Communication and Media is underpinned by Fields of Research (FoR) codes: 2001 (Communication and Media) and 1902 (Film, Television and Digital Media). With a history of productive research at Western Sydney University (ranked 151-175 in the world for Arts and Humanities), 2001 has evolved quality scholarship evidenced by its elevation from 3 to 4 in the last Excellence in Research Australia for Australia assessment. The publication output is notable for its quality with topics that include sport and journalism, digital media cultures, data politics and youth media.

Researchers are theoretically savvy while engaged with a fast-changing media landscape. Cognate with 2001, FoR code 1902 cuts across professional, practice-led and traditional research that spans monographs, edited volumes, book chapters and peer-reviewed journal articles across the fields of cinema studies, gaming, animation and media. Research output may consist of writing, making, composing, designing, performing and curating. The area has received a number of Vice Chancellors Excellence awards and recognition in Community Service Learning, sustainability and online learning.