DrAlison McAdam

As a Senior Lecture in Communication, I have unit chaired almost a dozen different Communication units at under-graduate and post-graduate level, across campuses and online, and helped create the university’s first capstone units in journalism to foster and build journalism practice among undergraduates. My expertise and significant contribution to developing Deakin University's Dscribe website (https://www.dscribe.net.au/) - which is dedicated to showcasing the work of Deakin’s journalism students - have been recognised with School of Communication and Creative Arts Teaching and Learning Awards (in 2017 and 2021) and a Vice Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching for Student Employability (in 2022).

In 2022, I attained Fellowship accreditation in the Higher Education Academy. I continue to draw on the experience and network of industry contacts I developed through my 18-year career in journalism to inform my Communication and Journalism teaching, facilitating internship opportunities and generating real-world publishing experiences for undergraduates in the classroom. 

I am an Early Career Researcher in the broad field of Communication, with a specific focus on Journalism studies, and have developed a nationally recognised research profile in the field of local journalism.

I have developed extensive experience working on ARC projects and managing projects funded by external industry partners across the media sector. In 2020, I was a recipient of a PhD scholarship attached to ARC Linkage project LP180100813 that examined the sustainability of local newspapers in a digital world. I led and played a key role in developing this project’s final report, which was disseminated widely and cited in several parliamentary inquiries examining the future of public interest journalism. As part of this project, I developed a five-point framework for local news sustainability to show how social, cultural, political, digital and geographic factors can contribute to the economic viability of a local news outlet. This work is the focus of a Q1 journal article, and has led to further empirical and theoretical research resulting in numerous subsequent publications. 

In 2024 I was the recipient of a Post Doctoral Research Fellowship attached to ARC Linkage project LP220100053, which examined the role of the public broadcaster the ABC in supporting Australia’s local news ecology. My project provided Australia’s first detailed examination of information ecologies in 'news deserts' (areas where residents have limited, or no, access to local news). This project involved traveling to rural, regional and remote locations throughout Australia, an approach that singles me out as a researcher with expertise in personal engagement with community members and leaders in such locations.

I am one of few scholars using digital cartographic mapping in Journalism Studies in Australia. I use a layered mapping technique to explore how factors such as demographics, broadcast licences, digital connectivity, political boundaries, geography and natural disasters may affect the health of news ecologies. This interest in digital cartographic mapping has led to an international collaboration that is guest editing a special edition of Q1 journal Journalism Studies.

I have extensive experience working in collaboration with colleagues and industry, including maintaining a long-running partnership with Country Press Australia (CPA). I have been invited to present my research at industry conferences across Australia and have featured in news media on platforms such as ABC TV and The Conversation. I regularly promote my work at national and international academic conferences.