Tanya Notley

Professor Tanya Notley is Professor of Digital Media in the School of Humanities and Communication Arts at Western Sydney University and a member of the Institute for Culture and Society. She concurrently serves as ANU Distinguished Advisor (2024-2026) at the ANU National Security College and Media Literacy Program Advisor for the Federation of Ethnic Communities Councils of Australia (2024-2025). As a founding member and former co-chair (2019-2024) of the Australian Media Literacy Alliance (AMLA), she drives national media literacy strategy through cultural institutions.

Her academic credentials include a Doctor of Philosophy from Queensland University of Technology, a Master of Social Change and Development, and a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies. These qualifications underpin her 20 years of applied research with NGOs, government agencies, and the United Nations.

Notley's research centers on media justice, digital inclusion, and media literacy with critical emphasis on social justice dimensions. She investigates how digital infrastructures perpetuate inequality while developing practical interventions for marginalized communities. Her work uniquely bridges media ethnography with policy development, focusing on vulnerable populations including low-income families and young people navigating news ecosystems. Current projects examine AI-driven misinformation and data poverty through longitudinal surveys tracking adult and youth media literacy.

Analysis of her 2024 publications reveals a concentrated focus on Australian media literacy crises, particularly the intersection of misinformation with socioeconomic disadvantage. Her research demonstrates how digital exclusion operates as structural violence while proposing culturally responsive media literacy frameworks. Key methodological approaches include mixed-methods surveys, institutional ethnography, and collaborative design with public cultural institutions.

Her scientific recognition includes:

• 2024 Marieli Rowe Innovation in Media Literacy Education Award
• 2023 WSU Research Excellence Through Industry Collaboration Award
• 2021 Western Sydney University Outstanding Impact Award
• 2019 School Impact and Engagement Award
• 2001 University of Newcastle Masters Scholarship

As an active HDR supervisor, Notley leads major externally funded projects including a national ARC initiative using media literacy to combat misinformation through museums and libraries, and longitudinal surveys on adult media literacy and youth news engagement. Her $2.1M portfolio includes partnerships with Google Australia, Old Parliament House, and the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications & the Arts, focusing on digital inclusion for low-income households and national media literacy strategy development.

She co-leads Western Sydney University's Advancing Media Literacy Program and directs the Australian Media Literacy Alliance's research agenda. Her work with the G20 Information Integrity Working Group and National Film and Sound Archive demonstrates sustained impact on national policy, while her longitudinal datasets on youth news consumption provide critical infrastructure for Australian media studies.