QUT Digital Media Research Centre

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

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

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

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

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:

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”.

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

👉 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/

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