Strengthening Journalism Research in Australia: Navigating towards a collaborative and impactful research career

The JERAA 2025 pre-conference event is a professional development workshop aimed at PhD students and early-career researchers, as well as mid-career and senior scholars looking to reinvigorate their career trajectory or plan for the next grant or promotion applications.

Through a series of short, engaging sessions, the pre-conference will cover topics including:

• Publishing strategically
• Preparing for promotion
• Funding your research

There will also be opportunities for networking and plenty of time for questions and career troubleshooting.

We also hope to use the pre-conference session to form a community of practice that meets between JERAA conferences with the aim of supporting members in building confidence, strengthening connections, and growing professional networks.

————————————-

Event details

Date Sunday 30 November 2025
Time: 1pm – 5pm
Location: Building S02, Room 7.07, Griffith University South Bank Campus
Cost: $20
Tea, coffee, and light refreshments will be provided.
Registration now open: https://events.humanitix.com/jeraa-conference-2025
This workshop is proudly supported by the Griffith Centre for Social and Cultural Research.

Schedule

Strengthening Journalism Research in Australia: Navigating towards a collaborative and impactful research career

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DAY

Precursor to the 2025 Journalism Education and Research Association of Australia conference

1pm-5pm, November 30, 2025

Venue: S02 6.38 (Webb Centre, Seminar Room 6.38)

Queensland College of Art, Griffith University, Southbank, Brisbane

Workshop presenters and facilitators:

Professor Susan Forde, Professor of Media & Journalism, Griffith University; Editorial Board member, The Conversation (AU); Founding and Principal Editor, Journal of Alternative and Community Media (Intellect); Chief Investigator on 5 ARC Linkage grants, current ARC Discovery Project, ‘Voice & Belonging: Pathways to migration for new migrant communities through media engagement’; + numerous government and industry-funded research contracts.

Associate Professor Heather Anderson, Associate Professor, Griffith University; Author of two sole-authored monographs (2012 ‘Raising the Civil Dead: Prisoners and Community Radio’ and 2025 ‘People Powered Radio: 50 Years of Australian community radio station 4ZZZ’); Chief Investigator on current ARC Discovery Project, ‘Voice & Belonging: Pathways to migration for new migrant communities through media engagement’, + numerous government and industry-funded research contracts.

Dr Bridget Backhaus, ARC DECRA Fellow (2024-2027), Griffith University; author of sole-authored monograph from her doctoral work, ‘Polyphony: Listening to the Listeners of Community Radio (2022); published in Q1 journals (with Anderson) such as Media, Culture & Society; Journalism: Theory, Practice & Criticism; Editor, AJR Emerging Scholars.

GUEST PRESENTER: Professor Mia Lindgren, Professor (Adjunct), RMIT and University of Tasmania; Senior Associate Outside Opinion; Editor, The Radio Journal: International Studies in Broadcast and Audio Media (Q1); Former Associate Dean (Research), UTAS (2022-2025); specialist in audio storytelling and NTROs in the academy, especially podcasting, documentary, and interactive websites.

Workshop overview

This is a half-day workshop aimed at PhD students and early-career researchers in journalism and media studies seeking stronger, strategic direction for their research agendas. The workshop is also designed and useful for mid-career and senior researchers who feel their research programs are in need of advice and reinvigoration. Our workshop is comprised of specialist sessions on publishing, external funding, promotion applications, and non-traditional research outputs (NTROs) and targeted research translation strategies. Afternoon Tea is provided, along with cold drinks throughout the workshop.

Attendees are invited to join us following the workshop for the Welcome Drinks to open the 2025 JERAA Conference, which will be held on the lawns of the Queensland College of Art, right next to our workshop venue.

PROGRAM

1:00–1:10 PM

Welcome and Framing the Afternoon  

Assoc Prof Adele Pavlidis – Director, Griffith Centre for Social and Cultural Research

Dr Bridget Backhaus, Assoc Prof Heather Anderson and Prof Susan Forde – workshop coordinators

Focus:

• Acknowledgement of Country
• Welcome from Director, GCSCR
• Overview of the day
• Contemporary research agendas around impact and external funding
• Current state of play in the Australian university sector for journalism and media research

1:10–1:40 PM

Session 1: Publishing Strategically in Journalism and Media Studies

Led by: Bridget Backhaus and Heather Anderson

Focus:

• Targeting journals for impact (including journal rankings)
• Managing revise-and-resubmits
• Balancing solo and co-authored work
• Getting your work cited and seen
• Prioritising publishing options: journal articles, book chapters, edited collections, monographs and more

QUICK BREAK 1:40-1:50 PM (grab a cold drink)

1:50–2:20 PM

Session 2: Funding Your Research: Grants, Fellowships, and Institutional Support

Led by: Susan Forde and Heather Anderson

Focus:

• Identifying good-fit funders for journalism and media research
• The role of Australian Research Council funding across a career
• Budgeting and proposal writing tips
• Leveraging internal grants to grow projects
• Research partnerships and collaborations
• Building track record, building the right team

2:30–3:15 PM Afternoon Tea @ The Ship Inn

3:15–3:45 PM

Session 3:  Non-Traditional Research Outputs, and Translating your Research

Led by: Mia Lindgren

• What is a legitimate NTRO?
• How might traditional research and non-traditional research outputs interact, and complement each other?
• What options exist for research translation to stakeholders, other researchers, the general public?
• Supervising NTRO, creative and professional research

3:45–4:15 PM

Session 4: Academic Promotions Demystified

Led by: Susan Forde and Bridget Backhaus

• What counts toward promotion (and what doesn’t)
• Importance of international visibility and networking
• Service work, “invisible” labour, and equity – when to say no
• Tips from recently promoted scholars and committee members
• What am I known for?
• Building a narrative in teaching, research and service

QUICK BREAK 4:15-4:20 PM (leg stretch)

4:20–4:50 PM

Session 5 (Final): Questions and discussion with the presenters

• This session provides an opportunity for participants to speak with the presenters about specific circumstances, opportunities and hurdles in publishing, promotions, external funding and workload management throughout your career.

4.50-5:00 PM

Wrap up and networking, move to Welcome Drinks for the JERAA Conference.