The two-day workshop “Future Proofing the Public Sphere,” held on March 21-22, 2024, at QUT’s Kelvin Grove campus, successfully convened a diverse group of researchers dedicated to public sphere research. This event was co-organised by Dr. Katharina Esau from QUT’s Digital Media Research Centre and Dr. Adele Webb from the University of Canberra’s Centre for Deliberative Democracy and Global Governance. It served as a vibrant forum for exploring the changing dynamics of public discourse in the digital era, especially during times of political crisis and increased polarisation.
Participants engaged in a rich exploration of both the social and technological facets of political participation in public debates. The workshop emphasised strategies to ‘future-proof’ research in the contemporary public sphere, addressing a wide array of dynamic topics. Inspired by keynotes from Laureate Fellows Prof. Axel Bruns of the DMRC and Prof. John Dryzek of the CDDGG, the event fostered a collegial atmosphere where scholars at various career stages and from disciplines such as political science, media and communication, sociology, and data science exchanged ideas.
Thank you to the generous support from the Australian Political Studies Association (APSA) and the Digital Media Research Centre (DMRC), which not only enhanced the scholarly discussions but also facilitated peer mentoring and provided participants with valuable feedback on their manuscripts.
For those interested in the workshop’s discussions, recorded keynote panels are available on the DMRC YouTube channel.  
 
 

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