck, U. (2020). Improving of democratic participation. Through this project Sora will trust in news: Audience solutions. Journalism Practice. continue to inform policy around the provision of quality news for • Sang, Y., Park, S., Lee, J., Fisher, C. & Fuller, G. (2020). Signalling informed citizenship and democracy. and expressive interaction: Online news users’ different modes of interaction on digital platforms, Digital Journalism Media literacy and digital inclusion In a collaboration with scholars from Western Sydney University and Queensland University of Technology the Adult Media
42 N&MRC ANNUAL REPORT 2020 pitched the idea of doing a research project on the reporting of submarine procurement I was surprised by how engaged and receptive my supervisory team was. Other students and researchers were also curious about this odd subject; they wanted to know what I was doing and offer advice. This was something I felt was important. No one was there to tell me that there was a correct way to do the research, only to provide guidance and the tools needed to improve its quality. The work itself is difficult because you are trying to answer questions about society that almost no-one has asked before. So, the long talks over coffee, the meetings squeezed into packed schedules, the seminars where you workshop your ideas with others, these are all vital to the process. It’s what keeps you going. I don’t think I could have completed my PhD without the sense of community the N&MRC offered me.”
DR KIERAN Overall, Kieran attributes the successful progress of his research to having an informal support network and the flexibility to MCGUINNESS balance work, study and mental health. “I was given lots of opportunities throughout my PhD to work as either a research HDR Graduate assistant for others or to teach into courses related to my experience. There were also opportunities to attend training, conferences and workshops as needed. But I never felt pressured ABOUT KIERAN to take on more than I could handle. As the thesis progressed, Dr Kieran McGuinness graduated from the University of I had to deal with mounting issues with stress and anxiety. My Canberra with a PhD in Communication in 2020. He is a supervisory panel were very professional and non-judgemental. Postdoctoral research fellow and the N&MRC’s Early Career They always had a clear structure to the project in mind and we Researcher representative. Kieran’s PhD research explored planned out exactly the tasks I needed to do to get from A to Z.” newspaper reporting of the Australian government’s Attack- Kieran graduated during the COVID-19 pandemic and has since class submarine procurement. His methodology entailed a been working as a researcher with the N&MRC, with his work detailed qualitative analysis of public discourses of major defence focusing on major reports and research for external clients. “Life expenditure, with findings pointing to the influence of advocacy is strange. The pandemic changed everything, but even with all journalism and defence industry public relations on reporting the disruption I felt supported and my supervisors kept pushing on Defence procurement processes. Prior to starting his PhD, me to get over the finish line.” As Postdoctoral fellow, Kieran Kieran worked as a TESOL teacher and later in corporate payroll has contributed to Centre research for external clients including and administration. He also completed a Master of Arts in the Judith Neilson Institute, Google News Initiative and the Communication at the College at Brockport, State University of Australian Communications and Media Authority. New York.
KIERAN’S STORY PUBLICATIONS & OUTPUTS Kieran is a two-time graduate of the University of Canberra • Fisher, C., Park, S., Howden, S., Lee, J. & McGuinness, K. (2020). having completed a Bachelor of Arts there in 2008. “Graduating Australian Regional Journalists: What They Need and How They See the Future. Canberra. News & Media Research Centre. https:// during the global financial crisis didn’t present a lot of clear www.canberra.edu.au/research/faculty-research-centres/nmrc/ pathways forward. Although I’d never considered academia as a research/regional-journalists-what-do-they-need. career, I entered into the Honours program at UC. This turned • Park, S., Fisher, C., Lee, J.Y., McGuinness, K., Sang, Y., O’Neil, out to be transformational. I was given the opportunity to teach M., Jensen, M., McCallum, K., Fuller, G. (2020). Digital News what I had learned and assist on a variety of research projects. Report: Australia 2020. Canberra: News & Media Research Centre, It was the first time I had the experience of working alongside University of Canberra. https://apo.org.au/sites/default/files/ knowledgeable and curious academics, people who encouraged resource-files/2020-06/apo-nid305057.pdf. me to investigate what interested me and ask questions only I • Park, S., Fisher, C., Lee, J. & McGuinness, K. (2020). COVID-19: Australian news and misinformation. Canberra: News & Media could answer.” Research Centre. https://www.canberra.edu.au/research/faculty- After taking time post-graduation to work and study research-centres/nmrc/publications/documents/COVID-19- internationally, Kieran started his PhD in 2015. “When I first Australian-news-and-misinformation.pdf.
FEATURED MEMBERS & HDR GRADUATE 43 FEATURED PROJECT —DIGITAL NEWS REPORT: AUSTRALIA 2020
44 N&MRC ANNUAL REPORT 2020 ABOUT THE DNR
The Digital News Report: Australia 2020 is the sixth in a series Cite the report as: Park, S., Fisher, C., Lee, J.Y., McGuinness, K., Sang, Y., O’Neil, of annual reports which tracks changes in news consumption M., Jensen, M., McCallum, K., Fuller, G. (2020). Digital News Report: Australia in Australia over time, particularly within the digital space. The 2020. Canberra: News & Media Research Centre, University of Canberra. Report is published by the University of Canberra’s News and In 2020 the Digital News Report: Australia 2020 team produced two additional Media Research Centre (N&MRC). reports: • O’Neil, M. & Jensen, M.J. (2020). Australian Perspectives on Misinformation. The online survey was conducted in Australia between late Canberra: News & Media Research Centre, University of Canberra. https:// apo.org.au/sites/default/files/resource-files/2020-11/apo-nid309148_0.pdf January and early February 2020. The Australian survey forms • Sang, Y., Lee, J.Y., & Park, S. (2020). Podcast Trends and Issues in Australia part of a global study of 40 territories by the Reuters Institute for and Beyond: Global Perspectives. Canberra: News & Media Research Centre, University of Canberra. https://apo.org.au/sites/default/files/resource- the Study of Journalism at the University of Oxford. files/2020-10/apo-nid308947.pdf
KEY FINDINGS
MOST AUSTRALIANS WILL MISS LOCAL during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, using social media NEWS IF IT DISAPPEARS brands to access news is steadily growing, particularly among older generations. COVID-19 pandemic has proven how much local news still matters as people need to get information about the spread Trust continues to fluctuate. During the bushfires, trust in of the virus in their area and keep up with the advice of local news in general was low at 38% (-6). This is consistent with the authorities which may be different to national guidelines. global trend. However, trust in news about COVID-19 was much higher at the peak of the pandemic (53%). This reflects how trust During the bushfires, almost half of news consumers (45%) said can fluctuate depending on external circumstances. that they were very or extremely interested in local news. Australians prefer impartial and independent news. Local newspapers and their websites were cited as the top source The majority (62%) of Australian news consumers consider of local news (41%). We found that almost a quarter of news independent journalism to be important for society to function consumers were turning to alternative sources such as local social properly, but this is less so among those who rely on social media media groups for news about their community. This suggests for news (57%). Australians also have a strong preference for that traditional news media are not fully meeting consumers’ impartial news (54%) rather than news that shares their point of demands for local news. This was particularly the case for view (19%) or challenges their viewpoint (13%). younger generations. Australians think politician’s false claims should be reported. We asked news consumers if they would miss local news if it were If a politician does make a false or misleading statement, 54% of to close. The majority say they would miss local news sources if Australian news consumers think those claims should be reported they were to close. Three-quarters would miss local newspapers by the media rather than ignored. However, Australians are torn (76%). Local radio would be missed the most (81%), especially by about whether political ads should be allowed on TV and social low income and regional Australians. This reflects the important media. Generally, news consumers think political ads are ok on role of radio during the bushfire crisis. TV but not on social media.
Australian’s news consumption on climate change The Digital News Report: Australia 2020 also finds: is polarised. Climate change is at the forefront of many News consumption is increasing. During the bushfires, Australians’ minds. Four out of five news consumers say Australians were already consuming more news. The percentage they consider climate change to be either somewhat, very or of heavy news users had risen to 56% (+4). This increased further extremely serious (79%). Younger people are more concerned as during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic to 70%. well as left-wing consumers. The proportion of climate deniers in Australia is among the highest across the 40 countries surveyed. TV conquers during COVID: During the bushfires, TV was Almost one-fifth (18%) think climate change is not a serious issue. still the main source of news for Australians (39%, -3) and this Those who access news via commercial AM radio (i.e. 2GB, 2UE, markedly increased to 51% during the pandemic. There was 3AW), Sky News (35%) and Fox News (32 %) are more likely to a decline in the uses of radio, print and social media for news think climate change is less serious.
FEATURED PROJECT—DIGITAL NEWS REPORT: AUSTRALIA 2020 45 RESEARCH TEAM
Professor Sora Park Sora Park is the Associate Dean of Research for the Faculty of Arts & Design and Professor of Communication at the University of Canberra. Her research focuses on digital media users, media markets and media policy. She is the Leader of the Digital News Report: Australia project.
Associate Professor Caroline Fisher Caroline Fisher is Deputy Director of the News and Media Research Centre, Associate Professor of Journalism in the Faculty of Arts & Design, University of Canberra and co-leader of the Digital News Report: Australia project.
Dr Jee Young Lee Jee Young Lee is the Digital News Report Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the News & Media Research Centre and Lecturer at the Faculty of Arts & Design, University of Canberra. Her research focuses on digital inclusion practices and policies, particularly for emerging digitally excluded social groups and the growing digital media consumption in emerging markets.
Mr Kieran McGuinness Kieran McGuinness is a Research Associate for the Digital News Report project. He is a current PhD candidate with the News & Media Research Centre. His research looks at defence journalism and the role of the news media in shaping political discourses of military planning and procurement.
Dr Yoonmo Sang Yoonmo Sang is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Canberra and a member of the News & Media Research Centre. Prior to this, he was an Assistant Professor at Howard University in Washington DC in the USA. His research focuses on media law and policy and digital media users.
Associate Professor Mathieu O’Neil Mathieu O’Neil is Associate Professor of Communication at the University of Canberra’s News & Media Research Centre. Mathieu researches peer production and is currently leading the ‘Mapping the co-production of digital infrastructure by peer projects and firms’ project (funded by the Sloan and Ford Foundations). He also conducts network and content analyses of environmental and health controversies in the online environment.
Associate Professor Michael Jensen Michael Jensen is Associate Professor at the Institute for Governance and Policy Analysis. He has a background in political communication and has published books with Cambridge University Press and Palgrave concerning online political behaviour. His work concerns the use of digital communication technologies in the development of new forms of political organization within political campaigning and protest movements.
Professor Kerry McCallum Kerry McCallum is Director of the News & Media Research Centre. Her research in Political Communication specialises in the relationships between changing media and Australian social policy. She is co-author of The Dynamics of News and Indigenous Policy in Australia (Intellect, 2017) and is currently lead investigator on the ARC Discovery project ‘Breaking Silences: Media and the Child Abuse Royal Commission’.
Associate Professor Glen Fuller Glen Fuller is an Associate Professor of Communication and Journalism and Head of the School of Arts & Communication at the University of Canberra. He conducts research at the intersection of media, technology and culture. His focus is the role of specialist media in scenes and the relation between media and enthusiasm (affect), both in the context of technology, experience and the shifting composition of relations.
46 N&MRC ANNUAL REPORT 2020 SELECTED MEDIA ENGAGEMENT
• University of Canberra feature article, by Elly Mackay — DNR Australia 2020: Australia wants impartial and independent news.
• University of Canberra Twitter post — Digital News Report: Australia 2020.
• The Guardian, by Katharine Murphy — Majority of Australians say social media platforms should block misleading political ads.
• The Guardian, by Greg Jericho — Australia has a problem with climate change denial. The message just isn’t getting through.
• The Conversation, by Caroline Fisher and Sora Park — The number of climate change deniers in Australia is more than double the global average, new survey finds.
• The Canberra Times, by Kathryn Lewis — Digital news report 2020 finds most Australians want independent news, but not willing to pay.
• Inside Story, by Sora Park, Caroline Fisher, Jee Young Lee and Kieran McGuinness — How disasters are shaping Australians’ news habits.
• Caroline Fisher conducted a radio interview with Adam Shirley on ABC666.
• Mirage News — Digital News Report Australia 2020: Australians want impartial and independent news.
• In Queensland, by Finbar O’Mallon — Two tragic stories have built our trust in local news sources.
• News.com.au, The Australian, The Daily Telegraph, Cairns Post, Gold Coast Bulletin, Jimboomba Times, Geelong Advertiser, Herald Sun, The Advertiser, NT News, The Courier Mail, and The West Australian by Finbar O’Mallon — Bushfires, coronavirus sees news thrive.
• Mumbrella, by Hannah Blackiston — Digital News Report shows Australian consumers want independence and impartiality in news and they’re willing to pay for it.
• SBS News, by Caroline Fisher and Sora Park — The number of climate deniers in Australia is more than double the global average, new study finds.
• Financial Review, by Max Mason — The number of Australians paying for news doubles.
• Canberra Weekly, by Danielle Meddemmen — Three in four Aussies would miss local news if gone.
FEATURED PROJECT—DIGITAL NEWS REPORT: AUSTRALIA 2020 47 2020 EVENTS 2020 FAD RESEARCH FESTIVAL
10 – 13 NOVEMBER
The News & Media Research Centre was a key player in the second annual Faculty of Arts and Design Research Festival 2020 that showcased the state-of-the-art research that our researchers and higher degree of research students are conducting, through online presentations and workshops.
RETHINKING & REIMAGINING RESEARCH DURING A PANDEMIC — ‘HDR MOMENTS’
2020 was a year that has challenged our usual routines and 2020!……….. I opened my eyes and the reality hit me! Another disrupted the way we live, work, study and research! While the dreadful day having to zoom in for meetings, hide PJs under ongoing ambiguity of the COVID-19 pandemic continues a work shirt, teach online, home school two 7 & 10-year olds, to unfold, many of us faced challenges on many fronts and wash hands every 20 minutes, and panic buy but pretend I responded in the most natural way – because nobody is immune didn’t. It was exhausting yet, memorable! When life gives you to a global pandemic, and the defining moments of sustained Coronavirus, well…. make your own hand sanitizer!!” stress! Continuing our tradition on ‘HDR Moments’, FAD HDR students were warmly invited to submit a write-up/statement (no “’Aa ha – I got it’ – an ‘aa ha’ moment of my PhD journey in more than 150 words) sharing their stories/moments during the 2020! 2020 is the year of my transformation from a feeling COVID-19 pandemic. of ‘Waiting for Godot’ to this very exciting moment. I got examiner reports back after exactly six months with very good Here are some N&MRC moments: feedback. Being ‘unofficially’ locked down and working on a 2020 is so special and remarkable to me. I got my visa to “ virtual campus, I did not have much to expect because this return to Canberra for study later than expected and promptly situation is not applied only to me but to the whole world got enrolled in the required unit for Semester 1 just several where the very ‘unknown’ examiners do exist. The hardest part days before Census Day. It is really challenging for me to be of the year is to keep my expectations alive. I think I am one of back to school after 20 years when I have a family with two a very few fortunate PhD candidates who could reach to this teenage sons to take care of all by myself. I was on campus moment in 2020. My hopes finally touched base. Thus 2020 for one month and then it became virtual due to the Covid-19 was not all about despair but of resilience for looking forward pandemic. It was an unprecedented situation that my sons to the future, and there will be light at the end of the tunnel.” and I had to study from home during the restriction time. I got depressed and isolated because our relatives and friends were all far from us. However, I overcome such a difficult time “I was making fun to my family that I will not be coming to thanks to practicing meditation daily, getting myself busy with visit them in this year 2020 but they were forcing me to come. my study and gradually finishing my first academic year with Soon COVID-19 Pandemic starts and then I realize that fruitful results. It is really an unforgettable memory!” even now I wish to visit them, I cannot. I would call it irony… Before COVID-19 I always look myself as a person who love to be alone, and my best friend is ME… But…That is not true... It was another perfect day in Covid land. At 8.59 am kids “ I realize that I am a kind of person who love to mingle and were already logged into their Google class rooms for another need a company. I was not able to write something and could exciting day of remote learning. Both my kids are primary not even enjoy my food alone. This year 2020 gives me a schoolers, but they have this amazing inborn skill to self- realization that family and friends are the important part of manage home learning without any parental supervision. Both the life. It also makes me realize that having a circle of helping me and my partner logged into our zoom meetings knowing people around you are a blessing. I hope this Pandemic that we won’t be disturbed by our children and we could work end soon!” for as long as we like. Only coffee/ bathroom breaks were needed. Working from home, while home schooling kids and researching for PhD felt like the best thing that happened in
2020 EVENTS 49 N&MRC FEATURED RESEARCH VIDEO FEATURED N&MRC RESEARCH FESTIVAL EVENTS • Dr Caroline Fisher Associate Professor & Deputy Director, N&MRC 10 November To view the video head to https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=xsl59g_Qu-g FAD RESEARCH FESTIVAL OFFICIAL LAUNCH SPEAKER • Professor Kerry McCallum | Director, N&MRC N&MRC RESEARCH PROFILE VIDEOS To view the video head to https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=UpcIBFb4zYY • Dr Jee Young Lee Lecturer in Communication and Media & Postdoctoral Research Fellow, N&MRC FAD PANEL DISCUSSION To view the video head to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0g Conducting Research During a World Changing Event: SMvneJ3UY&list=PLfyiqhehs5dvV1m6dzpYCyR9NGs2cK6h2& COVID-19 and Beyond index=9 • Dr Mathieu O’Neil SUMMARY Associate Professor of Communication As a community of researchers, 2020 has presented us all with To view the video head to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsnhV challenges that were literally unthinkable at its outset. In addition yLEmo4&list=PLfyiqhehs5dvV1m6dzpYCyR9NGs2cK6h2&index=7 to concerns about our health and that of our loved ones, the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted our research plans and • Dr Catherine Page Jeffery has forced us to revise expectations. In reflecting on this, this Lecturer in Communication and Media panel considers the practical and conceptual challenges this To view the video head to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RX presents. How has the onset of the pandemic, as well as the _K4Fql9U&list=PLfyiqhehs5dvV1m6dzpYCyR9NGs2cK6h2&inde uncertain forward outlook, affected project planning? What x=12 are the challenges it has presented, how are researchers being • Anji Perera forced to adapt their enquiries, and to what extent does it HDR Student, N&MRC, FAD HDR Student Representative present obstacles and limitations? What personal and practical & Teaching Fellow challenges has it presented for undertaking research, and what To view the video head to https://www.youtube.com/ supports are available for researchers as they seek to manage watch?v=A4VfTU6exnc&list=PLfyiqhehs5dvV1m6dzpYCyR9NGs these? To what extent has the COVID-19 pandemic presented 2cK6h2&index=18 a situation where the ground is moving beneath the feet of researchers, and how far is it necessary and/or advisable to revise our thinking and planning in light of this?
CHAIR • Dr David Nolan | Associate Professor, N&MRC
PANELLISTS • Professor Sora Park | Associate Dean Research, Faculty of Arts and Design & Lead, Digital News+Research Lab, N&MRC • Anji Perera | HDR Candidate, N&MRC, FAD HDR Student Representative & Teaching Fellow • Glen Fuller | Lead, Media Cultures Research Lab, N&MRC & Head of School, Arts and Communication To view the video head to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=- BQ0avtJz1M
50 N&MRC ANNUAL REPORT 2020 11 November 11 November N&MRC PANEL DISCUSSION N&MRC REPORT LAUNCH News, Media and COVID-19: Insights from the N&MRC Australian Perspectives on Misinformation Research Response to the COVID-19 pandemic SPEAKER SUMMARY • Professor Jason Bainbridge | Executive Dean, Faculty 2020 has generated challenging questions for Media and of Arts & Design & Associate, N&MRC Communication researchers globally. As a discipline we AUTHORS are seeking to understand and explain the public health communication response to the COVID-19 pandemic in • Dr Mathieu O’Neil | Associate Professor of a changing media environment. Key issues concern how Communication & Lead, Critical Conversations Lab, information and misinformation have circulated, and how N&MRC audiences have accessed their news to make sense of this • Dr Michael Jensen | Associate Professor at the Institute unprecedented event. Researchers at the University of Canberra’s for Governance and Policy Analysis & Associate, N&MRC News and Media Research Centre have tackled these questions SUMMARY from a range of methodological angles, generating new research questions and directions. This panel, chaired by N&MRC Concerns about the health of democracy and the public sphere Director Kerry McCallum, will showcase the work of N&MRC are increasing due to the ease with which malign actors can researchers in responding to the challenges of a global pandemic. spread misleading and manipulative claims. Misinformation, or misleading information spread unwittingly, is often distinguished Kate Holland will introduce her forthcoming co-edited book from disinformation, which is misleading information spread with ‘Communicating COVID-19’, including a range of research the intent to cause harm. Yet many successful disinformation responses from across the globe, and initial findings from her campaigns contain true information, covertly disseminated to study of Australian news reporting on COVID-19. David Nolan’s embarrass political targets: the quality of the information matters Covering COVID research project is producing a meta-analysis less than the nature of the operation it is part of. Although the of the key themes in media coverage during year of COVID-19. content of messages need not be false to deceive, the ability Jee Young Lee will provide an overview of findings from the to identify and protect true claims remains critically important. COVID-19 News and Misinformation report. This survey of news Misinformation and disinformation and their effects are complex consumption provides evidence of how Australian audiences and interwoven with countless sociopolitical and psychological changed their news habits during the pandemic. Yoonmo Sang issues. The Australian perspectives on misinformation report will examine the rise of podcasting, and explain how audiences brings together several sources of data. The background of the are using this medium to gain deeper understandings of public report is the results from two existing N&MRC reports: Digital issues. Mathieu O’Neil will share the initial findings of the ‘Health News Report: Australia 2020 and COVID-19: Australian news Professionals and COVID-19 Misinformation on Twitter’ project. and misinformation report, both of which tracked perceptions of misinformation in the Australian news consumers in 2020. The CHAIR report next profiles two case studies: an analysis of campaigns • Professor Kerry McCallum | Director, N&MRC by Russian Internet Research Agency “troll” accounts on in the PANELLISTS Australian Twittersphere in the leadup to the 2016 Australian Federal election, and an interview with a young ABC Digital • Dr Kate Holland | Senior Research Fellow, N&MRC journalist about how misinformation affects her work practice. • Dr Jee Young Lee | Lecturer in Communication and The report also features expert comments by three leading Media & Postdoctoral Research Fellow, N&MRC Australian journalists and researchers. Finally, the report relays • Dr Yoonmo Sang | Senior Lecturer, Communication and a set of practical messages to help teachers and politicians Media, N&MRC communicate about information literacy, and outlines a series of • Dr Mathieu O’Neil | Associate Professor of hypothetical steps for how people might establish a fact-based Communication & Lead, Critical Conversations Lab, common understanding with a conspiracy believer. N&MRC To view the video head to https://www.youtube.com/ • Dr David Nolan | Associate Professor, N&MRC watch?v=5HdAkDnvKmM To view the video head to https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=fGRG9457s0I
2020 EVENTS 51 11 November 12 November N&MRC SEMINAR SERIES FAD RESEARCH PANEL DISCUSSION ‘What the Hell is Going on at Newsweek?’: Misinformation Becoming Researchers Distribution by Journalistic ‘Ghost Brands’ in Contemporary SUMMARY and Historical Context Becoming a researcher involves more than developing PRESENTER disciplinary expertise and completing a Higher Degree by • Michael Socolow Director | McGillicuddy Humanities Research. In this session, current HDR students and Early Career Center, The University of Maine, USA, and 2019 Fulbright Researchers will reflect on some of the key threshold moments Scholar at the University of Canberra and experiences encountered during their research journey. These reflections will enable us to explore the skills, capacities ABSTRACT and affective dimensions of the process of becoming a scholar From its inception in 1933, Newsweek has remained one of the and how these can be best cultivated and supported. most respected news magazines in the United States. However, in the context of the US Presidential election and the COVID-19 PANELLISTS pandemic, a series of sensationalistic commentary columns • Nandita Dutta | HDR Candidate, Arts and have damaged the venerable magazine’s credibility and caused Communication & N&MRC HDR Training Program Intern critics to re-evaluate its reputation. This seminar will examine the • Dr Catherine Page Jeffery | Lecturer in Communication phenomenon of “ghost brands”, whereby legacy news brands are and Media & ECR Representative, N&MRC purchased and repurposed in ways that mislead audiences by To view the video head to https://www.youtube.com/ exploiting accrued credibility. The presentation will contextualize watch?v=AEZ24ol4Dfc the contemporary problem of misinformation distribution by “ghost brands” by describing, and comparatively analyzing, earlier examples in U.S. media history. It explains how the leveraging of brand equity and credibility to distribute misinformation and political propaganda remains a continual challenge in a commercial media system protected by the First Amendment.
BIOGRAPHY Michael J. Socolow is Director of the McGillicuddy Humanities Center at the University of Maine. He is a media historian whose research centers upon America’s original radio networks in the 1920s and 1930s. He is the author of Six Minutes in Berlin: Broadcast Spectacle and Rowing Gold at the Nazi Olympics (Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 2016) for which he was awarded the 2018 Broadcast Historian Award by the Library of American Broadcasting Foundation and the Broadcast Education Association. In 2019, Professor Socolow was a Senior Fulbright Research Scholar at the News & Media Research Centre at the University of Canberra, Australia. Michael is a former broadcast journalist who has worked as an Assignment Editor for the Cable News Network and as an information manager for the host broadcast organizations at the Barcelona, Atlanta, and Sydney Olympic Games. He has written pieces on media regulation and media history for The New York Times, Washington Post, Slate, Politico, Columbia Journalism Review, the Chronicle of Higher Education’s Chronicle Review, and other journalistic outlets.
To view the video head to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=- yQDgeCbU7o
52 N&MRC ANNUAL REPORT 2020 SYMPOSIA, REPORT LAUNCHES & WORKSHOPS
26, 27 & 30 MARCH N&MRC WORKSHOP – VIA ZOOM
DIGITAL CONCEPTS AND METHODS WORKSHOP: ISSUES/ACTORS
Dr Mathieu O’Neil, Ms Xiaolan Cai, Dr Kate Holland, Dr Michael Jensen & Professor Robert Ackland
26 March 27 March PRE-WORKSHOP MEETING EXPERT PRESENTATIONS Digital Methods and Concepts: The Case for Asymmetry PURPOSE Dr Mathieu O’Neil • Gain familiarity with Zoom • Learn how to ask questions during Expert presentations on PURPOSE Friday Issues and actors are recursively intertwined: issues spread when actors connect to them, actors form publics around issues. • Discuss interest in, and expectations for, the one-on-one Online research tracks issues/actors by collecting digital trace training sessions on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday data such as hyperlink networks, web 2.0 interactions (retweets, mentions, follows, likes) as well as text, visual and video content. This ease of access has resulted in a profusion of approaches. The aims of this inaugural Critical Conversation Lab event are to clarify and explore methodological issues in online research such as query design, boundary-setting, and sampling; and analytical issues such as descriptive vs critical frameworks, information contagion, the significance of events, and power dynamics.
Actors and Issues: A Systems Perspective Dr Michael Jensen
PURPOSE My approach to social science is from the perspective that it is meaningful to speak of actors as participants in a system of behavior. Social systems are composed of interactions and interactions are irreducibly communicative in some sense. Image: Dr Mathieu O’Neil leads the online Digital Concepts and Through those interactions concerns arise, issues are that Methods Workshop: ISSUES/ACTORS with colleagues from the subset of concerns that are deemed worthy of being acted N&MRC and ANU. upon through an authoritative allocation of something of value or a binding decision. Issues are created by actors but they can also motivate actors to take action. My own work concerns information warfare and propaganda. Here issues are of interest as propaganda seeks to create or remove issues from the decision space of a political system.
2020 EVENTS 53 The Social Production of Mental Health Online example, health, the environment, or the economy) are being Dr Mathieu O’Neil, Dr Kate Holland & Ms Xiaolan Cai promoted online. The approach can potentially provide new measures of online influence. For example, it is possible to assess PURPOSE how particular actors influence the way in which online publics This project interrogates dominant actors and discourses in connect issues to one another (e.g. energy crisis is related to Australian online discussions of mental health: who are the foreign relation problems, unemployment is related to migration), most influential online actors discussing mental health? How and also affect the trajectory of issue salience or popularity. do these actors characterise mental health issues? Do these characterisations convey stigmatising or positive judgements about mental health? 30 March ONE ON ONE SESSIONS
Mapping Online Issue Spaces: The Case of the Australian Ms Xiaolan Cai Political Twittersphere Obtain guidance on using tools & developing online research Professor Robert Ackland practice in one-on-one sessions; if agreeable, silently observe PURPOSE others being guided and submit written questions; access shared This presentation outlines a new approach for using digital folder on Google Drive featuring core syntax, instructions, and trace data to understand how issues of concern (regarding, for answers to frequently asked questions.
16 JUNE N&MRC REPORT LAUNCH – VIA ZOOM
DIGITAL NEWS REPORT: AUSTRALIA 2020 Creina Chapman, Richard Aedy & Anna Draffin • Closing Remarks: Professor Jason Bainbridge Professor Kerry McCallum, Professor Paddy Nixon, Professor Sora Park, Associate Professor Caroline Fisher, Creina KEY SPONSORS OF THE LAUNCH Chapman, Richard Aedy, Anna Draffin & Professor • DVCR&I Professor Leigh Sullivan Jason Bainbridge • Faculty of Arts & Design, Executive Dean, Professor Jason OVERVIEW Bainbridge This year’s report has been shaped by unprecedented health • UC Advancement Office and weather events. The main survey was conducted toward the • Judith Nielson Institute of Journalism & Ideas end of the extreme bushfire season in Australia, and additional research was undertaken while the country was in lockdown due Download the report at: https://apo.org.au/sites/default/files/resource- to the coronavirus. At the time of publication, the news media files/2020-06/apo-nid305057_0.pdf. are grappling with the economic impacts of the pandemic. Many local and regional outlets have closed or been suspended, and the long term financial and social consequences of the global health pandemic are not yet fully known. In times of great uncertainty, news consumers seek more reliable, accurate and up-to-date news, as unfolding events directly influence their safety and well-being. This was reflected in the increase of news consumption and reliance on trusted news sources during the bushfires and the coronavirus outbreak. The findings confirm the critical role that news media play at times of crisis.
LAUNCH • Welcome: Professor Kerry McCallum • Opening Remarks: Professor Paddy Nixon • Key Findings: Professor Sora Park Image: UC VC Prof. Paddy Nixon & FAD ED Prof. Jason Bainbridge, engaging online with panelists at the Digital News Australia: Australia • Panel Discussion: Associate Professor Caroline Fisher, 2020 launch.
54 N&MRC ANNUAL REPORT 2020 2 JULY N&MRC REPORT LAUNCH & PANEL DISCUSSION – VIA ZOOM
LOCAL NEWS CONSUMERS AND AUSTRALIAN REGIONAL JOURNALISTS: WHAT THEY NEED NOW AND HOW THEY SEE THE FUTURE
Professor Sora Park, Associate Professor Caroline Fisher, Sora Park Saffron Howden, Aaron Lakin, Megan Brownlow, Lee O’Connor • Key Findings: Local News Consumers & Anna Draffin • Panel Discussion: Saffron Howden, Aaron Lakin, Lee O’Connor, Megan Brownlow & Anna Draffin OVERVIEW • Closing Remarks: Nic Hopkins Regional News Briefing: New Research and Panel Discussion KEY SPONSOR OF THE LAUNCH There has been a lot of concern about the fate of regional • Google News Initiative journalism in Australia. These concerns have been made more acute with the closures and suspension of more than 200 news outlets over the past 2 years. Further information for these reports can be found at: https://www. canberra.edu.au/research/faculty-research-centres/nmrc/research/local- Our timely research reveals a mixed picture of challenges and news-consumers and https://www.canberra.edu.au/research/faculty- opportunities for news practitioners and providers in regional research-centres/nmrc/research/regional-journalists-what-do-they-need. Australia. In some areas news organisations are flourishing, but in others, services continue to contract causing a decline in staff morale and information provided to local communities. Most notably we found that regional news consumers are thirsty for quality local journalism and are willing to support grassroots local news content.
Please join journalists, policymakers, and regional consumers at the Briefing to discuss the challenges and opportunities of regional journalism.
LAUNCH • Welcome: Professor Kerry McCallum image: Google News Initiative online report launch & panel discussion • Key Findings: Australian Regional Journalists: Professor with key N&MRC media stakeholders & Centre members.
7 AUGUST & 9 JULY N&MRC MASTERCLASS – FACE TO FACE & ZOOM
QUALITATIVE INTERVIEW ANALYSIS IN MEDIA STUDIES
Professor Kerry McCallum & Dr Kate Holland
OVERVIEW techniques for reading, analysing and building theory from their Depth and semi-structured interviews are a popular method of interviews, based on their theoretical perspective. gathering data in the humanities and social science research. This Masterclass is designed for those engaged in, or planning However, the quality of the results and insights drawn from to, conduct qualitative interviews for Higher Degree or funded interviews is highly dependent on the questions asked, research projects. With a focus on the principles, practicalities, epistemological drivers and chosen methods of analysis. A ethical dilemmas and utility of the range of available methods, truly inductive approach to analysing interviews is challenging, the workshop will allow participants to critically analyse and time consuming and often allusive to developing researchers. develop their chosen approach to interview analysis. Researchers typically ‘organically’ develop a set of methods or
2020 EVENTS 55 In this Masterclass we will: • Compare different approaches to interview analysis (i.e.; discourse, narrative, grounded theory, thematic) • Question the choice of interviews as a primary or secondary method in qualitative research • Share case studies of interview analysis techniques and processes • Consider the relationship between the oral interview and transcribed text • Workshop approaches for conducting interview analysis.
3 SEPTEMBER N&MRC REPORT LAUNCH – FACE TO FACE
NEWS AND WELLBEING: OLDER GENERATIONS AND NEWS CONSUMPTION
Associate Professor Caroline Fisher, Professor Sora Park, Dr Kate Holland, Dr Jee Young Lee, Emma John, Professor Kerry McCallum, Jenny Mobbs, Minister Gordon Ramsay, Vicki Collins & Kate Meikle
OVERVIEW • Panel Discussion: Associate Professor Caroline Fisher, This report examines the connection between information and Minister Gordon Ramsay, Jenny Mobbs, Vicki Colins & Kate news consumption and the wellbeing of 562 older Australians Meikle living in the national capital, Canberra. It explores how their • Reflection Remarks: Minister Gordon Ramsay use and perceptions of news have changed over their lifetime • Closing: Professor Kerry McCallum and identifies some of the barriers and opportunities for older Canberrans to staying informed. KEY SUPPORTERS OF THE LAUNCH • Council on the Ageing ACT LAUNCH • Opening: Jenny Mobbs Download the report at: https://apo.org.au/sites/default/files/ • Key Findings: Professor Sora Park resource-files/2020-09/apo-nid308154.pdf.
Image: N&MRC report launch at COTA ACT with Minister Gordon Ramsay, Jenny Mobbs, Vicki Collins & Kate Meikle.
56 N&MRC ANNUAL REPORT 2020 N&MRC SEMINAR SERIES
Organised by Dr Yoonmo Sang. Further information can be found at https://www. canberra.edu.au/research/faculty-research-centres/nmrc/n-and-mrc-seminar-series
ILLIBERAL MEDIA: WECHAT, IDENTITY POLITICS, AND 19 NATIONAL SECURITY FEB Dr Michael Jensen
BEING CO-PRODUCERS IN TIME OF CRISIS: A CASE 4 STUDY OF CHRISTCHURCH, NZ MAR Chris Kim
30 DO WE NEED PEER PRODUCTION STUDIES? APR Dr Mathieu O’Neil
ANALYSING INNOVATION IN INDIGENOUS JOURNALISM: 27 DEATHS INSIDE AUG Dr David Nolan
WATCHING WHAT THEY EAT: A MULTIMETHOD 16 INVESTIGATION OF FOOD MEDIA AND ADOLESCENTS SEP Dr Yandisa Ngqangashe
‘[CYBER]BULLYING IS TOO STRONG A WORD…’ PARENTAL 24 ACCOUNTS OF THEIR CHILDREN’S EXPERIENCES OF SEP ONLINE CONFLICT AND RELATIONAL AGGRESSION Dr Catherine Page Jeffery
2020 EVENTS 57 7 SCREEN-OBSESSED: PARENTING IN THE DIGITAL AGE OCT Dr Wonsun Shin
THE CASE FOR ASYMMETRY IN ONLINE RESEARCH: 21 CARING ABOUT ISSUES IN AUSTRALIAN AND CANADIAN OCT ONLINE BEE NETWORKS Dr Mathieu O’Neil
HOW ARTIFACTS AFFORD: THE POWER AND POLITICS OF 4 EVERYDAY THINGS NOV Dr Jenny Davis
BUYING THE AUDIENCE: THE ROLE OF ADVERTISERS IN 18 THE AUDIENCE MARKETPLACE NOV Dan Andrew
58 N&MRC ANNUAL REPORT 2020 CONTACT US: [email protected] Kerry McCallum N&MRC Director [email protected]
Peta Sinclair N&MRC Research Co-ordinator [email protected] NEWS & MEDIA RESEARCH CENTRE [email protected] canberra.edu.au/nmrc