Renee Barnes
Biographic Data
| ID | 3620661 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Renee Barnes |
| GIVEN NAMES | Renee |
| FAMILY NAME | Barnes |
| SIGNATURE | BARNES R |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of the Sunshine Coast |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-5203-6043 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 16 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 20 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 16 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2013 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 3 |
Online commenting culture and ideologies of language learning
Networked online spaces have emerged as significant sites for language learning, often celebrated for their democratizing and collaborative potential. However, these spaces can also reinforce existing power structures and commodify user engagement. This study investigated a large, English-dominant online community dedicated to learning Japanese, analysing how language learning is discussed and understood. Through Thematic and Critical Discourse A…
Pushing Past News Avoidance
The ubiquitous presence of smartphones has led to their prominence as a dominant source of news for a vast majority of people. In this context, the impact of mobile technology’s affordances, including access, applications, and mobile alerts, on news engagement has been the subject of numerous studies. At the same time, recent research has found an increase in those who either have very low news usage or intentionally or unintentionally avoid news…
“Communal News Work” as Sustainable Business Model
The Covid-19 emergency in Australia precipitated the closure of dozens of print newspapers across Australia but, conversely, the heightened state of anxiety of the early Covid-19 period amplified the need for local information and communality. This was the impetus for a wave of print-centric newspaper start-ups. We previously examined 22 Covid-19 era start-ups in Queensland (see Barnes et al., 2022, p. 21–34) and found that their editors/publishe…
Ideology and Affect in Political Polarization and Fandom Online
In recent years, scholarly attention has indicated the increased enmeshment of the political and entertainment media spheres, a change that has happened so gradually that it has not been as remarked upon as it should be. This is perhaps most observable in studies of community dynamics around both $2 and $2 . The backdrop of digital surveillance capitalism, and the specific platform affordances on which these communities exist and interact, exacer…
Push notifications and news snacking
How news media, such as newspapers and magazines, is consumed has dramatically changed due to technological developments, such as mobile and high-speed Internet technology. As a result, there has been a dramatic shift in consumer consumption of news from desktop and television to mobile platforms such as smartphones and tablets. Due to the shift of news consumption from desktop and television platforms to mobile, journalists have had to consider …
‘This is ridiculous – I need to start a paper…’
In May 2020 at the height of Australia's first national COVID lockdown, NewsCorp Australia announced that more than 125 regional newspapers would either be closed or become available online-only. Queensland was hit hard with 22 regional and 20 community newspapers shifting to online formats, and 15 community newspapers closing. Yet within months of the NewsCorp changes, a significant number of new print newspapers were being announced to fill the…
Hey! Mr Prime Minister
Memes and popular culture have become central to our understanding of contemporary politics. Recent fan scholarship has shown how popular culture encourages audiences into discussion, participation, creativity, intervention, and evaluation in politics. In this article, we build on existing scholarship analysing political meme creation and distribution, which to date has primarily focused primarily on American politics. Using a case study of the F…
Personality and online news commenting behaviours
Commenting on the news is one of the most common forms of participation in news use and one of the most prevalent forms of citizen engagement online. However, very little research has focused on the characteristics of those who contribute to news websites and how this influences their commenting behaviour. Drawing on the Big Five Inventory of personality traits, this exploratory study examines how personality impacts upon the frequency of comment…
A history of anticipating the future
There are multiple narratives of technological and organisational change for making sense of the news media industry since the turn of the century. In Australia, the Andrew Olle and AN Smith lectures have served as key sites whereby leading members of the journalistic field have articulated narratives of change. Drawing on Bourdieu’s concept of ‘field’ and using Foucault’s notion of ‘commentary’ as a method, we begin by analysing all Andrew Olle …
Children’s news in Australia
Children have traditionally been neglected in the study of news. The emergence of Crinkling News, the only national newspaper specifically produced for young Australians, drew widespread attention before it closed after 20 months of publication in 2018. With the Australian media in a state of flux, the initial success of this newspaper highlighted the importance of introducing children to media literacy. This paper explores the characteristics of…
Tackling Uncertainty for Journalism Graduates
As journalism struggles to adapt to technological disruption, journalism educators are searching for ways to prepare students for an industry in flux. Entrepreneurial journalism has been incorporated into university curricula as a solution, however the discourse and application lacks a theoretical basis. This article aims to address these gaps by clearly defining entrepreneurship, its theoretical principles relevant for journalism education and t…
The Ecology of Participation
The production and consumption of news in the digital era is blurring the boundaries between professionals, citizens and activists. Actors producing information are multiplying, but still media companies hold central position. Journalism research faces important challenges to capture, examine, and understand the current news environment. The SAGE Handbook of Digital Journalism starts from the pressing need for a thorough and bold debate to redefi…
Exploring emotionality, and civic empowerment and engagement in online participation
This article explores the emotional dimension of online audience participation in relation to crime reporting. Traditionally, crime reporting has been analysed in relation to how it is framed and the impact this has on audience perceptions of crime. However, drawing on a case study of community reporting website Homicide Watch DC, this article will explore the role of meaningful audience engagement in crime reporting and in particular the role of…
Have You Seen the News? Uncovering the Fan-like Behaviours of the News Audience
Traditionally, the study of journalism has been undertaken in rationalist terms. This has had particular implications for the study of the journalistic audience focusing on news serving a primarily informational purpose and not as a pleasurable experience. Drawing on fan theory, as well as the cultural concepts of emotion and affect, this article argues that the keen ritual engagement that characterises the investment of fans helps illuminate the…
Understanding the affective investment produced through commenting on Australian alternative journalism website New Matilda
Much attention has been paid to the role of the audience in online news production. However, very little research has addressed how the audience understands this participation. Using the theories of affect and fandom, this paper will investigate the most popular form of online participation – comments. Based on a case study of Australian alternative journalism site, New Matilda, it will argue for a broader understanding of participation online, o…
The “ecology of participation
This paper investigates how audience members are using “alternative journalism” websites. Based on case studies of four “alternative journalism” sites, two based in Australia and two based in the United States, it examines how and why the audience uses these sites. Traditionally research into journalism and, in particular, “alternative journalism” has focused on the civic role of journalism. However, to consider the individual audience member’s e…
Understanding the affective investment produced through commenting on Australian alternative journalism website New Matilda
Much attention has been paid to the role of the audience in online news production. However, very little research has addressed how the audience understands this participation. Using the theories of affect and fandom, this paper will investigate the most popular form of online participation – comments. Based on a case study of Australian alternative journalism site, New Matilda, it will argue for a broader understanding of participation online, o…
The “ecology of participation
This paper investigates how audience members are using “alternative journalism” websites. Based on case studies of four “alternative journalism” sites, two based in Australia and two based in the United States, it examines how and why the audience uses these sites. Traditionally research into journalism and, in particular, “alternative journalism” has focused on the civic role of journalism. However, to consider the individual audience member’s e…
Children’s news in Australia
Children have traditionally been neglected in the study of news. The emergence of Crinkling News, the only national newspaper specifically produced for young Australians, drew widespread attention before it closed after 20 months of publication in 2018. With the Australian media in a state of flux, the initial success of this newspaper highlighted the importance of introducing children to media literacy. This paper explores the characteristics of…
Push notifications and news snacking
How news media, such as newspapers and magazines, is consumed has dramatically changed due to technological developments, such as mobile and high-speed Internet technology. As a result, there has been a dramatic shift in consumer consumption of news from desktop and television to mobile platforms such as smartphones and tablets. Due to the shift of news consumption from desktop and television platforms to mobile, journalists have had to consider …
Tackling Uncertainty for Journalism Graduates
As journalism struggles to adapt to technological disruption, journalism educators are searching for ways to prepare students for an industry in flux. Entrepreneurial journalism has been incorporated into university curricula as a solution, however the discourse and application lacks a theoretical basis. This article aims to address these gaps by clearly defining entrepreneurship, its theoretical principles relevant for journalism education and t…
Have You Seen the News? Uncovering the Fan-like Behaviours of the News Audience
Traditionally, the study of journalism has been undertaken in rationalist terms. This has had particular implications for the study of the journalistic audience focusing on news serving a primarily informational purpose and not as a pleasurable experience. Drawing on fan theory, as well as the cultural concepts of emotion and affect, this article argues that the keen ritual engagement that characterises the investment of fans helps illuminate the…
Personality and online news commenting behaviours
Commenting on the news is one of the most common forms of participation in news use and one of the most prevalent forms of citizen engagement online. However, very little research has focused on the characteristics of those who contribute to news websites and how this influences their commenting behaviour. Drawing on the Big Five Inventory of personality traits, this exploratory study examines how personality impacts upon the frequency of comment…
Understanding the affective investment produced through commenting on Australian alternative journalism website New Matilda
Much attention has been paid to the role of the audience in online news production. However, very little research has addressed how the audience understands this participation. Using the theories of affect and fandom, this paper will investigate the most popular form of online participation – comments. Based on a case study of Australian alternative journalism site, New Matilda, it will argue for a broader understanding of participation online, o…
The “ecology of participation
This paper investigates how audience members are using “alternative journalism” websites. Based on case studies of four “alternative journalism” sites, two based in Australia and two based in the United States, it examines how and why the audience uses these sites. Traditionally research into journalism and, in particular, “alternative journalism” has focused on the civic role of journalism. However, to consider the individual audience member’s e…
Have You Seen the News? Uncovering the Fan-like Behaviours of the News Audience
Traditionally, the study of journalism has been undertaken in rationalist terms. This has had particular implications for the study of the journalistic audience focusing on news serving a primarily informational purpose and not as a pleasurable experience. Drawing on fan theory, as well as the cultural concepts of emotion and affect, this article argues that the keen ritual engagement that characterises the investment of fans helps illuminate the…
The Ecology of Participation
The production and consumption of news in the digital era is blurring the boundaries between professionals, citizens and activists. Actors producing information are multiplying, but still media companies hold central position. Journalism research faces important challenges to capture, examine, and understand the current news environment. The SAGE Handbook of Digital Journalism starts from the pressing need for a thorough and bold debate to redefi…
Exploring emotionality, and civic empowerment and engagement in online participation
This article explores the emotional dimension of online audience participation in relation to crime reporting. Traditionally, crime reporting has been analysed in relation to how it is framed and the impact this has on audience perceptions of crime. However, drawing on a case study of community reporting website Homicide Watch DC, this article will explore the role of meaningful audience engagement in crime reporting and in particular the role of…
Tackling Uncertainty for Journalism Graduates
As journalism struggles to adapt to technological disruption, journalism educators are searching for ways to prepare students for an industry in flux. Entrepreneurial journalism has been incorporated into university curricula as a solution, however the discourse and application lacks a theoretical basis. This article aims to address these gaps by clearly defining entrepreneurship, its theoretical principles relevant for journalism education and t…
Personality and online news commenting behaviours
Commenting on the news is one of the most common forms of participation in news use and one of the most prevalent forms of citizen engagement online. However, very little research has focused on the characteristics of those who contribute to news websites and how this influences their commenting behaviour. Drawing on the Big Five Inventory of personality traits, this exploratory study examines how personality impacts upon the frequency of comment…
A history of anticipating the future
There are multiple narratives of technological and organisational change for making sense of the news media industry since the turn of the century. In Australia, the Andrew Olle and AN Smith lectures have served as key sites whereby leading members of the journalistic field have articulated narratives of change. Drawing on Bourdieu’s concept of ‘field’ and using Foucault’s notion of ‘commentary’ as a method, we begin by analysing all Andrew Olle …
Children’s news in Australia
Children have traditionally been neglected in the study of news. The emergence of Crinkling News, the only national newspaper specifically produced for young Australians, drew widespread attention before it closed after 20 months of publication in 2018. With the Australian media in a state of flux, the initial success of this newspaper highlighted the importance of introducing children to media literacy. This paper explores the characteristics of…
‘This is ridiculous – I need to start a paper…’
In May 2020 at the height of Australia's first national COVID lockdown, NewsCorp Australia announced that more than 125 regional newspapers would either be closed or become available online-only. Queensland was hit hard with 22 regional and 20 community newspapers shifting to online formats, and 15 community newspapers closing. Yet within months of the NewsCorp changes, a significant number of new print newspapers were being announced to fill the…
Hey! Mr Prime Minister
Memes and popular culture have become central to our understanding of contemporary politics. Recent fan scholarship has shown how popular culture encourages audiences into discussion, participation, creativity, intervention, and evaluation in politics. In this article, we build on existing scholarship analysing political meme creation and distribution, which to date has primarily focused primarily on American politics. Using a case study of the F…
Ideology and Affect in Political Polarization and Fandom Online
In recent years, scholarly attention has indicated the increased enmeshment of the political and entertainment media spheres, a change that has happened so gradually that it has not been as remarked upon as it should be. This is perhaps most observable in studies of community dynamics around both $2 and $2 . The backdrop of digital surveillance capitalism, and the specific platform affordances on which these communities exist and interact, exacer…
Push notifications and news snacking
How news media, such as newspapers and magazines, is consumed has dramatically changed due to technological developments, such as mobile and high-speed Internet technology. As a result, there has been a dramatic shift in consumer consumption of news from desktop and television to mobile platforms such as smartphones and tablets. Due to the shift of news consumption from desktop and television platforms to mobile, journalists have had to consider …
“Communal News Work” as Sustainable Business Model
The Covid-19 emergency in Australia precipitated the closure of dozens of print newspapers across Australia but, conversely, the heightened state of anxiety of the early Covid-19 period amplified the need for local information and communality. This was the impetus for a wave of print-centric newspaper start-ups. We previously examined 22 Covid-19 era start-ups in Queensland (see Barnes et al., 2022, p. 21–34) and found that their editors/publishe…
Online commenting culture and ideologies of language learning
Networked online spaces have emerged as significant sites for language learning, often celebrated for their democratizing and collaborative potential. However, these spaces can also reinforce existing power structures and commodify user engagement. This study investigated a large, English-dominant online community dedicated to learning Japanese, analysing how language learning is discussed and understood. Through Thematic and Critical Discourse A…
Pushing Past News Avoidance
The ubiquitous presence of smartphones has led to their prominence as a dominant source of news for a vast majority of people. In this context, the impact of mobile technology’s affordances, including access, applications, and mobile alerts, on news engagement has been the subject of numerous studies. At the same time, recent research has found an increase in those who either have very low news usage or intentionally or unintentionally avoid news…
Sociology (13 works) · Media studies (11 works) · Political science (11 works) · Media Studies and Communication (10 works) · Journalism (9 works) · Public relations (9 works) · Gender, Feminism, and Media (7 works) · Social Media and Politics (7 works) · Advertising (6 works) · Business (6 works)