1. Institute for Culture and Society Home
  2. News
  3. ICS in the Media

ICS in the Media

Latest media appearances

10 April

  • ABC Newcastle, Drive, 09/04/2025, Jenny Marchant
    Interview with Western Sydney University's Young and Resilient Research Centre Co-Director Professor Philippa Collin.

7 April

  • As global trade war launches, a call for national leadership to drive decarbonisation of our health system
    Croakey, Other, 04/04/2025, Melissa Sweet
    As financial markets around the world reel from the Trump Administration's imposition of global tariffs, experts say the implications for climate action are grim. [...] Dr Thomas Longden, Senior Research Fellow at Western Sydney University, and Professor Martin Hensher, Henry Baldwin Professorial Research Fellow at Menzies Institute for Medical Research, estimate that prolonging the phase-out of coal under the nuclear plan will result in between 3,000 and 10,000 additional premature deaths, between 3,500 and 9,800 additional premature births/low birthweight deliveries, and between 14,000 and 214,000 additional asthma attacks in children and young people between 2025 and 2050.
  • The UK wants to screen Netflix's Adolescence in schools. Should you watch it with your child?
    Women's Agenda, Other, 04/04/2025, Joanne Orlando
    Netflix’s Adolescence has ignited global debate. The series traces the disturbing journey of 13-year-old Jamie Miller, whose exposure to misogynistic online communities may have contributed to him killing a female classmate. [Written by Joanne Orlando, from Western Sydney University. Article republished from The Conversation.]
  • 'No one knows': experts question nuclear price tags
    Daily Mail Australia, Other, 04/04/2025
    Australians are no closer to clear answers about what nuclear power could cost, with Labor and the coalition overly confident in their competing estimates, experts say. [...] Thomas Longden, an energy systems expert at the University of Western Sydney, said the $484 billion range in the analysis highlights the uncertainty about what nuclear might cost.
    Also reported by: Illawarra Mercury (Online), Warrnambool Standard (Online), Ballarat Courier (Online), Canberra Times (Online), Tasmanian Examiner (Online), Newcastle Herald (Online), West Australian (Online), Batemans Bay Post (Online), Perth Now (Online)

3 April

  • A $33 billion vote-grabber or real relief? Examining the Albanese government's big housing pledge
    ArchitectureAU, Other, 02/04/2025, Eshan Noroozinejad
  • The Australian housing market is in crisis: soaring prices, increasing rental stress, declining home ownership rates and a growing number of people experiencing homelessness. In response, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced a $33 billion housing investment plan as part of his government’s latest budget. [Article authored by Dr Ehsan Noroozinejad, Senior Researcher at the Urban Transformations Research Centre, Western Sydney University. This article was originally published by The Conversation.]

2 April

1 April

  • ABC News, Mornings, 31/03/2025, Gemma Veness
    Interview with Dr Ehsan Noroozinejad from Western Sydney University's
    Transformations Research Centre. He discusses the housing crisis.
    Interview continues on: ABC News (Sydney)
  • SBS, World News Australia (Sunday), 30/03/2025, Janice Petersen
    News coverage of how political parties are engaging youth demographics.
    Professor Philippa Collin, Co-Director of the Young and Resilient Research Centre says young people are seen as a secondary constituency, so there is a gap in how party candidates have engaged with young people and the issues that matter to them.

28 March

  • A $33 billion vote-grabber or real relief? Examining the Albanese government's big housing pledge
    The Times Australia, Other, 28/03/2025, Ehsan Noroozinejad
    The Australian housing market is in crisis: soaring prices, increasing rental stress, declining home ownership rates and a growing number of people experiencing homelessness. In response, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced a $33 billion housing investment plan as part of his government’s latest budget. [Article authored by Dr Ehsan Noroozinejad, Senior Researcher at Western Sydney University. This article was originally published by The Conversation.]

27 March

  • A $33 billion vote-grabber or real relief? Examining the Albanese government's big housing pledge
    The Conversation, Other, 26/03/2025, Ehsan Noroozinejad
    The Australian housing market is in crisis: soaring prices, increasing rental stress, declining home ownership rates and a growing number of people experiencing homelessness. In response, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced a $33 billion housing investment plan as part of his government’s latest budget. [Article authored by Dr Ehsan Noroozinejad, Senior Researcher at Western Sydney University’s Urban Transformations Research Centre.]
  • ABC News, ABC News at Noon, 26/03/2025, Ros Childs
    Western Sydney University Senior Research Fellow Dr Ehsan Noroozinejad says a more holistic approach is needed from the Government in regards to its housing commitments, alongside structural reform on the policy side, following the release of the 2025 Federal Budget.
  • ABC News, Parliament Question Time, 26/03/2025, Ros Childs
    The arts sector has received only one specific funding initiative in the Federal 2025 Budget, $8.66 million for the Revive Live Music project. Western Sydney University Research Fellow Cecelia Cmielewski says the funding is likely to go to bigger businesses, leaving independent and smaller artists behind.

24 March

  • ABC Newcastle, Mornings , 21/03/2025, Paul Turton
    Interview with Professor Paul James, Institute for Culture and Society at Western Sydney University, who discusses the biggest news in politics. He discusses Australia-USA relations, AUKUS and reducing Australia's vulnerability via a more independent defence force.
  • Koori Radio, Blackchat, 21/03/2025, Lola Forester
    Forester discusses issues of discrimination against LGBTQ+ First Nations people. She mentions Dr Corrinne Sullivan, a voluntary academic and Associate Dean of Indigenous Education in the School of Social Science at Western Sydney University, who is leading projects focusing on LGBTQ+ First Nation needs and aspirations.

19 March

  • Academics blast 'dumb degrees'
    The Australian, General News, 19/03/2025, Natasha Bita, Page 1
    "Soft marking" to pass students struggling at university is a risk to public safety and "dumbing down'' the nation, upset academics have warned. [...] Dr George Morgan, adjunct associate professor at the Institute for Culture and Society at Western Sydney University, told senators that students are unlikely to complain about lower standards.
    Also reported by: The Australian (Online)

14 March

  • Half-truths and lies: an online day in Australia
    360info, Other, 13/03/2025, T J Thomson and Aimee Hourigan
    False online claims about business and the economy top the list of misinformation concerns for Australians and research indicates they are screaming out for help on how to deal with it. In some ways, it’s not surprising misinformation on the economy rates so highly during a cost-of-living crisis and with a federal election looming — finance-related scams are also a concern — but they’re just a few areas highlighted as Australians drown in a sea of questionable claims every day. [Dr Aimee Hourigan is a postdoctoral research fellow in the Institute for Culture and Society at Western Sydney University]

12 March

  • Smash your bills: how to stay cool without using the air conditioner
    Muswellbrook Chronicle, Other, 11/03/2025
    It's worth considering old-school hacks to stay cool without using an air conditioner as power bills soar. [...] Western Sydney University Associate Professor Stephen Healy said there are cooling strategies we could recover from decades ago.

11 March

  • Shuttered car factories in Australia could be repurposed to make houses faster and cheaper
    Architecture & Design, Other, 10/03/2025
    The federal government has pledged to encourage the building of about 1.2 million new dwellings over the five years from mid-2024. The problem is, conventional building techniques are unlikely to be able to respond to the scale of demand quickly. [Article republished from The Conversation and written by Ehsan Noroozinejad, Senior Researcher, Urban Transformations Research Centre, Western Sydney University.]
  • Smash your bills: How to stay cool without using the air conditioner
    Canberra Times, Other, 11/03/2025
    It's worth considering old-school hacks to stay cool without using an air conditioner as power bills soar. [...] Western Sydney University Associate Professor Stephen Healy said there are cooling strategies we could recover from decades ago.
    Also reported by: Inner East Review (Online), Bathurst Western Advocate (Online), Warrnambool Standard (Online)

6 March

  • Has Albanese done anything at all on sports betting ads?
    Crikey, Other, 05/03/2025, Daanyal Saeed
    The Albanese government vowed to reform rules on sports gambling ads many, many, many months ago. [...] Communications Minister Michelle Rowland and Albanese have described reform as “complex”, but as Emeritus Professor David Rowe at Western Sydney University points out, “much less well-researched but wider-ranging legislation banning children under 16 from using social media was introduced and passed [by the Albanese government] in just eight days in November 2024”.

4 March

  • Shuttered car factories in Australia could be repurposed to make houses faster and cheaper
    @AuManufacturing, Other, 03/03/2025
    Australia is in the grip of a severe housing shortage. Many people are finding it extremely difficult to find a place to live in the face of rising rents and property price surges. [Article written by Dr Ehsan Noroozinejad, Senior Researcher, Urban Transformations Research Centre, Western Sydney University. Republished from The Conversation.]
  • ABC Illawarra, Mornings, 03/03/2025, Nick Rheinberger
    Interview with Dr Ehsan Noroozinejad, a Senior Researcher at the Urban Transformations Research Centre, who discusses building modular housing in disused car factories. Dr Noroozinejad says modular housing hasn't taken off due to to a lack of infrastructure and adequate support from the government.
  • ABC Radio Canberra, Drive, 03/03/2025, Georgia Stynes
    Interview with Dr Joanne Orlando, a digital wellbeing researcher at Western Sydney University, who discusses a Finnish study of six countries that found 40 percent of Australian children have been contacted by strangers online. She discusses the dangers of online social media platforms and the importance of parental supervision.

3 March

  • Fast food chains are mushrooming across Australia – but at what cost?
    The Guardian, Other, 03/03/2025, Jonathan Barrett and Natasha May
    It wasn't that long ago Australians had only a handful of fast food options. […] Prof Nicky Morrison, the director of Urban Transformations Research Centre at Western Sydney University, says fast food outlets target young families in outer suburban communities where there is often less competition from independent restaurants.

28 February

27 February

  • ABC Newcastle, Drive, 26/02/2025, Jenny Marchant
    Interview with Professor Philippa Collin, co-director of the Young and Resilient Research Centre at Western Sydney University and a fellow of the Whitlam Institute, discussing the 'What Matters' competition and the demographics she's been investigating.
  • What do young people want to see in politics? More than 20,000 pieces of their writing hold some answers
    The Conversation, Other, 25/02/2025, Azadeh Dastyari, Philippa Collin, Michael Everitt Hartup and Sky Hugman
    Ahead of the Australian election, candidates, advisers and political parties might be paying attention to what young people think. And if they’re not, they should be. Article co-authored by Professor Philippa Collin, Institute for Culture and Society, and the Young and Resilient Research Centre; Professor Azadeh Dastyari, Director of Research and Policy at the Whitlam Institute; and Sky Hugman, School of Social Sciences.

24 February

  • ABC Illawarra, Mornings, 21/02/2025, Nick Rheinberger
    Interview with Western Sydney University's Professor Paul James, discussing the upcoming federal election and US President Donald Trump.
    Continued on and also reported by: ABC Illawarra (Wollongong), ABC Newcastle (Newcastle), ABC Newcastle (Newcastle)
  • 2SM, Breakfast, 24/02/2025, Ron Wilson
    Interview with Western Sydney University Emeritus Professor David Rowe, discussing the high profits in the gambling industry.
    Continued on: 2SM (Sydney)
  • ABC News, Weekend Breakfast, 23/02/2025, Fauziah Ibrahim and Guy Stayner
    Segment reporting on the low results Australian students are receiving with civics testing. Western Sydney University Professor Philippa Collin has said children are interested in civics but aren't being engaged or included in the design of their curriculum.
  • ‘This could have all been avoided': how Creative Australia allowed itself to be blind-sided over its Venice Biennale pick
    The Guardian, Other, 22/02/2025, Walter Marsh
    A week after Creative Australia controversially dumped artist Khaled Sabsabi as Australia's representative for the 2026 Venice Biennale, Richard Bell still can't understand the decision. Western Sydney University academic Cecelia Cmielewski, is mentioned.

20 February

  • 2SM, Breakfast, 20/02/2025, Ron Wilson
    Interview with Dr Cecilia Cmielewski, research fellow at the Institute of Culture and Society at Western Sydney University.
  • Will the government's online gambling advertising legislation ever eventuate? Don't bet on it
    The Conversation, Other, 20/02/2025, Hunter Fujak and David Rowe
    As the next federal election came into view before the summer break, concern increased that Labor wouldn’t be honouring its commitment to introduce new restrictions on online (especially sport) gambling advertising during the current parliamentary sitting. Those fears were well-founded, despite pressure from many sides and broad bipartisan political support. [David Rowe is an Emeritus Professor of Cultural Research at the Institute for Culture and Society, Western Sydney University]

19 February

  • How to make the right call on a child's first smartphone
    Newcastle Herald, General News, 19/02/2025, Joanne Orlando, Page 18
    The start of the school year means some parents will be asking a big question: is it time for a child's first phone? Safety concerns, particularly around travel to and from school, or being home after school without a parent, often drive this decision. [Joanne Orlando is a researcher in digital literacy and digital wellbeing at Western Sydney University]

18 February

  • Agency reviews Venice artist decision
    Sydney Morning Herald, General News, 18/02/2025, Kerrie O'Brien & Linda Morris, Page 9
    The federal government's peak arts body will undergo an independent review after it suddenly dumped an artist it had selected to represent the country at the world's most significant art event. [...] Research fellow at Western Sydney University's Institute for Culture and Society, Cecelia Cmielewski, said there had been an outpouring of support for Sabsabi.
    Also reported by: WA Today (Online), The Age (Online), Age (Melbourne), Brisbane Times (Online)
  • Australian students just recorded the lowest civics scores since testing began. But young people do care about politics
    The Conversation, Other, 18/02/2025, Philippa Collin
    Australian school students’ civics knowledge is the lowest it has been since testing began 20 years ago, according to new national data. Results have fallen since the last assessment in 2019 and to the lowest levels since the national civics test began in 2004. [Written by Philippa Collin, Professor, Institute for Culture and Society, Western Sydney University.]
    Also reported by: The Times Australia (Online)
  • ABC Radio Hobart, Statewide Mornings, 17/02/2025, Leon Compton
    Interview with Dr Joanne Orlando, a researcher into digital literacy and digital wellbeing with Western Sydney University, who discusses how adults can manage the associated mental health and safety risks for children that come with engagement in social media. Dr Orlando says it is about knowing when a child is mentally ready to have a smartphone.

17 February

14 February

  • How can you tell if your child is ready for a smartphone? What are the alternatives?
    The Parents Website, Other, 13/02/2025, Joanne Orlando
    The start of the school year means some parents will be asking a big question: is it time for a child's first phone? Safety concerns, particularly around travel to and from school, or being home after school without a parent, often drive this decision. [Joanne Orlando is a Researcher in Digital Literacy and Digital Wellbeing at Western Sydney University]

11 February

  • FIVEAA, Mornings, 10/02/2025, Graeme Goodings
    Interview with Emeritus Professor David Rowe, from Western Sydney University's Institute for Culture and Society, who discusses the US Super Bowl. Rowe discusses what draws people to the event and Australian attitudes towards it.

10 February

  • Aust, Swiftie interest in Super Bowl
    Cosmos Magazine, Other, 09/02/2025
    What can we expect from Monday's Super Bowl? Emeritus Professor David Rowe, from Western Sydney University's Institute for Culture and Society, weighs in on everything from the game itself, Trump's attendance, the Aussie who's after the title and of course, Taylor Swift, ahead of Monday's Super Bowl.

6 February

  • How can you tell if your child is ready for a smartphone?
    CHILD Mags, Other, 06/02/2025, Joanne Orlando
    The start of the school year means some parents will be asking a big question: is it time for a child's first phone? Safety concerns, particularly around travel to and from school or being home after school without a parent, often drive this decision. [Article authored by Dr Joanne Orlando, a researcher in Digital Literacy and Digital Well-being at Western Sydney University. Originally published by The Conversation]

5 February

  • ABC Newcastle, Drive, 04/02/2025, Jenny Marchant
    Interview with Dr Joanne Orlando, digital literacy and wellbeing researcher at Western Sydney University, who discusses smartphone usage in teens. Dr Orlando has compiled a list of questions parents should consider when deciding whether to give their children a smartphone, including thinking about it in terms of readiness, rather than age.
    Interview continues on: ABC Newcastle (Newcastle)
  • It's all about attention
    Communitydirectors.com.au, Other, 05/02/2025, David Crosbie
    To cut through the noise, it may be time for the charity and not-for-profit sector to change not just the stories it tells, but how they are told, says CEO of the Community Council for Australia, David Crosbie. [...] The article mentions a study from Western Sydney University on how young people are devalued and delegitimised in our politics and public policy discourse. Associate Professor Tanya Notley is quoted.

4 February

  • Australia's housing crisis from the ground up
    Public Accountant, Other, 03/02/2025, Greg Morrison, Ehsan Noroozinejad and Barrie Harrop
    Housing affordability in Australia has become a national emergency. For many Australians, the dream of homeownership is slipping out of reach, and soaring rents leave low-income families in unstable and unviable living situations. [Article co-authored by Professor Greg Morrison and Dr Ehsan Noroozinejad, both from Western Sydney University's Urban Transformations Research Centre.]
  • From ‘couple goals' to ‘beige flags', here's why you shouldn't take relationship advice from TikTok
    The Guardian, Other, 03/02/2025, Lisa Portolan
    TikTok isn't just for viral dances and questionable cooking hacks; it's now the go-to guru for your love life. [...] Article authored by Dr Lisa Portolan, Western Sydney University. Her PhD on dating apps and intimacy, with Western Sydney University's Institute for Culture and Society, was published in 2024.

31 January

  • 'We will lose a piece of history': Why Sydney's Chinatown is under threat
    SBS, Other, 31/01/2025, Charis Chang
    Passing through Chinatown's bright red ceremonial gates can feel like stepping into another world. [...]Alexandra Wong, a research fellow based at Western Sydney University's Institute for Culture and Society, says before the area was known officially as Chinatown, it was a place where up to a third of Chinese migrants in Australia lived.

30 January

  • How can you tell if your child is ready for a smartphone? What are the alternatives?
    The Conversation, Other, 30/01/2025
    The start of the school year means some parents will be asking a big question: is it time for a child's first phone? Safety concerns, particularly around travel to and from school, or being home after school without a parent, often drive this decision. [Author: Dr Joanne Orlando, Researcher, Digital Literacy and Digital Wellbeing, Western Sydney University.]
    Also reported by: The Times Australia (Online)

28 January

  • ABC Radio Melbourne, Conversation Hour, 27/01/2025, Justin Smith
    Interview with Dr Joanne Orlando, a researcher of digital literacy and digital wellbeing at Western Sydney University, who discusses concerns about child predators on popular online kids game, Roblox. Orlando says it is important for parents to be wary of online predators but also that Roblox allows children to develop coding skills.
    Interview continues on: ABC Radio Melbourne (Melbourne)
  • ABC Newcastle, Mornings, 24/01/2025, Paul Turton
    Interview with Western Sydney University Professor Paul James for the ABC's Week in Politics segment.
    Continued on: ABC Newcastle (Newcastle)

24 January

  • hit104.7 Canberra, Wilko & Courts, 24/01/2025, Courtenay Kneen & Neil Wilcock
    Program discussing the game Roblox and research from the Western Sydney Institute for Culture and Society, which found children under 13 are spending approximately 2.6 hours a day on it.
  • 10 essential books to read on Australia Day – our expert picks
    The Conversation, Other, 24/01/2025
    A barbecue, a protest … or a good book? We asked some of our leading historians to choose an essential Australia Day read. [Frank Bongiorno is a Distinguished Fellow at the Whitlam Institute, Tim Rowse is an Emeritus Professor at the Institute for Culture and Society]

23 January

22 January

  • ABC South East SA, Breakfast, 20/01/2025, Conor Burke
    Interview with David Rowe, Emeritus Professor of Cultural Research at Western Sydney University's Institute for Culture and Society, about summer sport and the 'attention economy'.
  • Australian children who play Roblox spending average of 139 minutes a day on the gaming app, data shows
    The Guardian, Other, 22/01/2025, Josh Taylor
    Australian children who play Roblox are on the app for an average of 139 minutes a day and it is the gaming app most blocked by parents, a new industry report has found. [...] Dr Joanne Orlando, a digital wellbeing researcher at Western Sydney University's Institute for Culture and Society, said the findings were similar to her research that found Australian children under 13 were spending around 2.6 hours a day on Roblox.
  • ‘Should I let my kid play Roblox?' New safety features reduce risks – but more are needed
    The Conversation, Other, 22/01/2025
    [Author: Joanne Orlando, Researcher, Digital Literacy and Digital Wellbeing, Western Sydney University.] Roblox isn't just another video game – it's a massive virtual universe where nearly 90 million people from around the world create, play and socialise. This includes some 34 million children under 13 who spend an average of 2.6 hours daily on the platform, making Roblox one of the most influential digital platforms for kids and teenagers.

21 January

  • What's going on with TikTok in the US, and what will this mean for Australia?
    The Conversation, Other, 20/01/2025
    According to the latest reports, TikTok has restored services in the United States after "going dark" on Saturday evening US time. The company turned off its services ahead of a nationwide ban that was set to take effect on Sunday. [Article written by Joanne Orlando Researcher, Digital Literacy and Digital Wellbeing, Western Sydney University.]
    Also reported by: The New Daily (Online)

16 January

  • Warning: heatwaves can kill, especially with older people
    Have-a-Go News, General News, 01/01/2025, Frank Smith, Page 10
    Heatwaves cause more deaths in Australia than all other natural disasters combined and their intensity, duration, and frequency is getting worse as the planet warms. [...] Writing in The Conversation, Associate Professor Emma Power and colleagues at Western Sydney University listed many practical ways we can all keep ourselves and our homes cool, safely and efficiently.

15 January

13 January

  • From gastro to allergies, climate change is a 'threat to human health'
    ABC Online, Other, 11/01/2025, Hannah Murphy
    It's the crisis that could cost health authorities upwards of $6 billion and cause an extra 250,000 deaths per year by 2030. [...] Dr Thomas Longden from Western Sydney University estimated in a 2019 study that about 36,000 people lost their lives between 2006 and 2017 due to heat-related causes.

6 January

  • Technology will never be a god – but has it become a religion?
    The Conversation, Other, 06/01/2025, Charles Barbour
    Way back in September 2015, the controversial engineer, entrepreneur and Silicon Valley magnate Anthony Levandowski set out to establish a new religion. He called it the Way of the Future – or WOTF. [Charles Barbour is an Associate Professor from the School of Humanities and Communication Arts at Western Sydney University]

2 January

  • ABC News, ABC News Summer, 23/12/2024, Joe O'Brien
    Interview with David Rowe, a professor of cultural research from Western Sydney University. He discusses News Corp and Telstra's decision to sell pay TV platform Foxtel to British company Dzone in a $3.4 billion deal. The sale includes Foxtel as well as Kayo and Binge, the streaming platforms.