Volume 13: Interventions and Intersections postgraduate conference (2019)
Editorials
Global Media Journal: Australian Edition has a strong commitment to emerging scholarship, focusing on featuring young academics in the early stages of their research. In this edition, we publish a selection of papers from the annual Interventions and Intersections postgraduate conference.
Postgraduate research
Alternative media and mediated political participation: a conceptual discussion
Philip Onguny
Alternative media can challenge dominant narratives and create new spaces for political participation. By examining how these platforms are structured, organised and used, this article debates how they shape political discussion, participation and the negotiation of power.
The motifs of the arabesque in Pale Fire
Fatima Tefaili
Islamic art and literature come together in a new reading of Vladimir Nabokov's Pale Fire. Its symmetry, repetition, reflections and interwoven structure reveal striking connections to the arabesque, offering a way to understand the novel as a literary form of this intricate artistic tradition.
It’s not what I expected: encountering the serendipitous in qualitative research fieldwork
Karen Weiss
Unexpected moments can lead to valuable insights during fieldwork. Drawing on experiences in Japan and Central Australia, this reflection considers how being grounded in place and open to sensory experiences can help researchers encounter new perspectives and possibilities.
Rethinking feminist activism in the digital era: a case study of a social media campaign from Bangladesh
Arunima Kishore Das
Inspired by #MeToo, women in Bangladesh turned to social media to challenge sexual harassment on public transport. Through the women-only Facebook group Nari, they advocated for safer travel and women-only bus services across Dhaka.
Finding my way through drawing: The evolution of a thesis
Jane Scerri
Rough sketching can play an important role in how designers think, develop and work through ideas. Reflecting on experiences with Visual Communication Design students, different types of drawing and drawing functions are defined through a summary of the literature and taxonomies. Highlighting 10 good reasons for novice designers to include drawing in their creative thinking toolbox.
Restorative fiction in the post-war rebuilding of Britain: Ian Fleming's Casino Royale and Dr. No
Kerry Henderson
James Bond offered post-war Britain more than spies, villains and adventure. Through Casino Royale and Dr No, Ian Fleming's novels helped readers imagine a restored Britain and a more hopeful future after the upheaval and losses of World War II.
‘It takes a brave woman to speak up’*
Louise Koschmann
How women are portrayed in media coverage can shape public perceptions of workplace sexual harassment allegations. Looking at News Corp reporting, this study examines whether #MeToo changed how women making allegations are represented or whether longstanding patterns of questioning their credibility remain.
Media monitor
Press, platforms and power: mapping out a stronger Australian media landscape
After Labor’s shock election loss, Bill Shorten pointed to conservative interests and news media that campaigned heavily against Labor during the election - and have shown no sign of letting up since. Experts agree that this campaigning style's impact is cumulative and broadly agenda-setting, shaping the party-political landscape. So, what can be done?
Book reviews
Hoodwinked: How Pauline Hanson fooled a nation
Very few public figures can claim the level of fame, or infamy, that Pauline does. So much so, her surname isn't needed. Everyone knows her, or knows of her, and nearly everyone has a passionate viewpoint about her.
Routledge Handbook of Indigenous Wellbeing
This handbook sheds new light on Indigenous wellbeing and its determinants, and aids the development and implementation of more appropriate policies, as better evidence-informed policymaking will lead to better outcomes for Indigenous populations.
On Disruption
The internet has shaken the foundations of life: public and private lives are wrought by the 24-hour, seven-day-a-week news cycle that means no one is ever off duty. On Disruption is a report from the coalface of that change: what has happened, will it keep happening, and is there any way out of the chaos?
Every Word Is a Bird We Teach to Sing
From the art of translation to the lyricism of sign language, Every Word Is a Bird We Teach to Sing is a fascinating journey through the world of words, letters, stories and meanings.
Paper Emperors: The Rise of Australia's Newspaper Empires
Before newspapers were ravaged by the digital age, they were a powerful force, especially in Australia. This book reveals who owned Australia's newspapers and how they used them to wield political power. Over a corporate and political history spanning 140 years, it explains how Australia's media system came to be dominated by a handful of empires and powerful family dynasties. Many are household names, even now: Murdoch, Fairfax, Syme, Packer.