Femicide, journalistic sourcing and podcasting: Social media and investigative journalism – a practice-based comparative study

About the project

Improve journalistic practices around femicide reporting

If you are motivated to advance your career in the journalism industry and concerned about the social impact of reporting practices around violence against women, the University of South Australia – Australia’s University of Enterprise – is offering a hands-on project-based PhD with important real-world impact within Creative People, Products and Places Research Centre (CP3). 

Intimate partner homicide is the most prevalent homicide type in Australia, with women bearing the brunt of such violence. On average, a woman is killed by an intimate partner every 10 days in Australia. 

The media play a central role in the public’s understanding of femicide. News coverage of femicide can contribute to social awareness and the policies of institutions that deal with this crime. At the same time, journalistic sourcing practices have been shifting to social media and much of the reporting distorts or misrepresents cases of femicide, often focusing on the perpetrator. 

Via a creative practice-based project, you will produce an investigative podcast series on a case of femicide, as an exemplar of trauma-informed and victim-centric journalism. You will also provide a comparison between social media reporting and investigative journalism, and chart how journalism sourcing practices are changing.

The aim is to improve journalistic storytelling about femicide, help increase community awareness and contribute to reducing the incidence of femicide.

You will be based in the dynamic research environment offered by UniSA Creative and located in the CP3 Research Centre. This research environment has scholars across the creative practices, from visual arts and architecture to film making and journalism. 

This research community has a rich and diverse range of practice-based and other researchers and peers, all connecting their practice to important social and creative questions. You will have the opportunity to take part in, learn from, be supported by, and contribute to this research community, and to collaborate with your peers through workshops and co-authorship.

What you’ll do

In this project-based research degree, you will undertake journalistic practices, including research, source selection, interviewing and recording, producing and podcasting. This will all be done as part of the creative component of your PhD project and may require travel within Australia. 

You will also undertake academic research, including content analysis, discourse analysis, and semi-structured interviews with journalists who have told stories about women who have been killed by their partners or former partners. Again, some travel may be required but you will also use Zoom to conduct some of these interviews. 

There may opportunities to travel for internships and/or to network and present at conferences. 

Where you’ll be based

You will be based within CP3, which is an internationally recognised interdisciplinary research centre undertaking high quality humanities and creative practice research into culture and creativity at the University of South Australia.  CP3 is concerned with the creative ecosystem of art, media, writing and culture, including its communities, economies, publics, institutions, festivals and values. CP3 focuses on the people who make and participate in art, media and culture, on how creative outputs are made and valued, and on the cultural spaces and communities in which this creative ecosystem takes place.

The CP3 team welcomes interest in project collaboration and partnerships, including the contribution of expertise on all aspects of creativity, culture, media and communication to multi-disciplinary research. Financial Support  

This project is funded for reasonable research expenses. Additionally, a living allowance scholarship of $35,200 (2025 rare) per annum is available to Australian and New Zealand citizens, and permanent residents of Australia, including permanent humanitarian visa holders. Australian Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander applicants will be eligible to receive an increased stipend rate of $52,352 (2025 rate) per annum. A fee-offset or waiver for the standard term of the program is also included. For full terms and benefits of the scholarship please refer to our scholarship information. International applicants are not invited to apply at this time.

Eligibility and Selection 

This project is open to applications from Australian or New Zealand citizens, and Australian permanent residents or permanent humanitarian visa holders. International applicants are not invited to apply at this time.

Applicants must meet the eligibility criteria for entrance into a PhD. Additionally applicants must meet the project selection criteria: 

• Demonstrated previous research/work/experience in journalism and femicide.

All applications that meet the eligibility and selection criteria will be considered for this project. A merit selection process will be used to determine the successful candidate.

The successful applicant is expected to study full-time and to be based at our Magill Campus in the east of Adelaide. 

Essential Dates 

Applicants are expected to start in a timely fashion upon receipt of an offer. Extended deferral periods are not available. Applications close on Tuesday, 19 November.