QUT Digital Media Research Centre

Conspiracy Nation takes readers to the rallies, homes, courtrooms, secret chat rooms and $2000 Byron Bay luxury retreats where Australia’s conspiracy theories spread.

You can listen to our interview with the authors above, and the book is now available to buy!

We were lucky to be joined by @arielbogle.bsky.social and @cameronwilson.bsky.social on the Read Them Sideways podcast to talk about their new book with host, @katemfitzgerald.bsky.social.

open.spotify.com/episode/00Go...

New paper alert!

Congratulations Maxwell Melit, @phzerosounds.bsky.social, and Aljosha Karim Schapals on their new paper:

‘I scroll past all the news I see on Facebook’: Australian young adults’ use of social media for filtering information during the COVID-19 pandemic".

journals.sagepub.com...

The Read Them Sideways podcast welcomed Lynrose Genon this week, where she spoke with first-time host Klaus Groebner (gKlaus.bsky.social) about her PhD work. @lynrose.bsky.social shared about young women leaders' use of social media to build peace in the Philippines.

open.spotify.com/epi...

PhD candidate Hanh Nguyen has recently had a paper published in Social Media & Society on child influencers in Vietnam!

Congratulations Hanh and see the link below to this important work.

journals.sagepub.com...

Mapping and Measuring Listening in Public Communication Settings | Article | Media and Communication Tariq Choucair

Congratulations to @tariqchoucair.bsky.social on his newly published paper, "Mapping and Measuring Listening in Public Communication Settings" in Media & Communication.

Tariq outlines the key elements of listening and how it is critical for political communication.

www.cogitatiopress.c...

Episode 29: Human and Robot Collaboration with Jasper Vermeulen Read Them Sideways · Episode

A very interesting new episode of the Read Them Sideways podcast looking at human and robot collaboration with your host @svegaard.bsky.social and PhD candidate Jasper Vermeulen.

Listen at the link below to find out how robots can help humans in the operating theatre!

open.spotify.com/epi...

DMRC researchers @phzerosounds.bsky.social and @katemfitzgerald.bsky.social have a new piece out in @crikey.com.au! Read below for the most recent updates on the Epstein files conspiracy theory and the potential political consequences.

New US directive for visa applicants turns social media feeds into political documents - ADM+S Centre The U.S. State Department’s new visa policy requiring applicants to disclose and publicise their social media accounts raises serious concerns about privacy, free expression, and digital surveillance,...

ADM+S researchers T.J. Thomson & Daniel Angus with Samuel Cornell examine a new U.S. State Department policy that requires university & exchange visa applicants to disclose and make public their social media accounts from the past five years. More: admscentre.org/4lKnKWh #digitalprivacy #DataEthics

New US directive for visa applicants turns social media feeds into political documents Your social media is no longer a personal space. It may be used by governments to determine whether you fit with their values.

A new piece in The Conversation from DMRC director @antmandan.bsky.social, DMRC alum, T.J. Thomson and UNSW colleague Samuel Cornell.

In this piece, they discuss the legislative change requiring certain visitors to the United States to provide their social media accounts.

theconversation.com/...

MediaLand with Tim Burrowes and Vivienne Kelly - ABC listen Media insiders Tim Burrowes and Vivienne Kelly dissect the stories and the story makers. Real-life succession battles, unfolding crises, what made the front page and why.

Listen back to @phoebesophist.bsky.social of the DMRC speak to ABC Radio National about Generative AI in the news! She is trying to discover the extent to which AI is being used in our newsrooms, and how journalists and audiences feel about it.

www.abc.net.au/liste...

Congratulations to DMRC PhD candidate @shirweinbrand.bsky.social for being awarded the best poster prize at the ADM+S symposium yesterday!

Ελάχιστο όριο ηλικίας για τα μέσα κοινωνικής δικτύωσης Όταν η απαγόρευση των εφήβων στα μέσα κοινωνικής δικτύωσης τεθεί σε ισχύ αργότερα φέτος, η Αυστραλία θα είναι η πρώτη χώρα που θα προσπαθήσει να επιβάλει ελάχιστο όριο ηλικίας για τα μέσα κοινωνικής δ...

You can find our DMRC scholars in many languages this week!

Our director, @antmandan.bsky.social, is quoted in an SBS Greek podcast this week, discussing the privacy concerns associated with age verification and the proposed social media ban for children.

www.sbs.com.au/language/gre...

Episode 28: The Fediverse and alternative social media platforms with Ashwin Nagappa Read Them Sideways · Episode

Another podcast appearance by @ashwinnag.bsky.social today! @katemfitzgerald.bsky.social from the Read Them Sideways podcast spoke with Ashwin about the Fediverse and alternative social media platforms.

open.spotify.com/epi...

Could banning social media for under 16s keep Australian teens safe and how would it work? The results of a nationwide trial to ban Australians under 16 years of age from using social media platforms have been released and has left experts questioning the viability of the ban. What do teens and their parents think about this legislation that will come into effect in less than 6 months -…

Dr Ashwin Nagappa provided his thoughts to SBS Hindi on the proposed social media ban for under 16s in Australia. This podcast also features the thoughts of young children and families, providing important perspectives.

www.sbs.com.au/langu...

Great commentary from @timothyjgraham.bsky.social of the DMRC here!

We asked 3 experts to fact check Google AI. Their responses may scare you These professors tackle AI's take on vaping, diet and wind farms.

DMRC Associate Professor Timothy Graham provided his expertise in this recent Canberra Times piece on the accuracy of AI summaries at the top of search engines; how often are they correct?

www.canberratimes.co...

QUT - Media Use in the 21st Century (2 PhD scholarships)

Applications are now open for two scholarships at QUT’s Digital Media Research Centre.

Investigate how 21st-century media changes and challenges the social role of media by gathering detailed evidence about how Australians use media (all forms, old and new).

More information here: qut.to/28a6y

Sage Journals: Discover world-class research Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.

The second paper in Media International Australia is entitled "‘NO TO AI GENERATED IMAGES’: fan art creators contesting AI integration on social media platforms", co-authored with Xiyao Liu.

Both are a must read for scholars in this space!

journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...

Sage Journals: Discover world-class research Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.

Congratulations to PhD candidate, @jiarut.bsky.social, for her two new articles in June! 🎉

The first is a solo authored paper, "Broadcasting your virtual self: Exploring the authenticity construction and subjectivity of VTubers in China"

journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...

The second paper in Media International Australia is entitled "‘NO TO AI GENERATED IMAGES’: fan art creators contesting AI integration on social media platforms", co-authored with Xiyao Liu.

Both are a must read for scholars in this space!

This episode was hosted by @svegaard.bsky.social, with contributions from @phzerosounds.bsky.social, @kkasianenko.bsky.social, @timothyjgraham.bsky.social and @katemfitzgerald.bsky.social.

Episode 27: Ten Years of Trumpism DMRC Roundtable Read Them Sideways · Episode

Ten years ago today, Donald Trump announced his bid for the Republican nomination in the 2016 United States presidential election.

To mark the occasion, the Read Them Sideways team came together to record a roundtable episode of 10 Years of Trumpism.

open.spotify.com/episode/6PoX...

AI overviews have transformed Google search. Here’s how they work – and how to opt out AI search summaries are reshaping the search engine ecosystem we’ve grown accustomed to over two decades.

Congratulations to post doc research fellow @ashwinnag.bsky.social, PhD candidate Shir Weinbrand, and DMRC alum @tjthomson.bsky.social for their new publication in The Conversation!

theconversation.com/ai-overviews...

Ned's new paper, The Art of the (Platform) Deal, can be found here: ojs.weizenbaum-institut.de/index.php/wj....

Episode 26: The Art of the Platform Deal with Ned Watt Read Them Sideways · Episode

🎤 A new episode of Read Them Sideways is now available with host @katemfitzgerald.bsky.social and @nedwatt.bsky.social, discussing Ned's new paper and the future of fact-checking on the back of Meta's policy changes. 🎤

open.spotify.com/episode/5FUI...

Publication alert!

Dominque Carlon, @jeanburgess.bsky.social and @kkasianenko.bsky.social recently published an article titled, "The lives and afterlives of community-created bots on Twitter: A minor history".

journals.sagepub.com...

DMRC postdoc, @vilkins.bsky.social. spoke with @cameronwilson.bsky.social from @crikey.com.au last week about archiving electoral content and the role of social media in this process. Check it out! 🗳️

Episode 25: The Manosphere and Netflix's "Adolescence" with Vish Padinjaredath Suresh Read Them Sideways · Episode

Some weekend listening from the Read Them Sideways podcast team and guest Vish Padinjaredath Suresh!

@svegaard.bsky.social chats with Vish about Netflix's recent miniseries Adolescence and how it relates to their work on the manosphere and radicalisation.

open.spotify.com/episode/4YJv...

Associate Professor Timothy Graham spoke with @rtbf.be in Belgium about the use of X as a propaganda tool. While the article is in French, the thread below includes English translations of Dr Graham's quotes and comments.