ECU Media Award winners and hosts
Edith Cowan University's annual Media Awards celebrate the extraordinary efforts of ECU researchers who dedicate their time and energy to engage with the media to share their findings and enhance the University’s global reputation for world-leading research.
ECU's Corporate Relations team have held the awards for the past five years, with Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) Professor Caroline Finch hosting the 2022 instalment.
Researchers were acknowledged for communicating their exceptional work and expertise to non-academic audiences across the world, both through the media and the world’s leading publisher of research-based news and analysis, The Conversation.
Professor Finch said 2022 had been a new benchmark year for ECU research, with the profiles of academics and the University's nine Strategic Research Institutes and Centres growing significantly.
"We are starting to see how these Institutes and Centres are playing a key role in building hubs of world-class expertise at our University, where a critical mass of researchers can make a bigger impact by working together," Professor Finch told attendees.
"Sharing your research and your learned opinions and ideas through the media, and publishing thought leadership articles, makes that research accessible to all has made a major impact.
"The incredible group of people, many of whom have joined us this evening, have helped to spread the news about ECU expertise around the world.
"Through nearly 30 thousand media mentions, we have reached a global audience of close to 29 billion.
"ECU also continues to make an international and national impact through its partnership with The Conversation.
"It's a relationship we greatly value because The Conversation is the nation's leading media platform for academic stories published to mainstream audiences, and it has helped achieve great things for many of our researchers to build a substantial profile."
The Conversation chief of staff Mike Hopkin was a special guest and praised ECU's engaging content over the year, before presenting awards to researchers who had been particularly active on the publication in 2022.
Professor Finch then introduced the Media Campaign section of the Awards, which were chosen on the size of audience reached, the quality of the media coverage and on the impact these media campaigns have had in their respective fields.
Caroline noted that while research papers were often a real team effort, these awards acknowledged individuals who fronted the media campaign for their outstanding contribution.
2022 ECU Media Awards Category Winners
Best Research Media Campaign
Winner: Professor Ken Nosaka
"Exercise answer: Research shows it’s how often you do it, not how much", and "No time to exercise? What about three seconds a day?", Exercise answer: Research shows it’s how often you do it, not how much", and "No time to exercise? What about three seconds a day?".
"Professor Ken Nosaka is an internationally recognised researcher and world leader in the area of eccentric exercise research and ECU's Director of Exercise and Sports Science," Professor Finch said.
"His two campaigns this year reached a potential audience in excess of 2.15 billion people, worth an estimated $25.5 million in advertising."
Highly Commended
Best Media Campaign by a Higher Degree by Research Student
Winner: Madison Williams-Hoffman
"Study finds radiation risk at historic WA nuclear test site 70 years on".
"We saw this story dominate news headlines for several weeks, even now our media team receives requests from journalists for expert comment from you Madison," said Professor Finch.
"Madison's research piece was the most read article in Australia on News.com.au, and she did back-to-back ABC National TV crosses, showing media confidence and flare well beyond her years.
"Madison also hosted Ten News inside ECU's marine science lab for a prime-time news story.
Highly Commended
Pedro Lopez
The Conversation: Most Widely Read Article by an ECU researcher
"Supermarket shortages are different this time: how to respond and avoid panic"
"Flavio's expertise in supply chains has seen him become a go-to expert since COVID emerged and wreaked havoc in our lives," Mr Hopkin said.
"His January Conversation piece, deciphering why supermarket shortages were occurring, was read more than 250,000 times and is a prime example of why he's become such a favourite for journalists.
"Though we had shortages before, Flavio explained in simple terms the nuances involved and why they meant this particular shortage was different to those previously faced.
"Crucially, he also offered tangible advice to readers on how they could shop to avoid as much disruption as possible. In the last few years Flavio has written 19 Conversation articles and that have had in excess of 1.5 million readers."
The Conversation: Most Prolific ECU Author
"Over the past 12 months Paul has written an amazing 17 articles with us at The Conversation, which have been read by more than 853,000 people," Mr Hopkin said.
"His articles are clear explainers of some of the most perplexing problems in the IT and cyber world and have led to Paul being in constant demand by the media.
"I don't have to tell anyone here how topical cybercrime has been and know Paul you have been the safe port in the storm helping decipher what's happening with people's private data.
"Over the past few years Paul has published 55 stories at The Conversation and attracted close to 3.5 million reads across the globe."
Outstanding Contribution to the Media – Honour Awards
Associate Professor Flavio Macau
Professor Paul Haskell-Dowland
Professor Ken Nosaka
Deborah Evans
A full gallery of photographs of the Media Awards 2022 take by Stephen Heath is available here, if you would like a copy of any of the photos please email Hillary at h.lambert@ecu.edu.au
