14th Australian Media Traditions Conference
RMIT University
4–5 September 2025
(Pre-conference social event, 3 September)
‘Archives and Archetypes: Recovery and Renewal’
Conference Registration
Early-bird registration will open in mid-to-late May with tickets available through Humanitix.
Location
RMIT University, Melbourne City Campus
124 La Trobe Street Melbourne.
Key dates
CFP Open - 3 February 2025
CFP Close - 31 March 2025
Extended CFP Close - 14 April 2025
Abstract decisions - 13 May 2025
Early-bird registrations open - mid-to-late May
Deadline to confirm participation - 4 July 2025
Early-bird registrations close - 1 August 2025
Presenters to confirm abstracts, affiliations and bios for program - 15 August 2025
Program release - 22 August 2025
Conference social event at the Capitol Theatre - 3 September 2025
14th Australian Media Traditions Conference - 4–5 September 2025
Conference dinner - 4 September 2025.
Registration fees
Full registration: $350
(Early-bird by 1 August 2025, $300)
RMIT staff: $200
Student and precariously employed: $100
Pre-conference social event
A film screening and director Q&A at The Capitol on 3 September 2025. Details to be announced soon.
Conference Dinner
A conference dinner will take place on the evening of 4 September 2025, with details to be confirmed in July.
Keynote Address
Renewal and the Archive
Olympia Barron, Australian Screen Research Collection
Olympia Barron serves as the Collection Coordinator for RMIT University's Australian Screen Research Collection. With a commitment to preserving and promoting Australian film and television cultural heritage, Olympia plays a role in managing and enhancing one of the university’s diverse collections. She is passionate about engaging students and researchers through initiatives that highlight the significance of archival materials. As an advocate for accessibility and education, Olympia believes that collections serve as valuable resources for research, learning, and inspiration across media disciplines.
The RMIT Australian Screen Research Collection (RMIT ASRC) is a specialist film and television industry resource open to the public. Since 2003, RMIT has been the proud custodian of the AFI Research Collection, alongside which it has built its own significant archive of screen culture resources. The collection includes materials encompassing cinema and television from the world over, with particular strengths in screen theory and history and in Australian cinema. The collection features diverse materials, from newspaper clippings files, books and journals, to film and television scripts, directories, reports, film promotional material, and film festival catalogues.
With a commitment to both preserving the past and inspiring future scholarship, the RMIT ASRC aims to support a new generation of research and storytelling. The collection will continue to serve as a vital resource for exploring the evolving narratives captured through film and television, ensuring they remain accessible, studied and celebrated for years to come.
Conference Convenors
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Dr Josie Vine
Josie is a senior lecturer and Program Manager in the RMIT Journalism program. Her research interests are in the area of journalism history and culture, as well as the growing democratic function of hyperlocal news. Her recent publications include 'Larrikins, Rebels and Journalistic Freedom in Australia' (2021, Palgrave Macmillan) and 'Newspaper Building Design and Journalism Cultures in Australia and the UK' (co-authored with Salford University's Dr Carole O'Reilly) (2022, Routledge). She is currently working members of the US-based Association for the Education of Journalism and Mass Communication on a project looking into the impact of American journalism through the history of Australian journalism. Josie is also working with the Local and Independent News Association and the Journalism Education and Research Association of Australia on research into the democratic role and future of hyperlocal news.
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Dr Alexa Scarlata
Alexa is a Lecturer in Digital Communication in the School of Media and Communication and co-leads the Streaming Industries and Genres Network (SIGN). She is a scholar of media and cultural industries, with a special interest in internet distributed television, content production and national screen policy. Her book, Pivoting and Producing for Online TV: Australia’s Transition will be published with Routledge this year.
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Associate Professor John Tebbutt
John is Adjunct Associate Professor in the School of Media and Communication. His research interests include immigration, cultural diversity, population studies and public policy.
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Dr Damien O'Meara
Damien is a Lecturer in Public Relations in the School of Media and Communication. His research examines socio-industrial influences on behind the scenes negotiations for onscreen diversity and communication practices in cultural industries. Damien is a Board Member for the Melbourne Queer Film Festival, and has published work in Media International Australia, Senses of Cinema and The Conversation.
Call for Papers - CLOSED
RMIT School of Media and Communication is proud to announce it is hosting the 14th Australian Media Traditions biennial conference on Thursday 4th and Friday 5th of September 2025. The conference will be held in-person at RMIT University’s City Campus, 123 Swanston Street, Melbourne. There will also be a social event at the Capitol Theatre on the afternoon of Wednesday 3rd of September.
We are calling for paper and panel proposals that speak to the theme ‘Archives and Archetypes: Recovery and Renewal’.
Archives and archetypes are each about conservation. Archives are materially conservative. By maintaining records in a specific location under certain conditions they secure historical records. Archetypes is a dynamic framework within which endures universal identities complete with their own weaknesses and strengths. Yet this is only so within a tradition of western cultural thought.
We invite you to join us in challenging what media traditions may be. AMT2025 aims to recover an understanding of key ideas and approaches to media as we work to reveal past histories of resisting the status quo and renew relationships to audiences and the public.
Conference submissions from academics, students, media practitioners, representatives of cultural institutions, and other scholars are warmly welcomed. Proposals can cover diverse areas including media institutions, advertising, audiences, book publishing, digital gaming, journalism, libraries, media preservation, policy and regulation, publishers and printers, convergence and technological developments.
Submissions could consider:
New practices and methods shaping the future of archival collection and preservation
New technologies enabling the creation of an archive
The role of archives in documenting marginalized voices and underrepresented histories
Challenges and gaps in preservation and accessibility
Although submissions connected to the theme are encouraged, all proposals for papers and panels connected to media history will be considered.
A special journal issue is in planning. More details to come closer to the conference.
Please send paper abstracts and panel proposals to ausmediatraditions2025@gmail.com by Monday 31 March. EXTENDED to Monday, 14 April.
Paper abstracts should be no more than 200 words, and be accompanied by a title, author biographical note (up to 50 words), and up to 5 keywords.
Pre-constituted panel proposals (for up to 5 people) should include a title, up to 5 keywords, and a 200-word overview, plus 200 words from each participant on their contribution, as well as a biographical note of up to 50 words for each speaker.