QUT | Staff Profiles | T.J. Thomson

Name

Dr T.J. Thomson

Position(s)

Lecturer
Creative Industries Faculty,
School of Communication

Discipline *

Communication and Media Studies, Journalism and Professional Writing

Phone

+61 7 3138 5919

Email

tj.thomson@qut.edu.au

Location

View location details (QUT staff and student access only)

Identifiers and profiles

Qualifications

PhD, Journalism (University of Missouri), MA, Journalism (University of Missouri), Graduate Certificate, Qualitative Research (University of Missouri), BA, Communication Arts (Other)

Professional memberships and associations

Social Media Co-Chair, Visual Communication Studies Division, The Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (USA)
International Liaison, Visual Communication Studies Division, International Communication Association
Member, European Communication Research & Education Association
Member, Society for Phenomenology & Media

Keywords

visual communication, visual journalism, journalism, media production, self-representation, visual representation, visual depictions, image culture, visual literacy, visual sociology

* Field of Research code, Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification (ANZSRC), 2008

Dr T.J. Thomson, SFHEA, is a lecturer in visual communication and media and a chief investigator at the QUT Digital Media Research Centre. He recently published “To See and Be Seen: The Environments, Interactions, and Identities Behind News Images” (Rowman & Littlefield, 2019). He is also an officer in the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication Visual Communication Division and the International Communication Association Visual Communication Studies Division.

T.J. undertakes research, postgraduate supervision, and media commentary in the following areas:

visual communication
visual journalism
media production
visual culture
journalism studies

Google Scholar Profile — click here

Focus and approach

T.J.’s research focuses on how visual journalism is produced—by whom, in what environments, through which processes, and with what results. He also examines visual self-representation on social media and everyday image making. His approach is based on a combination of ethnography (both physical and virtual), interviews, textual analysis, and digital media methods.

His major publications include the following books and articles:

To See and Be Seen: The Environments, Interactions, and Identities Behind News Images (published by Rowman & Littlefield)
In Front of the Lens: The Expectations, Experiences, and Reactions of Visual Journalism’s Subjects (published in Journalism and Communication Monographs)
I “Like” That: Exploring the Characteristics That Promote Social Media Engagement With News Photographs (co-authored with Keith Greenwood and published in Visual Communication Quarterly)
Freelance Photojournalists and Photo Editors: Learning and adapting in a (mostly faceless) virtual world (published in Journalism Studies)
Beyond Framing: Influences of subject–photographer interactions on visual journalism (published in Journalism Practice)
Politicians, Photographers, and a Pope: How state-controlled and independent media covered Francis’s 2015 Cuba visit (published in Journalism Studies)
Black, White, and a Whole Lot of Gray: How White Photojournalists Covered Race During the 2015 Protests at Mizzou (published in Visual Communication Quarterly)
Framing the migration: A study of news photographs showing people fleeing war and persecution (published in the International Communication Gazette)
The Evolution of Story: How Time and Modality Affect Visual and Verbal Narratives (published in Visual Communication Quarterly)
Mapping the emotional labor and work of visual journalism (published in Journalism)
From the Closet to the Beach: A Photographer’s View of Gay Life on Fire Island From 1975 to 1983 (published in Visual Communication Quarterly)
Image-Sharing Via Social Media: Reflections from an Ethnically-and Age-Diverse Sample of People Living with HIV in the Midwest (published in the Journal of HIV/AIDS & Social Services)

He sits on the editorial board of the journal Visual Communication Quarterly and has, since 2017, also served as one of its two associate editors. He is the 2019 Anne Dunn Scholar of the Year (jointly bestowed by the Journalism Education and Research Association of Australia and the Australia and New Zealand Communication Association) and is on the advisory board of the Society for Phenomenology and Media.

This information has been contributed by Dr T.J. Thomson.

Dr. T.J. Thomson, SFHEA, has experience with both journalistic and corporate communication. Before entering academia, he worked as a freelance visual journalist and designer for a number of news outlets and organizations, including The Associated Press, The Washington Post, The Huffington Post, and the Omaha World-Herald. Corporate clients include QuickFire Networks, which was acquired by Facebook in 2015; Colorado Academy; and HotelTonight.

This information has been contributed by Dr T.J. Thomson.

Awards and recognition

Type: Academic Honours, Prestigious Awards or Prizes
Reference year: 2019
Details: Recipient of the 2019 Anne Dunn Scholar of the Year Award, awarded by the Australian and New Zealand Communication Association and the Journalism Education and Research Association of Australia. This nationally-competitive award recognises critical research of high academic standard and excellence in research about the fields of communication and journalism and is accompanied by a $3,000 cash prize.

Type: Editorial Role for an Academic Journal
Reference year: 2018
Details: Named associate editor of Visual Communication Quarterly - an international, peer-reviewed journal of theory, research, practical criticism, and creative work in all areas of visual communication - in 2017.

Type: Advisor/Consultant for Community
Reference year: 2018
Details: Nominated in March 2018 by Society for Phenomenology and Media founder Paul Majkut and confirmed the following month by the organisation's board of directors to serve as an advisor for the Society and provide insight on strategic priorities and operations.

Type: Reviewer for an Academic Journal
Reference year: 2018
Details: Visual Communication Quarterly (VCQ) is an international, peer-reviewed journal of theory, research, practical criticism, and creative work in all areas of visual communication.

Type: Reviewer for an Academic Journal
Reference year: 2018
Details: Visual Communication is a quarterly, peer-reviewed academic journal publishing top research in visual studies. It welcomes contributions from scholars in anthropology, sociology, cultural and media studies, among others.

Type: Reviewer for an Academic Journal
Reference year: 2018
Details: Journalism Practice provides opportunities for reflective, critical and research-based studies focused on the professional practice of journalism. The emphasis on journalism practice does not imply any false or intellectually disabling disconnect between theory and practice, but simply an assertion that Journalism Practice¿s primary concern is to analyse and explore issues of practice and professional relevance. Journalism Practice is an intellectually rigorous journal with all contributions being refereed anonymously by acknowledged international experts in the field. An intellectually lively, but professionally experienced, Editorial Board with a wide-ranging experience of journalism practice advises and supports the Editor.

Awards and recognition

Current supervisions