Dr Aljosha Karim Schapals
Faculty of Creative Industries, Education & Social Justice,
School of Communication
Biography
Dr Aljosha Karim Schapals (FHEA) is a Senior Lecturer and Study Area Coordinator in Journalism and Political Communication in the School of Communication of Queensland University of Technology (QUT) in Brisbane, Australia, as well as a Chief Investigator in the Digital Media Research Centre (DMRC).He also serves as Book Review Editor for Media International Australia, a Q1-ranked journal in the field of media and communication studies, and as Academic Supervisor for Queensland Parliament.
Previously, he worked as a Visiting Lecturer in the Department of Journalism at City, University of London. Additionally, he has experience as a practising journalist working for the Financial Times as well as the German government organisation Federal Agency for Civic Education.
His research interests lie in the changes taking place in news production and consumption as a result of the internet, with a particular focus on social media and verification, algorithms and automation in contemporary news production, as well as political communication more broadly.
Personal details
Positions
- Senior Lecturer (Journalism)
Faculty of Creative Industries, Education & Social Justice,
School of Communication
Keywords
Journalism Studies, Political Communication
Research field
Communication and Media Studies, Journalism and Professional Writing
Field of Research code, Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification (ANZSRC), 2008
Qualifications
- PhD (City University, London)
Professional memberships and associations
- Member - Australia and New Zealand Communication Association (ANZCA)
- Member - Association of Internet Researchers (AoIR)
- Member - Digital Media Research Centre (DMRC)
- Member - European Communication Research and Education Association (ECREA)
- Member - International Communication Association (ICA)
- Member - Journalism Education and Research Association of Australia (JERAA)
Teaching
Semester 1:
Political Communication (CWB301)
This unit provides an overview of the theory and professional practices of political and governmental communication, especially through the media and communications industries. The unit examines contemporary and historical political issues and communications in Australia and internationally from the perspectives of democratic theory, media influence, strategic image and issue management, and popular culture.
Newswriting (CJB101)
By adopting a hands-on newsroom approach and industry-based assessment, this unit provides a foundation for advanced and specialised professional journalistic reporting techniques. Professional journalists require such foundational knowledge and skills in order to practice in either traditional or evolving newsrooms.
Semester 2:
Journalistic Enquiry (CJB103)
This unit develops journalism skills and knowledge acquired in Newswriting – generating story ideas and finding angles, researching, conducting interviews, and exercising news values. It concentrates on newsgathering aspects and introduces students to basic elements of a regular journalist's life such as news rounds and rigorous deadlines.
Queensland Parliament Research Internship (QPRI)
The Queensland Parliament Research Internship program provides students from selected universities with the opportunity to work with a Member of Parliament, or a Senior Officer of the Parliament, to undertake a mutually agreed research project. The program gives university students first-hand experience of the relationship between political practice and theory, an in depth understanding of the political processes and the role of Parliament, and the opportunity to obtain relevant research experience in a new environment.
Aljosha Karim Schapals serves as Academic Supervisor for QUT students during this internship.
Publications
- Schapals, A. & Harb, Z. (2022). “Everything Has Changed, and Nothing Has Changed in Journalism”: Revisiting Journalistic Sourcing Practices and Verification Techniques during the 2011 Egyptian Revolution and Beyond. Digital Journalism, 10(7). https://eprints.qut.edu.au/206727
- de-Lima-Santos, M., Schapals, A. & Bruns, A. (2021). Out-of-the-box versus in-house tools: How are they affecting data journalism in Australia? Media International Australia, 181(1), 152–166. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/204732
- Schapals, A. & Porlezza, C. (2020). Assistance or resistance? Evaluating the intersection of automated journalism and journalistic role conceptions. Media and Communication, 8(3), 16–26. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/200997
QUT ePrints
For more publications by Aljosha Karim, explore their research in QUT ePrints (our digital repository).
Awards
- Type
- Editorial Role for an Academic Journal
- Reference year
- 2021
- Details
- Appointment as Book Reviews Editor for Media International Australia (Q1)
- Type
- Assessor, Examiner or Supervisor Role
- Reference year
- 2019
- Details
- Appointment as Academic Supervisor for the Queensland Parliament Research Internship (QPRI)
Selected research projects
- Title
- Journalism Beyond the Crisis: Emerging Forms, Practices and Uses
- Primary fund type
- CAT 1 - Australian Competitive Grant
- Project ID
- DP160101211
- Start year
- 2016
- Keywords
Projects listed above are funded by Australian Competitive Grants. Projects funded from other sources are not listed due to confidentiality agreements.