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Media Futures Hub hosted a live conversation at UNSW with the authors Ariel Bogle and Cam Wilson about their recently launched book, Conspiracy Nation. The technology and internet culture reporters discuss the history of local conspiracies and how the media and online platforms feed into these ideas, as well as advice for journalism students on the skills they've honed through their work. Cam Wilson is a Walkley Award-nominated reporter whose work covers the intersection between internet culture, online extremism and politics. He’s currently Crikey’s Associate Editor, and previously worked at the ABC, BuzzFeed News, Business Insider and Gizmodo. He has been published in The Guardian, Slate, the Sydney Morning Herald and be sure to sign up to his excellent tech newsletter, The Sizzle. Ariel Bogle is a reporter with a focus on technology, law and the internet. An investigations reporter at the Guardian Australia, she has won a Walkley Award for her journalism and worked in media in Australia and the United States for more than ten years. Previously, she was a technology reporter with the ABC. Her reporting has been published in The New York Times, The Atlantic, Australian Financial Review and Slate, among other outlets. The conversation is hosted by Seamus Byrne, a PhD student in the School of Arts and Media at UNSW, and was recorded in August 2025. Conspiracy Nation is available here: https://publishing.hardiegrant.com/en-au/books/conspiracy-nation-by-cam-wilson/9781761153570

On this episode of the Media Futures Podcast, we hear from Dr Danielle Hynes (Maynooth) and Dr Kevin Witzenberger (QUT), two postdoctoral researchers who recently completed their PhDs in the Media Futures Hub at the University of New South Wales, as they share tips and strategies from their experiences of moving from PhD to Postdoc. Recent years have seen a move from approaching the PhD experience as aimed primarily at the production of a thesis, to the more expansive aim of cultivating a researcher. Amid this changing academic landscape, this discussion addresses a series of increasing relevant questions: How can HDRs best position themselves for postdoctoral opportunities beyond the thesis? What is the contribution and value of research networks in the development of researchers? How can HDRs find Postdoc opportunities and then position themselves as the best candidate? This conversation was recorded at the From PhD to PostDoc workshop at the University of New South Wales in October 2024, hosted by the UNSW Data Justice Research Network and the UNSW Media Futures Hub. This episode was produced by Mitchell Price and Tanja Dreher. Speakers: Dr Danielle Hynes: https://www.maynoothuniversity.ie/people/danielle-hynes Dr Kevin Witzenberger: https://www.qut.edu.au/about/our-people/academic-profiles/kevin.witzenberger Professor Lyria Bennett-Moses: https://www.unsw.edu.au/staff/lyria-bennett-moses Associate Professor Tanja Dreher: https://www.unsw.edu.au/staff/tanja-dreher Associate Professor Sukhmani Khorana: https://research.unsw.edu.au/people/dr-sukhmani-khorana A podcast from the Media Futures Hub at www.mediafutureshub.org

On this fourth and final episode we hear from Professor Anamik Saha (Leeds) on the crisis of diversity. Anamik’s talk imagines how media can proactively challenge racism in society, and how a radical reimagining of diversity can contribute to this urgent task. Beyond Media Diversity is a series of four episodes from the Media Futures Hub which takes a critical look at diversity debates in the media, examining how these are limiting (and limited), what decolonial and anti-colonial alternatives could look like, and how we might divest from the diversity paradigm. The series was recorded at the Beyond Media Diversity Symposium at the University of New South Wales in June 2024, hosted by the Media Futures Hub at the School of the Arts and Media. This podcast mini-series is produced by Mitchell Price, Tanja Dreher, and Sukhmani Khorana. Anamik Saha is Professor of Race and Media at the University of Leeds https://ahc.leeds.ac.uk/media/staff/4390/professor-anamik-saha A podcast from the Media Futures Hub at www.mediafutureshub.org

On this third episode we hear from Ashleigh Haw (UC), Gerard Goggin (WSU) and Victor Zhuang (USyd) on the topic of centring disability within diversity debates. Beyond Media Diversity is a series of four episodes from the Media Futures Hub which takes a critical look at diversity debates in the media, examining how these are limiting (and limited), what decolonial and anti-colonial alternatives could look like, and how we might divest from the diversity paradigm. Centring Disability panellists: Dr. Ashleigh Haw: https://researchprofiles.canberra.edu.au/en/persons/ashleigh-haw and https://x.com/ashyhaw Distinguished Professor Gerard Goggin: https://www.westernsydney.edu.au/ics/people/researchers/gerard_goggin Victor Zhuang (USyd): https://www.ksvictorzhuang.com and https://x.com/ksvictorzhuang A podcast from the Media Futures Hub at www.mediafutureshub.org

On this second episode we hear from Debbie Bargallie (Griffith), Anamik Saha (Leeds), Tito Ambyo (RMIT), and Mohan Dutta (Massey) on the theme of racial literacies. Beyond Media Diversity is a series of four episodes from the Media Futures Hub which takes a critical look at diversity debates in the media, examining how these are limiting (and limited), what decolonial and anti-colonial alternatives could look like, and how we might divest from the diversity paradigm. The series was recorded at the Beyond Media Diversity Symposium at the University of New South Wales in June 2024, hosted by the Media Futures Hub at the School of the Arts and Media. This podcast mini-series is produced by Mitchell Price, Tanja Dreher, and Sukhmani Khorana. Racial Literacies panellists: Associate Professor Debbie Bargallie: https://experts.griffith.edu.au/19242-debbie-bargallie and https://debbiebargallie.au Professor Anamik Saha: https://ahc.leeds.ac.uk/media/staff/4390/professor-anamik-saha Tito Ambyo: https://www.rmit.edu.au/profiles/a/arsisto-ambyo and https://bsky.app/profile/arsisto.bsky.social Professor Mohan Dutta: https://www.massey.ac.nz/massey/expertise/profile.cfm?stref=285450 A podcast from the Media Futures Hub at www.mediafutureshub.org

On this first episode we hear from Sandy O’Sullivan (MQ), Eve Ng (Ohio), and Mariam Veiszadeh (Media Diversity Australia) on the topic of solidarity beyond diversity. Beyond Media Diversity is a series of four episodes which takes a critical look at diversity debates in the media, examining how these are limiting (and limited), what decolonial and anti-colonial alternatives could look like, and how we might divest from the diversity paradigm. The series was recorded at the Beyond Media Diversity Symposium at the University of New South Wales in June 2024, hosted by the Media Futures Hub at the School of the Arts and Media. This podcast mini-series is produced by Mitchell Price, Tanja Dreher, and Sukhmani Khorana. Solidarity beyond Diversity panellists: Professor Sandy O’Sullivan: https://researchers.mq.edu.au/en/persons/sandy-osullivan and https://www.sandyosullivan.net Associate Professor Eve Ng: https://www.ohio.edu/scripps-college/media-arts-studies/nge and https://evecng.wordpress.com Mariam Veiszadeh: http://mariamveiszadeh.com and https://x.com/mariamveiszadeh A podcast from the Media Futures Hub at www.mediafutureshub.org

In this spotlight episode of the Media Futures Podcast, Maddie Hichens joins Associate Professor Tanja Dreher to discuss her PhD research on social media’s digital anxieties. This episode is part of a six week series of short interviews spotlighting the work of Media Futures Hub researchers. Based at UNSW Sydney on unceded Bedegal Country, the Media Futures Hub works at the intersection of media and cultural studies to shape the theories, methods and practices needed for more just media futures. Visit the Hub at www.mediafutureshub.org or follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/MediaFuturesHub

In this spotlight episode of the Media Futures Podcast, Diana Kreemers joins Dr Andrew Brooks to discuss her PhD research on the politics of listening to refugee voices. This episode is part of a six week series of short interviews spotlighting the work of Media Futures Hub researchers. Based at UNSW Sydney on unceded Bedegal Country, the Media Futures Hub works at the intersection of media and cultural studies to shape the theories, methods and practices needed for more just media futures. Visit the Hub at www.mediafutureshub.org or follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/MediaFuturesHub

In this spotlight episode of the Media Futures Podcast, Kevin Witzenberger joins Associate Professor Michael Richardson to discuss his PhD research on predictive technologies in education. This episode is part of a six week series of short interviews spotlighting the work of Media Futures Hub researchers. Based at UNSW Sydney on unceded Bedegal Country, the Media Futures Hub works at the intersection of media and cultural studies to shape the theories, methods and practices needed for more just media futures. Visit the Hub at www.mediafutureshub.org or follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/MediaFuturesHub

In this spotlight episode of the Media Futures Podcast, Daniel Hynes joins Dr Astrid Lorange to discuss her PhD research on smart cities and social housing. This episode is part of a six week series of short interviews spotlighting the work of Media Futures Hub researchers. Based at UNSW Sydney on unceded Bedegal Country, the Media Futures Hub works at the intersection of media and cultural studies to shape the theories, methods and practices needed for more just media futures. Visit the Hub at www.mediafutureshub.org or follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/MediaFuturesHub

In this spotlight episode of the Media Futures Podcast, Simon Taylor joins Associate Professor Tanja Dreher to discuss his PhD research on histories of artificial intelligence and much more. This episode is part of a six week series of short interviews spotlighting the work of Media Futures Hub researchers. Based at UNSW Sydney on unceded Bedegal Country, the Media Futures Hub works at the intersection of media and cultural studies to shape the theories, methods and practices needed for more just media futures. Visit the Hub at www.mediafutureshub.org or follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/MediaFuturesHub

In this spotlight episode of the Media Futures Podcast, Dr Astrid Lorange joins Associate Professor Michael Richardson to discuss her new work on the documentary poetics of witnessing state violence. This episode is part of a six week series of short interviews spotlighting the work of Media Futures Hub researchers. Based at UNSW Sydney on unceded Bedegal Country, the Media Futures Hub works at the intersection of media and cultural studies to shape the theories, methods and practices needed for more just media futures. Visit the Hub at www.mediafutureshub.org or follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/MediaFuturesHub

‘Abolition Futures’ is a standalone podcast episode made by Andrew Brooks, Liam Grealy, and Astrid Lorange, co-facilitators of the Infrastructural Inequalities research network. Infrastructural Inequalities examines the unjust distribution of resources, amenities, and opportunities that shape our society and asks how we might intervene in the reproduction of inequality. Together, we produce exhibitions, public programs, workshops, and edit the Infrastructural Inequalities journal. In 2021, the journal published a special issue called ‘Policing, Crisis, Abolition’, which sought to investigate how crisis, policing, and infrastructure are bound to one another: the essays and interviews collectively ask how an abolitionist approach to infrastructure might move us toward a world where the needs of all are met. Following the publication of the special issue, Infrastructural Inequalities presented a live, online public program – Resistant Media and Abolitionist Futures – co-hosted by the Media Futures Hub at UNSW in May 2021. This podcast draws from the program’s discussions, and features Tabitha Lean, Renee “Rocket” Bretherton, Debbie Kilroy, Dr Amanda Porter, and Alison Whittaker. It was edited and mixed by Andrew Brooks. Original music by Motion and Té. Writing and other resources on abolition, including by our guests, are available at Infrastructural Inequalities: https://infrastructuralinequalities.net. A transcript of the podcast can be accessed here: https://tinyurl.com/yckj8h3v Further Resources: Bird’s Eye View Podcast: https://www.birdseyeviewpodcast.net/about Rocket Bretherton, ‘If I Were You’, Australian Poetry Journal, 9:1: pp. 26–27: https://www.australianpoetry.org/australian-poetry-journal/ Tabitha Lean, ‘Why I Am An Abolitionist’, Overland, June 2021: https://overland.org.au/2021/06/why-i-am-an-abolitionist/ Tabitha Lean, ‘More Black Than Blue: A Confession’, Sydney Review of Books, June 2022: https://sydneyreviewofbooks.com/review/gorrie-black-and-blue/ Debbie Kilroy, ‘Imaging Abolition: Thinking outside the prison bars’, Griffith Review 60, April 2018: https://www.griffithreview.com/articles/imagining-abolition-sisters-inside-debbie-kilroy/ Natalie Ironfield, Tabitha Lean, Alison Whittaker, Latoya Aroha Rule, Amanda Porter, ‘Abolition on Indigenous Land’, 2021 John Barry Memorial Lecture, Melbourne University, March 2021: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=peA6_WdIbtE&ab_channel=ArtsUnimelb Amanda Porter, ‘Not criminals or passive victims: media need to reframe their representation of Aboriginal deaths in custody’, The Conversation, April 2021: https://theconversation.com/not-criminals-or-passive-victims-media-need-to-reframe-their-representation-of-aboriginal-deaths-in-custody-158561 Paul Gregoire, ‘The Inherent Racism of Australian Police: An Interview With Policing Academic Amanda Porter’, Sydney Criminal Lawyers, June 2020: https://www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au/blog/the-inherent-racism-of-australian-police-an-interview-with-policing-academic-amanda-porter/ Alison Whittaker, ‘No news is no news: COVID-19 and the opacity of Australian prisons’, Current Issues in Criminal Justice, 33 (2021): pp. 111-119: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10345329.2020.1859964

This bonus episodes features the live Q&A from the keynote lecture of the Drone Cultures Symposium by Caren Kaplan, Professor Emirata of American Studies at the UC Davis. Caren is in conversation with Michael Richardson, with questions asked via live chat on YouTube. If you haven't already, check out Caren's talk, along with an opening interview, in our previous episode.

On this episode, Michael is joined by Caren Kaplan, Professor Emirata of American Studies at UC Davis. She is the author of numerous books, most recently Aerial Aftermath: Wartime from Above. You can follow her at https://twitter.com/cajakap Drone Futures is hosted by Michael Richardson, Senior Research Fellow at the University of New South Wales, whose research examines the intersection of war, culture and technology. https://twitter.com/richardson_m_a Media Futures Hub works at the intersection of media and cultural studies to shape the theories, methods and practices needed for more just media futures. https://twitter.com/MediaFuturesHub