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Edward Hurcombe is a Senior Lecturer and ARC DECRA Fellow in the School of Media & Communication at RMIT University, Australia. His academic work focuses on the evolving relationship between journalism, digital platforms, and social media ecosystems. Based at RMIT's City Campus, he actively contributes to research and teaching in media and communication studies while supervising Masters and PhD students.
Dr. Hurcombe's research centers on how news and journalistic practice are transforming in relation to the technologies, economies, and user cultures of social media platforms. He investigates both the challenges and possibilities emerging from these transformations, including tackling malicious actors on platforms and identifying new forms of socially-positive digital journalism. His current ARC DECRA project (DE250100115) specifically examines how journalist influencers ("newsfluencers") are reshaping news to reach and build trust with young adult audiences.
His scholarly output reveals a strong focus on social news, disinformation dynamics, platform regulation, and the institutional impacts of algorithmic distribution on news media. His research often employs computational methods to analyze large-scale social media data, particularly focusing on Facebook and Twitter. Dr. Hurcombe's work demonstrates how digital platforms are not merely threats to journalism but are also driving innovative forms of news production that challenge traditional journalistic boundaries and norms.
- ARC DECRA Fellowship supporting research on journalist influencers
- Extensive publications in leading journals including Digital Journalism and New Media & Society
- Highly cited research on conspiracy theory dissemination during the COVID-19 pandemic
- Policy-relevant work on platform regulation and news media bargaining
As an active supervisor, Dr. Hurcombe welcomes Masters Research and PhD students, with current projects including "AI in Saudi newsrooms: navigating new technology in journalism practice." His collaborative work with scholars like Axel Bruns and David Angus has significantly advanced understanding of social media's role in contemporary journalism and information ecosystems.
