Mediated Trust

Contact

Exploring new perspectives through sabbatical

We were delighted to host Professor Jörg Matthes from the University of Vienna during his recent sabbatical with the Mediated Trust team in Sydney.

As Professor Matthes shared, the benefits of a sabbatical are both professional and personal. Stepping back from routine offers a rare chance to gain distance, reflect deeply, and see both life and research with renewed clarity. It’s in these moments of pause that new ideas emerge and long-held assumptions are re-examined.

“The benefits of taking a sabbatical are always twofold—professional and, of course, personal. Sometimes, as in life, when you gain a certain distance from yourself, you begin to see things more clearly. The same applies to research. A sabbatical gives you a different perspective: more time to think, more time to reflect, and more space to make informed decisions about the direction of your work.

Interestingly, when I started as a master’s student in psychology, my thesis focused on trust in news media. So when I saw the focus on trust here at the university, I was immediately intrigued.

Although I’ve only been here a short time, we’ve already launched a special issue for the Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media on the topic of trust in generative AI. I also recorded an episode for the podcast series Time for Trust, which I really enjoyed—it was thought-provoking and insightful.

This time has also allowed me to reflect on the broader discourse, and to learn more about how the conversation around trust is unfolding in Australia compared to Europe. Overall, it’s been a deeply enriching experience.”

Share this article

Related Articles

Nation-States, Civil Society and Social Media Regulation: Why was there so much global interest in Australia’s social media minimum age restrictions?

Australia’s social media minimum age legislation has become one of the most influential digital policy developments of recent years. While it has often been discussed as a response to concerns about children and social media, I argue that its significance extends well beyond youth protection. The legislation is better understood as part of a broader transformation in internet governance, in which democratic governments are seeking to reassert regulatory authority over global digital platforms.

International education’s social licence: what students, communities and data are telling

International education’s social licence is increasingly discussed in terms of public trust, community acceptance and economic contribution. While much of the debate focuses on how international education is perceived by the Australian public, less attention is paid to whether international students themselves trust the institutions and policies on which they depend.

Opening Remarks to the Joint Select Committee on Artificial Intelligence

I would like to begin by thanking the Joint Select Committee on Artificial Intelligence for inviting me to be here today. I would like to acknowledge that I am on the ancestral lands of the Gadigal people. I would also like to commend the Committee for the timeliness of this consultation.

Australia’s Social Media Minimum Age Restrictions and the Policy Cycle

The implementation of minimum age restrictions on access to selected social media platforms for under-16s has given Australia a unique position in what has become a global debate about social media age-based bans. Five other countries having now adopted such measures – Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, China and Brazil – and at least 24 other countries considering such policies, including the United Kingdom (UK), France and Canada.  As a result, Australia has acquired a position in global Internet policy debates incommensurate with its overall size and significance in the global digital economy.