Axel Bruns

@snurb.info

11K followers 2.1K following 3.1K posts

Australian Laureate Fellow and Professor at @qutdmrc, researching news, politics, partisanship, polarisation in digital and social media.

He/his | Progressive Rock | Hannover 96 🖤🤍💚 | 🇦🇺🇩🇪🇪🇺

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Axel Bruns is a German-Australian media scholar. He is a Professor of Communication and Media Studies at QUT Digital Media Research Centre, Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane, Australia, and a Chief Investigator in the ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision-Making and Society. .. more

Communication & Media Studies 59%

Political science 14%

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Axel Bruns @snurb.info · Apr 25

💡 NEW ARTICLE ALERT 💡

My article with @qutdmrc.bsky.social colleagues @kkasianenko.bsky.social, @vishneww.bsky.social, @essideh.com, and @voddenlaura.bsky.social is now out in Social Media + Society.

We introduce a new analytics method: #PracticeMapping.

journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...

Untangling the Furball: A Practice Mapping Approach to the Analysis of Multimodal Interactions in Social Networks - Axel Bruns, Kateryna Kasianenko, Vish Padinjaredath Suresh, Ehsan Dehghan, Laura Vod...

This article introduces the analytical approach of practice mapping, using vector embeddings of network actions and interactions to map commonalities and disjun...

journals.sagepub.com

Axel Bruns @snurb.info · 6h

Wheee, a very fast-paced session (mostly) on conspiracy theories to end #AANZCA25, also featuring my @qutdmrc.bsky.social colleague @katemfitzgerald.bsky.social presenting our audit of how GenAI chatbots respond to conspiracy theory-curious questions.

Final liveblog here:

AANZCA 2025 | Snurblog — Axel Bruns

Australia Aotearoa New Zealand Communication Association conference, Sunshine Coast, 26-28 Nov. 2025

snurb.info

Reposted by Daniel Angus

Axel Bruns @snurb.info · 8h

Another panel on the 2025 #ausvotes federal election at #AANZCA25 – and a good one, featuring my @qutdmrc.bsky.social colleagues @vilkins.bsky.social and @antmandan.bsky.social.

Liveblog here:

AANZCA 2025 | Snurblog — Axel Bruns

Australia Aotearoa New Zealand Communication Association conference, Sunshine Coast, 26-28 Nov. 2025

snurb.info

Reposted by Richard S.J. Tol, Axel Bruns, Tom Clark , and 8 more Richard S.J. Tol, Axel Bruns, Tom Clark, Andrew Scott, Rosemary A. Joyce, Efrén O. Pérez, Daniel W. Drezner, Jonathan Hopkin, David R. Miller, Michael Zimmer, Nathan P. Kalmoe

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 10h

“You’re a stupid person” — Trump lashes out at a reporter who presses him on the fact that the suspected DC shooter was actually thoroughly vetted before he was let in the US from Afghanistan

Axel Bruns @snurb.info · 10h

That was a great session on news, polarisation, hyperpartisanship, and disinformation at #AANZCA, also featuring my @qutdmrc.bsky.social colleague @gklaus.bsky.social. Liveblog here:

AANZCA 2025 | Snurblog — Axel Bruns

Australia Aotearoa New Zealand Communication Association conference, Sunshine Coast, 26-28 Nov. 2025

snurb.info

Axel Bruns @snurb.info · 1d

A really interesting #AANZCA25 panel about mis- and disinformation in the 2025 #ausvotes federal election from the NMRC.

Liveblog here:

AANZCA 2025 | Snurblog — Axel Bruns

Australia Aotearoa New Zealand Communication Association conference, Sunshine Coast, 26-28 Nov. 2025

snurb.info

Axel Bruns @snurb.info · 1d

Surely a simple search-and-replace of “My dear friend Donald” with “My dear [PERSON_OF_INTEREST_#1]” would have sufficed.

Jon Cooper @joncooper-us.bsky.social · 1d

‼️‼️ Newly released emails show the FBI spent almost $1 million in overtime analyzing the Epstein files as part of an effort dubbed the “Special Redaction Project."

FBI’s Frantic Scramble to Redact Epstein Files Revealed

A trove of emails shows all-nighters and almost $1 million in overtime as Trumpworld debated releasing the Epstein files.

www.thedailybeast.com

Reposted by Axel Bruns, Tim Stephens

Josh Taylor @joshtaylor.bsky.social · 1d

lol X is a hellhole but sometime still amusing

A tweet from Senator Andrew Bragg asking "Why is YouTube being banned? Is this still Australia? #redtape"

It has a community note stating: He voted for the bill that made it possible

Axel Bruns @snurb.info · 1d

Really good set of papers on disinformation and policy in the post-lunch #AANZCA25 session. Liveblog here:

AANZCA 2025 | Snurblog — Axel Bruns

Australia Aotearoa New Zealand Communication Association conference, Sunshine Coast, 26-28 Nov. 2025

snurb.info

Reposted by Axel Bruns, Diane Ravitch, W. Andy Knight , and 2 more Axel Bruns, Diane Ravitch, W. Andy Knight, Kent Johnson, Manisha Sinha

Jon Cooper @joncooper-us.bsky.social · 1d

‼️‼️ Newly released emails show the FBI spent almost $1 million in overtime analyzing the Epstein files as part of an effort dubbed the “Special Redaction Project."

FBI’s Frantic Scramble to Redact Epstein Files Revealed

A trove of emails shows all-nighters and almost $1 million in overtime as Trumpworld debated releasing the Epstein files.

www.thedailybeast.com

Axel Bruns @snurb.info · 1d

Interesting and unusually interactive second keynote by Crystal Abidin at #AANZCA25 – here’s an attempt at liveblogging it:

Unpacking the Strategies of Influencer Industries | Snurblog — Axel Bruns

And the second keynote at the AANZCA 2025

snurb.info

Reposted by Tama Leaver

Axel Bruns @snurb.info · 1d

Delighted to launch M/C Journal issue 28.5: ‘#experience’, edited by Jo Jung, Harrison See, and Lelia Green – and just in time for the #AANZCA25 conference too… #mcjournal

journal.media-cultur...

Cover of the M/C Journal ‘experience’ issue.

Axel Bruns @snurb.info · 1d

Can’t say I know much about his stuff – I’m not big on prog metal…

Axel Bruns @snurb.info · 1d

Interesting morning session on platform governance at #AANZCA25. I’m glad we’re starting to reclaim the concept of ‘community’ from its ignorant misappropriation by the Zuckerbergs and Dorseys of this world…

Liveblog:

AANZCA 2025 | Snurblog — Axel Bruns

Australia Aotearoa New Zealand Communication Association conference, Sunshine Coast, 26-28 Nov. 2025

snurb.info

Reposted by Timothy Graham

Axel Bruns @snurb.info · 1d

In case you hadn’t seen it yet, this is just brilliant, brilliant news – very excited for our wonderful early-career researchers at the @qutdmrc.bsky.social.

#AANZCA25 folks, you might be interested in hearing about these projects too…

ARC DECRA Success - QUT Digital Media Research Centre

Three QUT researchers affiliated with the Digital Media Research Centre have been successful in the Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA) scheme.The...

research.qut.edu.au

Axel Bruns @snurb.info · 2d

I’ve been A. Bit. Busy. over the past few hours (also with two presentations of my own), so I’ve now _finally_ managed to post up three sessions’ worth of #AANZCA25 liveblogging (also featuring those two presentations of my own). And that ends Day One – more tomorrow… 😮‍💨

AANZCA 2025 | Snurblog — Axel Bruns

Australia Aotearoa New Zealand Communication Association conference, Sunshine Coast, 26-28 Nov. 2025

snurb.info

Reposted by Karin Wahl‐Jorgensen

Axel Bruns @snurb.info · 2d

A great keynote by @karinwahlj.bsky.social on the rise of boutique news media to start off the #AANZCA25 conference on the Sunshine Coast. Liveblog is up:

Understanding Boutique News Media as a Novel Form of Journalism | Snurblog — Axel Bruns

For my last conference of the year, I’ve made the short trip up to the Sunshine Coast to attend t

snurb.info

Reposted by Timothy Graham

Axel Bruns @snurb.info · 3d

🇮🇹 Oh look what just arrived in the office – I guess I’ve been published in Italian again ! Congratulations on a fine collection, @gboccia.bsky.social (and what a cover !)…

Guess now we know how many Zs it takes to translate “destructive polarisation” into Italian, too (‘polarizzazione’ 😲).

Cover of

Democrazia ai Margini: Disinformazione e Manipolazione dell’Opinione Pubblica nell’Era Digitale

Edited by Giovanni Boccia Artieri

Title page of

Spiegazioni Semplici in un Mondo Complesso: Dall’Iperconnettività alla Polarizzazione Distruttiva

By Axel Bruns

Axel Bruns @snurb.info · 3d

Ugh, that sucks...

Axel Bruns @snurb.info · 3d

And equally, commiserations to anyone else who had a go at the annual Australian ECR funding Hunger Games but didn't beat the odd of a 13% success rate. 😫

The @albomp.bsky.social government continues the LNP's tradition of vastly underfunding the country's brilliant researchers. 🤦

Reposted by Timothy Graham

Axel Bruns @snurb.info · 3d

ARC DECRA funding news is out - congrats especially to my fantastic @qutdmrc.bsky.social colleagues @kathaesa.bsky.social & @zahrastardust.bsky.social, and the brilliant @amymcquire.bsky.social @emvdn.bsky.social @hansasenbaum.bsky.social, all successful this round. 🎉

rms.arc.gov.au/RMS/Report/D...

Research Management System - Scheme Round Statistics for Approved Applications - Discovery Early Career Researcher Award 2026 round 1

RMS is the ARC's Research Management System, a web-based system used by eligible researchers to prepare and submit research proposals and assessments under the ARC National Competitive Grants Program ...

rms.arc.gov.au

Axel Bruns @snurb.info · 4d

High praise. Surely that should bring in some philanthropic support from a pro-democracy foundation.

Max Bernhard @mxbernhard.bsky.social · 4d

Russia has declared CORRECTIV an "undesirable organization" correctiv.org/in-eigener-s...

Russland erklärt CORRECTIV zur „unerwünschten Organisation“

Der russische Staat stellt die journalistische Arbeit von CORRECTIV pauschal unter Strafandrohung. Unabhängige Recherche soll verunmöglicht werden.

correctiv.org

Reposted by Axel Bruns

Max Bernhard @mxbernhard.bsky.social · 4d

Russia has declared CORRECTIV an "undesirable organization" correctiv.org/in-eigener-s...

Russland erklärt CORRECTIV zur „unerwünschten Organisation“

Der russische Staat stellt die journalistische Arbeit von CORRECTIV pauschal unter Strafandrohung. Unabhängige Recherche soll verunmöglicht werden.

correctiv.org

Reposted by Jonathan Portes, Axel Bruns

Will Jennings📉🗳️ @drjennings.bsky.social · 4d

We urgently need to know how many of these accounts have been spreading/amplifying hate, division and instability in Britain. We already know that a foreign actor - Elon Musk - promoted violent overthrow of the government. Has his platform been enabling foreign adversaries to do the same?

Mark Chadbourn @chadbourn.bsky.social · 4d

This is one of the big accounts boosting Tommy Robinson, Farage and Reform and ‘English Patriots’.

It’s Russian.

Collingwood
@admcollingwood
田
Date joined
January 2017
• Account based in
Europe
Veritied since
Since August 2024
>
1 username change
Last on January 2017
Connected via
Eastern Europe (Non-EU) Android App

Reposted by Axel Bruns

Ketan Joshi @ketanjoshi.co · 4d

"It is located 5km from the town of Deniliquin, but none of that town’s population of more than 2,700 people objected to it.

All 66 objections came from more than 50 kms away, with 60 of them from people located more than 100kms away, and 26 from interstate"

reneweconomy.com.au/long-distanc...

Indeed, there were no objections that related specifically to this project, its location or its impact on any local fauna or flora.

It is likely that few if any of the objectors had actually read the project documents in detail. Several objectors think the battery is actually a wind farm, and others think it is a solar project.

One is concerned about its impact on the catchment of the Keiwa River, which is 250 kms away, located in another state and on the other side of the Murray River. Maybe they had been encouraged to complain about another project, and forgot to change it for this one.

Most simply don’t like the idea of renewables: “Soon, we’ll all be in the dark thanks to delusional Global Boiling cultists!” said one.

Some object to the use of agricultural land for a big battery.

But the project is located right next to a substation, and is not used for any grazing or crops because it has been degraded by a gravel borrow pit on the site, which has formed a depression with poor soils and weedy vegetation.

The battery project developers are actually proposing to do something the previous users didn’t do – rehabilitate it so it can actually be used for agriculture in the future, perhaps sheep grazing. The department of planning said it is likely the project would improve the land, not degrade it.

There were plenty of constructive consultations, mostly with local council and other bodies such as the Rural Fire Service, the local Fire Brigade, the local irrigation council, and other entities. The developers, Avenis, responded accordingly and made some adjustments to the project.

It has waded through thousands of pages of documents and patiently responded to each and every concern, no matter how wild the claim.

The NSW Planning department noted the considerable local benefits, saying some $1.4 million in community benefits had been offered via the council through a voluntary planning agreement, and also noting the injection of some $206 million of capital inv…

Reposted by Axel Bruns

Fiona Katauskas @fionakatauskas.bsky.social · 4d

Here's a cartoon from a few years ago about ole Pauline

Two panelled cartoon.

First panel has a close up scientist saying authoritatively "Pauline Hanson hasn't got a racist bone in her body"
Panel 2: image has pulled out to show the scientist standing next to a picture of Pauline Hanson, pointing to it with a pointer saying "Everyone knows racism is found in the brain, heart and bile duct"

Reposted by Axel Bruns

Nick Evershed!? @nickevershed.bsky.social · 4d

hot take: the BoM is one of the most complex gov. websites with a ridic number of data and systems used by industry, the public and other gov agencies so redesigning it and fixing the security issues was always going to take a fair bit of $$$

Reposted by Axel Bruns, Will Jennings, Steve Peers

Peter Walker @peterwalker99.bsky.social · 4d

NEW: Nigel Farage is facing renewed calls to explain why he repeatedly aired tropes and conspiracy theories associated with antisemitism during interviews, after claims the Reform UK leader used racist language in his teens.

www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

Farage urged to explain conspiracy theories linked to antisemitism he voiced in US media

Exclusive: The Reform UK leader discussed far-right talking points in web TV and radio appearances between 2009 and 2018

www.theguardian.com

Axel Bruns @snurb.info · 4d

My @qutdmrc.bsky.social colleague @katemfitzgerald.bsky.social has a great new piece in @aunz.theconversation.com about what happened when we asked AI chatbots about conspiracy theories. The results were … mixed. ☹️