QUT Digital Media Research Centre

22/05/2026

A new article in The Conversation Australia + NZ by ADM+S Researchers Ashwin Nagappa and Daniel Angus, explores our dependency on digital infrastructure controlled by just a handful of big tech companies.

But what if the internet were built differently? The researchers argue how platform co-ops, public digital infrastructure and decentralised technologies could help create a fairer and more democratic online future.

👉 Read the full article now: bit.ly/4tMJDru

QUT Digital Media Research Centre

17/05/2026

EOI: Postdoctoral Research Associate - QUT Digital Media Research Centre

The QUT Digital Media Research Centre (DMRC) is currently seeking applicants for a 12-month fixed-term Postdoctoral Research Associate (PDRA) position.

The PDRA contributes to an Australian Research Council Laureate Fellowship led by Professor Axel Bruns, a flagship five-year research project that investigates the Dynamics of Partisanship and Polarisation in Online Public Debate.

The successful applicant will contribute to the Laureate’s overall research programme, with particular focus on the news polarisation research stream within the Laureate Fellowship. They will be supervised and mentored by the Laureate Fellow, Professor Axel Bruns.

See the Position Description which provides further detail on the role and responsibilities, as well as how to apply. For further information about the position or to submit your expression of interest, please contact Professor Axel Bruns at [email protected]

Applications close 19 June 2026.

https://research.qut.edu.au/dmrc/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/05/EOI-Postdoctoral-Research-Associate-position-description.pdf

11/05/2026

The DMRC recently hosted a special panel event with the ABC featuring excerpts from new ABC television series, The Matter of Facts, that explores the personal impact of opaque and manipulative digital ecosystems, how disinformation is damaging our democracies, and the threat of AI.

Our researchers shared their thoughts on the many challenges posed by a post-truth digital world.

Our DMRC explainer paper "Mis/Disinformation: What is it? How do we navigate problematic info online?" outlines what ‘problematic information’ is, why it spreads, the kinds of harm it can cause, and how you can evaluate claims before you share them. You can read the paper here: https://research.qut.edu.au/dmrc/mis-disinformation-what-is-it-how-do-we-navigate-problematic-info-online/

07/05/2026

Dr Zahra Stardust shares her thoughts on the cancellation of RightsCon 2026, the world's largest conference on human rights in the digital age.

Sexual and Reproductive Health Matters (SRHM) promotes sexual and reproductive health and rights globally through our open-access journal and advocacy.

09/04/2026

How Australians really use social media and YouTube revealed

A QUT Digital Media Research Centre study has found Australians’ social media use is far more private, varied, and personalised than thought, and that YouTube now functions less like social media and more like a vast “video encyclopedia”.

Private messaging is the most popular feature for people using social media while news is often the most unimportant component of their usage.

The Australian Media Uses Report: Social Media & YouTube 2026 draws on a nationally representative survey of 2020 Australians and 70 in-depth interviews to map how people engage with digital platforms and the internet in their everyday media lives.

Read more here:

A QUT Digital Media Research Centre study has found Australians’ social media use is far more private, varied, and personalised than thought, and that YouTube now functions less like social media and more like a vast “video encyclopedia”.

09/04/2026

The Matter of Facts: A Special ABC and QUT DMRC Panel Event

Trolls, bots, chatbots, misinformation, disinformation and ‘ensh*ttification’ of online information. What happens if we lose our faith in facts and what can we do about it?

Hosted by the QUT Digital Media Research Centre and moderated by ABC health and science reporter Tegan Taylor, join leading QUT digital media experts and ABC Commissioning Editor Julie Hanna to discuss the many challenges posed by a post-truth digital world.

This special event will feature excerpts from new ABC television series, The Matter of Facts, that explores the personal impact of opaque and manipulative digital ecosystems, how disinformation is damaging our democracies, and the threat of AI.

Date: Tuesday 21 April
Time: 5.30pm refreshments; 6.00pm - 7.30pm Expert panel
Location: QUT Gardens Theatre, X Block, QUT Gardens Point campus

Register by Thursday 16 April: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/the-matter-of-facts-knowing-who-and-what-to-trust-in-a-post-truth-world-tickets-1985559749661

09/04/2026

👉 Scholarship Opportunity 👈

Scholarship applications are now open for an MPhil project that will investigate the challenge of pluralistic AI alignment – the socio-technical problem of aligning large language model (LLM) behaviour with multiple, potentially conflicting sets of values.

The successful applicant will receive a stipend of $37,010 per annum for a maximum duration of 1.75 years while undertaking a QUT MPhil.

The scholarship recipient will have the opportunity to work with a team of leading researchers, to undertake your own innovative research in and across the field.

Situated within a two-year Queensland-Bavaria collaborative development grant titled 'Personalised News: Balancing Editorial and Audience Values in AI Alignment', the candidate will work with public service media (PSM) partners to explore how technical architectures can uphold editorial values (such as accuracy and impartiality) while allowing space for individual news audience personalisation.

As a member of QUT’s Digital Media Research Centre, you will also join a supportive and welcoming environment that prides itself on our respectful and diverse community.

Applications close 3 May 2026

For more information, eligibility and to apply, visit this link:

https://www.qut.edu.au/study/fees-and-scholarships/scholarships/personalised-news-balancing-editorial-and-audience-values-in-ai-alignment-mphil-scholarship

Image: Jamillah Knowles & Digit / https://betterimagesofai. org / https://creativecommons. org/licenses/by/4.0/

01/04/2026

QUT Data Scientist | Expressions of Interest Open for Casual Position

The QUT Digital Media Research Centre (DMRC) seeks expressions of interest for a casual Data Scientist to support an ARC DECRA project: Democratic Resilience Online: Strengthening Public Opinion Formation Amid Digital Threats. The role involves casual work over three years, with an expectation of approximately one day per week on average, and periods of more concentrated work.

The project investigates public opinion formation online by analysing information and discussions around critical issues, such as climate change and immigration, across major digital platforms (Facebook, Reddit, and Wikipedia). It combines standardised content analysis methods, sequence analysis, NLP-, AI/LLM-assisted analysis, and qualitative methods to better understand and improve online public discourse.

The position will be appointed on a casual basis at HEW6.2 - HEW 7.1 for an estimated 200 hours in Year 1.

View the full EOI below for further information. EOIs will be accepted until close of business Wednesday 24 April 2026.

https://research.qut.edu.au/dmrc/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/03/QUT-DMRC-EOI-Casual-Data-Scientist.pdf

31/03/2026

A major new study released today by the ADM+S reveals how opaque and unregulated online political advertising has become in Australia.

Drawing on 22,000+ real ads collected directly from voters’ smartphones, the 2025 Australian Election Advertising on Social Media report provides rare insight into what Australians actually saw on platforms like Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.

Read the full report: https://apo.org.au/node/332660

Key findings:
• Political ads are often invisible to public scrutiny
• Widespread use of misleading and decontextualised claims
• Growth of astroturfing, with lobby groups posing as grassroots organisations
• Evidence of scam ads, impersonation, and emerging AI-generated content

As lead researcher Prof Daniel Angus explains:

“Online political advertising is largely invisible… voters are being targeted with messages that are difficult to track, poorly disclosed, and often misleading.”

The research was enabled by the Mobile Online Advertising Toolkit (MOAT), developed with the Australian Internet Observatory, enabling researchers to capture real-world ad exposure beyond platform ad libraries.

The report calls for urgent reform, including:
✔️ Truth in political advertising laws
✔️ Real-time disclosure of funding and donors
✔️ Stronger platform accountability
✔️ Investment in independent monitoring infrastructure

Australia’s electoral laws were designed for an analogue era. This research shows why they must evolve to keep pace with digital campaigning—and to protect democratic integrity.

This research was conducted by ADM+S nodes at QUT (Queensland University of Technology), QUT Digital Media Research Centre, Monash University, The University of Queensland, and The University of Melbourne

We also acknowledge and thank the Susan Foundation for their support in participant recruitment, which made this research possible.

05/02/2026

And that's a wrap on the 2026 Summer School.

Workshops galore on the final day, with topics including network mapping, cross platform digital ethnography, discursive-digital analysis, academic writing, and participatory design methods.

We ended formal proceedings with a Bake Your Thesis - Cake Decorating session, and rounded out the social activities with a movie night.

Thank you to delegates and presenters for your attendance and contributions. We hope you found the sessions engaging, valuable, and fun.

See you again next year!