T.J. Thomson
@tjthomson.bsky.social
🇦🇺🇺🇸🤓 Academic (RMIT University/ADM+S)
👀🖼️🤳 Researches visual communication & digital media
✍️📃🌏 Vice Chair of the ICA Visual Communication Studies Division
🔗 Online elsewhere at: https://linktr.ee/tjthomson
👀🖼️🤳 Researches visual communication & digital media
✍️📃🌏 Vice Chair of the ICA Visual Communication Studies Division
🔗 Online elsewhere at: https://linktr.ee/tjthomson
Pinned
T.J. Thomson
@tjthomson.bsky.social
· Aug 12
📖 The #RoutledgeCompanionToVisualJournalism is now available for pre-order. It features a whopping 41 chapters over 524 pages and is richly accompanied by all types of visuals from photographs and screenshots to AI-generated images and data visualisations.
🇦🇺🇳🇿🔗: www.booktopia.com.au/the-routledg...
🇦🇺🇳🇿🔗: www.booktopia.com.au/the-routledg...
🎙️ Here are a couple quotes about audience engagement with #visualnews from a new study, co-authored with Rachael Anderson, and published today in Journalism Practice.
📝💻 We used a digital diary study to explore news visuals that community members thought were interesting, surprising, or remarkable.
📝💻 We used a digital diary study to explore news visuals that community members thought were interesting, surprising, or remarkable.
October 22, 2025 at 1:08 AM
🎙️ Here are a couple quotes about audience engagement with #visualnews from a new study, co-authored with Rachael Anderson, and published today in Journalism Practice.
📝💻 We used a digital diary study to explore news visuals that community members thought were interesting, surprising, or remarkable.
📝💻 We used a digital diary study to explore news visuals that community members thought were interesting, surprising, or remarkable.
Reposted by T.J. Thomson
ADM+S researcher @tjthomson.bsky.social explores the idea that AI systems don’t ‘see’ the world like humans do, which is shaping how AI generated images look and feel
Read the full @theconversation.com article here: bit.ly/47eXJZy
#AIgenerated #AIimages
Read the full @theconversation.com article here: bit.ly/47eXJZy
#AIgenerated #AIimages
October 16, 2025 at 3:40 AM
ADM+S researcher @tjthomson.bsky.social explores the idea that AI systems don’t ‘see’ the world like humans do, which is shaping how AI generated images look and feel
Read the full @theconversation.com article here: bit.ly/47eXJZy
#AIgenerated #AIimages
Read the full @theconversation.com article here: bit.ly/47eXJZy
#AIgenerated #AIimages
👁️🤖 How do humans and computers "see"? That's the question driving my latest research, published in @viscomjournal.bsky.social. This study evaluates how computers process images and which specific #visualstyle elements across 3 dimensions computer vision regards as important and which it does not.
October 4, 2025 at 8:54 AM
👁️🤖 How do humans and computers "see"? That's the question driving my latest research, published in @viscomjournal.bsky.social. This study evaluates how computers process images and which specific #visualstyle elements across 3 dimensions computer vision regards as important and which it does not.
What a delight it was to work with @danielpfurtscheller.at, @klobinger.bsky.social, @nataliialaba.com, & @kathchr.bsky.social on this newly published study: Visual literacies in transition: multimodal co-production with generative AI.
🔗 You can read our open access study here: lnkd.in/gZwZr83g
🔗 You can read our open access study here: lnkd.in/gZwZr83g
October 2, 2025 at 1:37 AM
What a delight it was to work with @danielpfurtscheller.at, @klobinger.bsky.social, @nataliialaba.com, & @kathchr.bsky.social on this newly published study: Visual literacies in transition: multimodal co-production with generative AI.
🔗 You can read our open access study here: lnkd.in/gZwZr83g
🔗 You can read our open access study here: lnkd.in/gZwZr83g
Looking forward to this chat later today. 😃
October 2, 2025 at 1:35 AM
Looking forward to this chat later today. 😃
Reposted by T.J. Thomson
New article from The Conversation by ADM+S researcher @tjthomson.bsky.social with Samuel Cornell (UNSW). They explore the consequences for young people when consuming violent and disturbing viral content on social media.
#viralvideos #socialmediaharms
🔗 Read more: bit.ly/466Ui7Q
#viralvideos #socialmediaharms
🔗 Read more: bit.ly/466Ui7Q
September 18, 2025 at 2:31 AM
New article from The Conversation by ADM+S researcher @tjthomson.bsky.social with Samuel Cornell (UNSW). They explore the consequences for young people when consuming violent and disturbing viral content on social media.
#viralvideos #socialmediaharms
🔗 Read more: bit.ly/466Ui7Q
#viralvideos #socialmediaharms
🔗 Read more: bit.ly/466Ui7Q
Reposted by T.J. Thomson
The Routledge Companion to Visual Journalism (ed. N. Dahmen & @tjthomson.bsky.social) was available at the Future of Journalism Conference #FoJ2025 @cujournmedcul.bsky.social
September 14, 2025 at 9:17 PM
The Routledge Companion to Visual Journalism (ed. N. Dahmen & @tjthomson.bsky.social) was available at the Future of Journalism Conference #FoJ2025 @cujournmedcul.bsky.social
Reposted by T.J. Thomson
🚀 New piece w/ @tjthomson.bsky.social T.J. Thomson: we explore how newsrooms can integrate AI and research into journalistic AI can be done in ways that are context-aware, value-driven, and human-centred.
🔗 doi.org/10.1080/2204...
#Journalism #AI #ResponsibleAI #MediaInnovation #aanzca #jeraa #foj
🔗 doi.org/10.1080/2204...
#Journalism #AI #ResponsibleAI #MediaInnovation #aanzca #jeraa #foj
Rethinking journalistic autonomy in the algorithmic era: toward context-aware, value-driven, and human-centred research into journalistic AI
Published in Communication Research and Practice (Ahead of Print, 2025)
doi.org
September 1, 2025 at 2:45 AM
🚀 New piece w/ @tjthomson.bsky.social T.J. Thomson: we explore how newsrooms can integrate AI and research into journalistic AI can be done in ways that are context-aware, value-driven, and human-centred.
🔗 doi.org/10.1080/2204...
#Journalism #AI #ResponsibleAI #MediaInnovation #aanzca #jeraa #foj
🔗 doi.org/10.1080/2204...
#Journalism #AI #ResponsibleAI #MediaInnovation #aanzca #jeraa #foj
📖 The #RoutledgeCompanionToVisualJournalism is now available for pre-order. It features a whopping 41 chapters over 524 pages and is richly accompanied by all types of visuals from photographs and screenshots to AI-generated images and data visualisations.
🇦🇺🇳🇿🔗: www.booktopia.com.au/the-routledg...
🇦🇺🇳🇿🔗: www.booktopia.com.au/the-routledg...
August 12, 2025 at 8:02 AM
📖 The #RoutledgeCompanionToVisualJournalism is now available for pre-order. It features a whopping 41 chapters over 524 pages and is richly accompanied by all types of visuals from photographs and screenshots to AI-generated images and data visualisations.
🇦🇺🇳🇿🔗: www.booktopia.com.au/the-routledg...
🇦🇺🇳🇿🔗: www.booktopia.com.au/the-routledg...
🤔 What do news audiences want from local news?
📰 What do they think is poorly covered or missing?
📝 How involved are news audiences in the production and dissemination of local news?
Our new report addresses these and other pressing questions for those living in regional parts of the country.
📰 What do they think is poorly covered or missing?
📝 How involved are news audiences in the production and dissemination of local news?
Our new report addresses these and other pressing questions for those living in regional parts of the country.
July 31, 2025 at 5:25 AM
🤔 What do news audiences want from local news?
📰 What do they think is poorly covered or missing?
📝 How involved are news audiences in the production and dissemination of local news?
Our new report addresses these and other pressing questions for those living in regional parts of the country.
📰 What do they think is poorly covered or missing?
📝 How involved are news audiences in the production and dissemination of local news?
Our new report addresses these and other pressing questions for those living in regional parts of the country.
I reached a satisfying milestone today: 1 million reads of my 24 career-to-date articles published in @theconversation.com. I genuinely enjoy translating research for public benefit through these pieces and look forward to hopefully continuing to do so for many years into the future.
July 16, 2025 at 8:29 AM
I reached a satisfying milestone today: 1 million reads of my 24 career-to-date articles published in @theconversation.com. I genuinely enjoy translating research for public benefit through these pieces and look forward to hopefully continuing to do so for many years into the future.
🤔 We see hundreds or thousands of images each day – but not all of them stand out to us. Why are some visuals more engaging than others? We explore this question in our latest article in @theconversation.com.
🔗 theconversation.com/novelty-nega...
@admscentre.org.au
🔗 theconversation.com/novelty-nega...
@admscentre.org.au
Novelty, negativity and no politicians: research reveals what makes some images more engaging than others
If you’re a sucker for a black and white filter, think again, as new research shows colour images are preferred by most viewers.
theconversation.com
June 10, 2025 at 9:58 PM
🤔 We see hundreds or thousands of images each day – but not all of them stand out to us. Why are some visuals more engaging than others? We explore this question in our latest article in @theconversation.com.
🔗 theconversation.com/novelty-nega...
@admscentre.org.au
🔗 theconversation.com/novelty-nega...
@admscentre.org.au
👀 New research out on the types of bodies who are making visual news in regional settings, how bodies are being represented in visual news in these areas, and how the embodied nature of visual journalism affects the way that news images are made and presented.
🔗 www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
🔗 www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
June 9, 2025 at 1:41 AM
👀 New research out on the types of bodies who are making visual news in regional settings, how bodies are being represented in visual news in these areas, and how the embodied nature of visual journalism affects the way that news images are made and presented.
🔗 www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
🔗 www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
Reposted by T.J. Thomson
Google’s new SynthID tool claims to detect AI-generated content—but only if it’s made with Google’s own models. Researchers @tjthomson.bsky.social @jeanburgess.bsky.social @busedoyu.bsky.social
explain how it works & whether watermarking can meet the challenge of #GenAI authenticity bit.ly/43Lj2jB
explain how it works & whether watermarking can meet the challenge of #GenAI authenticity bit.ly/43Lj2jB
Google’s SynthID is the latest tool for catching AI-made content. What is AI ‘watermarking’ and does it work?
AI watermarks are supposed to help us tell if content is real or generated. But they dramatically vary in effectiveness.
bit.ly
June 3, 2025 at 9:52 PM
Google’s new SynthID tool claims to detect AI-generated content—but only if it’s made with Google’s own models. Researchers @tjthomson.bsky.social @jeanburgess.bsky.social @busedoyu.bsky.social
explain how it works & whether watermarking can meet the challenge of #GenAI authenticity bit.ly/43Lj2jB
explain how it works & whether watermarking can meet the challenge of #GenAI authenticity bit.ly/43Lj2jB
Reposted by T.J. Thomson
Join Brisbane Hacks/Hackers - ADM+S Affiliate Dr T.J. Thomson will discuss news audiences’ experiences with AI-generated/-edited content in journalism & the social-ethical-legal issues that they think exist @hackshackers.com @tjthomson.bsky.social @antmandan.bsky.social admscentre.org/HacksHackers
May 15, 2025 at 2:22 AM
Join Brisbane Hacks/Hackers - ADM+S Affiliate Dr T.J. Thomson will discuss news audiences’ experiences with AI-generated/-edited content in journalism & the social-ethical-legal issues that they think exist @hackshackers.com @tjthomson.bsky.social @antmandan.bsky.social admscentre.org/HacksHackers
Reposted by T.J. Thomson
Here's me and @tjthomson.bsky.social's latest piece for @theconversation.com, discussing some of the memes put out by the major parties in the Australian election campaign.
theconversation.com/election-mem...
theconversation.com/election-mem...
Election meme hits and duds – we’ve graded the some of the best (and worst) of the campaign so far
Memes are the currency of the election campaign online. Here’s a report card on the Labor, Liberal and Greens efforts, from the good to the tone-deaf.
theconversation.com
April 24, 2025 at 3:21 AM
Here's me and @tjthomson.bsky.social's latest piece for @theconversation.com, discussing some of the memes put out by the major parties in the Australian election campaign.
theconversation.com/election-mem...
theconversation.com/election-mem...
I saw an ad over the weekend for Apple's #cleanup photo editing feature, now accessible through the default photos app on eligible devices, and wrote this in @aunz.theconversation.com about what this means for trust in #visual media.
🔗 theconversation.com/tools-like-a...
@admscentre.org.au
🔗 theconversation.com/tools-like-a...
@admscentre.org.au
Tools like Apple’s photo Clean Up are yet another nail in the coffin for being able to trust our eyes
Editing any photo, anywhere, is cheaper and easier than ever. What does that mean for having ‘visual proof’ of something?
theconversation.com
April 10, 2025 at 2:37 AM
I saw an ad over the weekend for Apple's #cleanup photo editing feature, now accessible through the default photos app on eligible devices, and wrote this in @aunz.theconversation.com about what this means for trust in #visual media.
🔗 theconversation.com/tools-like-a...
@admscentre.org.au
🔗 theconversation.com/tools-like-a...
@admscentre.org.au
Enjoyed musing about the implications of #IlFoglio's fully #AI-generated newspaper experiment with SBS's Max Gugole and being quoted alongside @monicaattard.bsky.social in the resulting article.
🔗 www.sbs.com.au/language/ita...
@admscentre.org.au
🔗 www.sbs.com.au/language/ita...
@admscentre.org.au
April 4, 2025 at 1:57 AM
Enjoyed musing about the implications of #IlFoglio's fully #AI-generated newspaper experiment with SBS's Max Gugole and being quoted alongside @monicaattard.bsky.social in the resulting article.
🔗 www.sbs.com.au/language/ita...
@admscentre.org.au
🔗 www.sbs.com.au/language/ita...
@admscentre.org.au
🤔 How would you fare with trying to sort photos from synthetic #AI images? Here's your opportunity to try it out. I had fun working with Michael Lucy and Matt Garrow on this interactive for @aunz.theconversation.com.
theconversation.com/can-you-tell...
@admscentre.org.au @ntsnetwork.bsky.social
theconversation.com/can-you-tell...
@admscentre.org.au @ntsnetwork.bsky.social
Can you tell the difference between real and fake news photos? Take the quiz to find out
As the tide of AI ‘slop’ rises, it’s more important than ever to hone your reality-checking skills.
theconversation.com
April 2, 2025 at 5:31 AM
🤔 How would you fare with trying to sort photos from synthetic #AI images? Here's your opportunity to try it out. I had fun working with Michael Lucy and Matt Garrow on this interactive for @aunz.theconversation.com.
theconversation.com/can-you-tell...
@admscentre.org.au @ntsnetwork.bsky.social
theconversation.com/can-you-tell...
@admscentre.org.au @ntsnetwork.bsky.social
Delighted to be included in this list with co-authors @ryanjthomas.bsky.social and @phoebesophist.bsky.social alongside some very fine colleagues from around the world.
💡 Need some inspiration? Check out some of our most-downloaded articles in #DigitalJournalism over the past 12 months.
🔗 Check out the full top-10 list here: linktr.ee/digitaljourn...
🔗 Check out the full top-10 list here: linktr.ee/digitaljourn...
April 2, 2025 at 1:33 AM
Delighted to be included in this list with co-authors @ryanjthomas.bsky.social and @phoebesophist.bsky.social alongside some very fine colleagues from around the world.
Brilliant working with Aimee Hourigan and @zthetrain.bsky.social on this article about adults' everyday experiences with online #misinformation.
📋 Which topics surround misinformation beyond the usual suspects like health and politics?
🔗 Read on for more: 360info.org/half-truths-...
📋 Which topics surround misinformation beyond the usual suspects like health and politics?
🔗 Read on for more: 360info.org/half-truths-...
Half-truths and lies: an online day in Australia - 360
Australians are swamped by misinformation every day but they’re smart enough to know they need help to better navigate an untrustworthy online world. False online claims about business and the economy...
360info.org
March 14, 2025 at 3:57 AM
Brilliant working with Aimee Hourigan and @zthetrain.bsky.social on this article about adults' everyday experiences with online #misinformation.
📋 Which topics surround misinformation beyond the usual suspects like health and politics?
🔗 Read on for more: 360info.org/half-truths-...
📋 Which topics surround misinformation beyond the usual suspects like health and politics?
🔗 Read on for more: 360info.org/half-truths-...
🐦 Here's a bird's-eye view of our report, launched yesterday, on #generativeAI and #journalism. If you missed the launch, here are some links to help you get up to speed.
📑 Read the report here: bit.ly/GenAIandJournalism
⏯️ Watch the report launch recording here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZ_O...
📑 Read the report here: bit.ly/GenAIandJournalism
⏯️ Watch the report launch recording here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZ_O...
February 18, 2025 at 5:43 AM
🐦 Here's a bird's-eye view of our report, launched yesterday, on #generativeAI and #journalism. If you missed the launch, here are some links to help you get up to speed.
📑 Read the report here: bit.ly/GenAIandJournalism
⏯️ Watch the report launch recording here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZ_O...
📑 Read the report here: bit.ly/GenAIandJournalism
⏯️ Watch the report launch recording here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZ_O...
Reposted by T.J. Thomson
How do journalists and audiences feel about the use of AI in journalism? It's complicated 🤔, finds a new report by @tjthomson.bsky.social, Phoebe Matich, Ryan J. Thomas and @riedlinm.bsky.social via @theconversation.com
Generative AI is already being used in journalism – here’s how people feel about it
A new report on journalism in seven countries shows AI might have a place in the newsroom – but everyone should proceed with caution.
theconversation.com
February 17, 2025 at 1:45 AM
How do journalists and audiences feel about the use of AI in journalism? It's complicated 🤔, finds a new report by @tjthomson.bsky.social, Phoebe Matich, Ryan J. Thomas and @riedlinm.bsky.social via @theconversation.com
Reposted by T.J. Thomson
What do news audiences expect of journalists' use of generative AI? New research from @tjthomson.bsky.social and @ryanjthomas.bsky.social on GAIN today outlining expectations and comfort levels with different uses of GenAI in news production: generative-ai-newsroom.com/how-do-news-...
February 17, 2025 at 2:47 PM
What do news audiences expect of journalists' use of generative AI? New research from @tjthomson.bsky.social and @ryanjthomas.bsky.social on GAIN today outlining expectations and comfort levels with different uses of GenAI in news production: generative-ai-newsroom.com/how-do-news-...
Interested in #generativeAI and #journalism? If so, you’re warmly invited to the launch of a report on this topic next month. The report brings together six research and engagement activities conducted over a three-year period in seven countries and focuses on three domains.
January 17, 2025 at 2:12 AM
Interested in #generativeAI and #journalism? If so, you’re warmly invited to the launch of a report on this topic next month. The report brings together six research and engagement activities conducted over a three-year period in seven countries and focuses on three domains.