Filter Bubbles and Echo Chambers: Debunking the Myths

(Crossposted from the Polity blog.) Filter bubbles and echo chambers have become very widely accepted concepts – so much so that even Barack Obama referenced the filter bubble idea in is farewell speech as President. They’re now frequently used to claim that our current media environments – and in particular social media platforms such as …

One Day in the Life of a National Twittersphere

Taking a break from all the politics, Brenda Moon and I have examined everything that goes on in the Australian Twittersphere on a given day. We found that older, more sociable uses of Twitter persist in spite of everything. Our article is out now in The Conversation and Nordicom Review. The research was made possible by the TrISMA LIEF project, funded by the …

Now Live: The Australian Twitter News Index as a Dashboard

For the past few years I have published regular monthly updates of the Australian Twitter News Index (ATNIX) at The Conversation and here on this site. As that partnership has now come to an end and the writing of regular updates had become somewhat onerous, we’ve now developed a new approach to sharing the trends …

ATNIX: Australian Twitter News Index, May 2016

We’re now well into the federal election season, and of course this is reflected in the Twitter-based news sharing activities captured in the Australian Twitter News Index as well. But – because as in previous elections the general public tends to fully connect with the campaign only in the final weeks before election day – …

ATNIX: Australian Twitter News Index, April 2016

Even before Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull fired the starting gun on this year’s election campaign last weekend, Australian media were very clearly switching to election mode. Speculation about any last-minute budget sweeteners and debate about likely policy settings began to pick up, and commentary about the implications of a double dissolution election was already in …

ATNIX: Australian Twitter News Index, January-March 2016

In spite of my best intentions, I’m afraid the Australian Twitter News Index continues to be a somewhat irregular affair for the moment, and so this latest update once again covers a number of months: in this case, it’s reporting on news sharing patterns in Australia for the first quarter of 2016. We begin, therefore, …

Call for Applications: CCI Digital Methods Summer School, 15-19 Feb. 2016 (#cciss16)

We are now inviting applications for the 2016 CCI Digital Methods Summer School. The deadline for application is Monday 21 Sep. 2016. Hosted by the QUT Digital Media Research Centre (DMRC), the 2016 event will focus on digital methods for sociocultural research. It is designed for university researchers at all stages of their careers, from …

QUT Digital Media Research Centre PhD Scholarships for 2016 Entry

The Digital Media Research Centre (DMRC) at Queensland University of Technology (QUT), where we are based, is now calling for expressions of interest from prospective postgraduate research students as part of the University’s annual Scholarship Round. The DMRC conducts world-leading research that helps society understand and adapt to the changing digital media environment. It is …

Call: QUT Creative Industries Faculty PhD Scholarships for 2015 Entry

Join the QUT Social Media Research Group! Applicants with excellent academic track records (equal to an Australian Bachelor Degree with First Class Honours) or equivalent professional research experience may be eligible for competitive PhD scholarships to undertake study in the Creative Industries Faculty at QUT. The Faculty is also offering a number of top-ups to …

Call for Applicants: PhD Researcher on Crisis Communication Linkage Project

Regular visitors to this site will be well familiar with our research into the use of social media in crisis communication – especially in the context of the 2011 Queensland floods and Christchurch earthquakes. We’re now about to commence a further major research project in this area, working in collaboration with the Queensland Department of …