About
Folker Hanusch is an Associate Professor in the School of Communication within the Faculty of Creative Industries, Education & Social Justice at Queensland University of Technology (QUT). With a prolific publication record spanning from 2003 to 2019, his research has significantly contributed to the field of journalism studies, particularly in specialized areas that have expanded traditional journalism research boundaries.
His primary research interests include journalism culture, lifestyle journalism, travel journalism, and Indigenous journalism, with particular focus on Maori journalism in New Zealand. Hanusch has pioneered research in niche areas such as the geography of travel journalism and the cultural dimensions of reporting on death and disaster. His work often takes a comparative approach, examining journalistic practices across different national contexts and cultural settings.
Analysis of his most recent publications reveals a clear trajectory from traditional journalism studies toward more specialized subfields. His work has evolved from examining basic journalism culture and international news flows to exploring nuanced topics like web analytics in journalism, lifestyle journalism's commercial influences, and the intersection of development journalism with traditional watchdog roles. The geographic scope of his research has expanded from primarily Australian contexts to include global comparative studies across dozens of countries.
As an academic leader, Hanusch has edited significant volumes including Travel Journalism: Exploring Production, Impact and Culture (2014) and Lifestyle Journalism (2013), establishing these areas as legitimate fields of scholarly inquiry. His research methodology frequently involves large-scale surveys of journalists and journalism students across multiple countries, demonstrating strong collaborative research skills.
His work has appeared in top-tier journals including Journalism Studies, Journalism, and Media, Culture and Society, with several publications receiving significant citations (notably his 2011 article 'Mapping journalism cultures across nations' with over 2,500 citations). His research bridges theoretical frameworks from cultural studies, sociology, and communication theory to advance understanding of contemporary journalism practices in a globalized media environment.
