Amplifying Indigenous news: a digital intervention. 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 meet their strategic goals of increasing the level of Indigenous media representation in Aus ....Amplifying Indigenous news: a digital intervention. 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 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. These outcomes are also expected to improve public understanding of issues affecting Indigenous Australians and contribute to more informed and inclusive policy discussions.Read moreRead less
Supporting the sustainability of Australia's local news ecosystem. This project aims to understand how Australia’s main public broadcaster, the ABC, can best support public interest journalism in rural and regional communities, with a specific focus on fragile and underserved areas of the nation’s local news ecosystem. The project will develop new knowledge around media power and how news providers can work together to secure the sustainability of local news. Expected outcomes include a framewor ....Supporting the sustainability of Australia's local news ecosystem. This project aims to understand how Australia’s main public broadcaster, the ABC, can best support public interest journalism in rural and regional communities, with a specific focus on fragile and underserved areas of the nation’s local news ecosystem. The project will develop new knowledge around media power and how news providers can work together to secure the sustainability of local news. Expected outcomes include a framework to identify and define areas of news need, an assessment of existing interventions and road-tested approaches to improve information quality. The project should provide benefits by supporting forms of local journalism that ultimately enhances the demographic health and social fabric of small towns and cities.
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The ABC, its Archives and its Audiences. This project aims to enable deeper understandings of the role of Australia’s principal public service broadcaster in the lives of audience members across the country, and the community needs and interests that have shaped it. The project, in partnership with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and the National Archives of Australia, is significant because it will uncover and interpret paper records relating to listeners and viewers during the broadcas ....The ABC, its Archives and its Audiences. This project aims to enable deeper understandings of the role of Australia’s principal public service broadcaster in the lives of audience members across the country, and the community needs and interests that have shaped it. The project, in partnership with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and the National Archives of Australia, is significant because it will uncover and interpret paper records relating to listeners and viewers during the broadcaster’s first 50 years. Expected outcomes include an enlarged and more discoverable media archive for the benefit of researchers, industry and all Australians; an innovative audience-centred approach to the ABC’s history; and enhanced academic, archival and media collaborations. Read moreRead less
Heartbeat of Australia: Tracking, Understanding and Engaging News Audiences. This project aims to address the existential crisis of local news by developing a barometer of the health of local news ecosystems informed by longitudinal audience surveys, stakeholder in-depth interviews and case studies of marginalised audiences. Expected outcomes include a robust evidence base to assess the value of local news to audiences and wider society, and innovative new strategies to better address the challe ....Heartbeat of Australia: Tracking, Understanding and Engaging News Audiences. This project aims to address the existential crisis of local news by developing a barometer of the health of local news ecosystems informed by longitudinal audience surveys, stakeholder in-depth interviews and case studies of marginalised audiences. Expected outcomes include a robust evidence base to assess the value of local news to audiences and wider society, and innovative new strategies to better address the challenges the news industry faces in adapting to the digital environment. By devising strategies to produce and deliver quality local news that is financially sustainable, the project aims to deliver significant benefits to the news industry and the wellbeing of individuals and communities across Australia. Read moreRead less
Community Music Radio: Building the Music-Media Ecosystem. This project aims to investigate the economic and sociocultural impact of community music radio. It seeks to generate new knowledge about the detailed relationships between community music radio stations and the Australian music industry, documenting for the first time national activities and infrastructures. Anticipated outcomes include the identification of policies and strategies to improve the audibility and visibility of Australian ....Community Music Radio: Building the Music-Media Ecosystem. This project aims to investigate the economic and sociocultural impact of community music radio. It seeks to generate new knowledge about the detailed relationships between community music radio stations and the Australian music industry, documenting for the first time national activities and infrastructures. Anticipated outcomes include the identification of policies and strategies to improve the audibility and visibility of Australian music domestically and on global digital platforms; providing a new model for evaluating both economic and sociocultural outputs of creative industries; and building the music-media ecosystem as a vital component of the Australian creative industries. Read moreRead less
Media innovation and the civic future of Australia's country press . At a time when the future of news and public interest journalism is facing unprecedented crisis, this research will take a participatory approach to developing and road-testing an innovations agenda for Australia’s country press in the digital era. Longstanding partners Deakin and Country Press Australia will provide the first comprehensive assessment of the sector’s civic value and provide urgently needed evidence and strategi ....Media innovation and the civic future of Australia's country press . At a time when the future of news and public interest journalism is facing unprecedented crisis, this research will take a participatory approach to developing and road-testing an innovations agenda for Australia’s country press in the digital era. Longstanding partners Deakin and Country Press Australia will provide the first comprehensive assessment of the sector’s civic value and provide urgently needed evidence and strategies to rethink media innovation, inform industry practice and federal communication policy. Outcomes will include realising the industry's collaborative potential as a driver of innovations that can increase quality news and information flows and ensure the sustainability of newspapers serving rural areas.Read moreRead less
The culture of implementing Freedom of Information in Australia. In partnership with three Australian Information Commissioners/Ombudsmen this project aims to map the culture of administering Freedom of Information (FOI) laws across a number of Australian jurisdictions. The study aspires to capture and analyse the attitudes among FOI practitioners, government agency managements and political leaders toward information access implementation. The project aims to provide the partner organisations w ....The culture of implementing Freedom of Information in Australia. In partnership with three Australian Information Commissioners/Ombudsmen this project aims to map the culture of administering Freedom of Information (FOI) laws across a number of Australian jurisdictions. The study aspires to capture and analyse the attitudes among FOI practitioners, government agency managements and political leaders toward information access implementation. The project aims to provide the partner organisations with an increased understanding of the culture of administering FOI to inform training/awareness programs and campaigns in order to increase the functionality of FOI. Well-functioning access to information systems is crucial both for good governance and Australia's participation in the digital economy.
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Valuing Web Series: Economic, Industrial, Cultural and Social Value. This project investigates the value of web series as a form of online screen entertainment characterised by original and diverse content produced by emerging creatives. It will deploy the theoretical frame of ‘total value’ to assess the role and viability of web series: value accrued as career development opportunities for digital content makers; value accrued by the audiences who consume web series; and the value accrued by t ....Valuing Web Series: Economic, Industrial, Cultural and Social Value. This project investigates the value of web series as a form of online screen entertainment characterised by original and diverse content produced by emerging creatives. It will deploy the theoretical frame of ‘total value’ to assess the role and viability of web series: value accrued as career development opportunities for digital content makers; value accrued by the audiences who consume web series; and the value accrued by the Australian screen industry as web series contribute to innovation in a rapidly evolving global screen ecology. We have partnered with four leading web series festivals who will benefit directly from a hosting a number of forums for the discussion and dissemination of our comparative findings.Read moreRead less
Addressing Misinformation with Media Literacy through Cultural Institutions. Misinformation can harm democratic processes, social cohesion and public health outcomes. Media literacy prepares citizens for misinformation by developing critical analysis abilities. This project partners with Australian public cultural institutions to increase adult media literacy. Through an action-based, mixed methods approach, the project investigates adults’ experiences with online misinformation and assesses the ....Addressing Misinformation with Media Literacy through Cultural Institutions. Misinformation can harm democratic processes, social cohesion and public health outcomes. Media literacy prepares citizens for misinformation by developing critical analysis abilities. This project partners with Australian public cultural institutions to increase adult media literacy. Through an action-based, mixed methods approach, the project investigates adults’ experiences with online misinformation and assesses their ability to identify and challenge it. Research findings will inform the design and evaluation of targeted evidence-based media literacy training and resources that will be shared across broadcast media, physical spaces and online. Through these initiatives Australians will be better equipped to combat misinformation.Read moreRead less
Advancing digital inclusion in low income Australian families. This ethnographic investigation explores the complex relationship between digital and social inclusion, and social infrastructure's role (education facilities, charities, government services) in supporting low-income families' social and economic participation. It gathers insights from families in six diverse communities from Far North Queensland to Tasmania, across diverse urban, regional and rural locations. It focuses on the digit ....Advancing digital inclusion in low income Australian families. This ethnographic investigation explores the complex relationship between digital and social inclusion, and social infrastructure's role (education facilities, charities, government services) in supporting low-income families' social and economic participation. It gathers insights from families in six diverse communities from Far North Queensland to Tasmania, across diverse urban, regional and rural locations. It focuses on the digital inclusion implications of children's home and school learning experiences, school leavers' transitions into work, and parenting in digital times. The project is a collaboration with Australia's leading digital inclusion organisations and will develop new practices, policies and sector wide solutions.Read moreRead less