School of Communication Studies - Te Kura Whakapāho
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The School of Communication Studies is committed to innovative, critical and creative research that advances knowledge, serves the community, and develops future communication experts and skilled media practitioners. There is a dynamic interaction between communication theory and media practice across digital media, creative industries, film and television production advertising, radio, public relations, and journalism. The School is involved in research and development in areas of:
- Journalism
- Media and Communication
- Media Performance
- Multimodal Analysis
- Online, Social and Digital Media
- Asia-Pacific Media
- Political Economy of Communication
- Popular Culture
- Public Relations
- Radio
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Recent Submissions
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- ItemEditorial: The Human and the Machine: AI Hopes and Fears in Media and Society(Intellect, 2024-10-01) Guinibert, Matthew; Nairn, AngeliqueThis Special Issue, ‘The Human and the Machine: AI Hopes and Fears in Media & Society’, navigates the complex landscape of artificial intelligence (AI), presenting a spectrum of perspectives on its transformative impact. The editorial introduces key articles that explore AI’s dual nature: its potential to drive innovation and efficiency in areas like criminal justice and journalism as well as the significant ethical, societal and environmental concerns it raises. Topics include the implications of AI in carceral communication, the influence of search engine algorithms on journalism, the portrayal of AI in science fiction and the ethical considerations of AI-generated content in children’s stories. Through a comprehensive examination of these themes, this issue underscores the importance of a balanced discourse on AI, advocating for ongoing dialogue, ethical vigilance and interdisciplinary collaboration to ensure that AI’s development aligns with societal values and human rights.
- ItemEditorial: The Human and the Machine Editorial: AI and the Changing World(Intellect, 2024-10-01) Guinibert, Matthew; Nairn, AngeliqueThis editorial explores the transformative impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on creative industries, highlighting both the remarkable opportunities and significant challenges it presents. Drawing on the call to action from Tegmark’s Life 3.0, this Special Issue emphasizes the importance of proactive engagement in shaping the future of AI. The articles in this Special Issue reveal a landscape marked by ambivalence, balancing optimism for AI’s potential to enhance creativity and efficiency with apprehension about job displacement, ethical concerns and the preservation of artistic integrity. Through research and thoughtful analyses, contributors examine AI’s role in automating labour-intensive tasks, generating innovative content and reshaping client–agency dynamics. This Special Issue aims to stimulate further discussion and research around AI, guiding creative industries towards a future where technology and human artistry coexist harmoniously.
- ItemPublic Money Well Spent? Unintended Consequences and Challenges Arising from Trans-Tasman Public Journalism Funds(Informa UK Limited, 2024-09-20) Myllylahti, Merja; Meese, JamesThis paper identifies various issues associated with the increase in direct public funding of news media across Australasia. We conduct a comparative analysis of outcomes from two Trans-Tasman public interest journalism funds: the Public Interest Journalism Fund (PIJF) in New Zealand and the Public Interest News Gathering Fund in Australia (PING). By investigating the allocation of funding, the paper identifies risks and unintended consequences arising from the direct public funding of private media. It also raises issues that policymakers need to address when drafting media policies in the future as government support can lead to negative outcomes. While a substantial proportion of the public money of the two funds was aimed at retaining newsroom roles, redundancies and newsroom closures have continued, highlighting the limitations of these specific government interventions.
- ItemCatering to Clients: How Artificial Intelligence Can Influence the Advertising Agency–Client Dynamic(Intellect, 2024-10-01) Nairn, Angelique; Matthews, Justin; Fastnedge, DanielMuch has been made of the role artificial intelligence (AI) can have in the creative processes of advertising agencies. Not only can it be used to automate tasks and assess the success of advertising on audiences, but it can also alter the relationship between creatives and the work they produce, with computational creativity opening new opportunities to engage in creative and innovative practice. In fact, recent research has emphasized that creative people believe AI technologies will revolutionize the development, execution and dissemination of advertising. Yet, the potential of AI is not without its detractors because of the threat of job losses and ethical conundrums, leading advertising creatives to feel cautious and concerned about the place of this new technology in the industry. Of particular concern is how AI will influence the relationships between clients and agencies. Using data gained from five focus groups held in Aotearoa, New Zealand, with advertising creatives, this research article illuminates the perspectives of current practitioners on the role and potential influence of AI on creative production processes. It finds that most of those attending the focus groups believed that the speed of AI in creating content would increase the pressure placed on agencies to meet the needs of clients, that clients may opt to engage in their own computational creativity costing agencies money and reputation and that aesthetic considerations of agencies and clients may come into conflict.
- ItemArtificial Imagination: Industry Attitudes on the Impact of AI on the Visual Effects Process(Intellect, 2024-10-01) Narayan, Aditya; Caillard, Duncan; Matthews, Justin; Nairn, AngeliqueThe integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into the visual effects (VFX) industry has significant implications for creativity, workflow efficiency and ethical considerations. AI offers benefits in automating labour-intensive tasks and enhancing creative processes, yet it raises concerns about intellectual property, job displacement and the overall impact on artistic integrity. Through semi-structured interviews with nine experienced VFX artists, the study captures current attitudes towards AI and its potential to reshape the industry. The findings reveal a complex interplay of optimism for technological advancements and apprehension about the ethical and practical challenges posed by AI. This pilot study provides a foundational understanding of VFX artists’ perceptions of AI, highlighting the need for ongoing dialogue and careful integration of these emerging technologies.