Research @ CNM
ABOUT US
At the Department of Communications and New Media (CNM), we strive to create knowledge through engaged scholarship and curate cutting-edge research on new media, communication, and society. Research strengths at CNM coalesce into four concentrations:
Media, Culture, and Identities
The Media, Culture, and Identities cluster brings together diverse research on media content, news, cultural practices, and identity politics, with a common focus on how power is embedded in contemporary life. Drawing from media studies, critical/cultural theory and feminist analysis, researchers in this cluster conduct studies on media representation, identity politics, power differentials between communities, and visual and technological culture. The cluster’s research also addresses the impact of emergent technologies on Asia.
Health, Risk, and Environment
The Health, Risk, and Environment cluster studies how communication processes shape public understanding, decision-making, and behaviour in the contexts of health, risk, and environment. Researchers in this cluster examine media representations and public perceptions of environmental and societal risks, public campaigns, risk communication and crisis management, and the use of communication technologies for stakeholder engagement. The diverse research is united in its inquiry into the communication mechanisms and processes relating to health, risk, and environment. In so doing, this cluster develops interventions that will bring about sustainable change and strengthen society’s preparedness for risks and crises.
Politics, Participation, and Governance
The Politics, Participation, and Governance cluster explores how emerging media technologies are used by different segments of the society or publics for civic and political engagement. Researchers in this cluster examine evolving forms of political discourse, digital citizenship, and identity and representation in different domains. The areas of study include government-citizen engagement in the offline and online contexts, corporate citizenship, and governance of digital platforms and AI-driven systems. Through studying how media and technology influence relationships between the state, industry, and civil society, this cluster generates insights that will inform media governance and strengthens digital equity and resilience.
Technology, Design, and Social Futures
The Technology, Design, and Social Futures research cluster focuses on how technology and design can be applied to addressing inequalities and building more inclusive and sustainable social futures. This involves working with communities to understand current issues, engaging in participatory design and storytelling to explore possible design solutions, and developing working prototypes to materialise those ideas. Research topics include social resilience, environmental and cultural sustainability, mental health and digital well-being, digital heritage, critical algorithmic literacy, and responsible AI design.
SPOTLIGHT
We are proud to showcase the scholarly excellence of our faculty. Their contributions include award winning papers presented at leading conferences and books that shape discourse across the field. We also celebrate distinguished honours and recognitions that affirm their leadership and impact, including placements among the World’s Top 2% Scientists.
Stanford–Elsevier World's Top 2% Scientists (2025)
Associate Professor
Jiang Shaohai
Associate Professor
Kokil Jaidka
Associate Professor
Cho Hichang
Selected Award winning Papers
Insyirah Mujtahid, Nurul Huda Rashid, Kokil Jaidka (2025)
Recipient of International Association for Media and Communication Research’s (IAMCR) Decolonising the Digital Award (2025)
Anita K.C. Liu & Ozan Kuru (2025)
Recipient of the International Communication Association’s (ICA) Interdivisional Top Paper Award (2025)
Qiaofei Wu, Annabel Ngien, Shaohai Jiang, Yujie Dong (2024)
Recipient of the National Communication Association’s Health Communication Division Best Paper Award (2024)
Lianshan Zhang & Shaohai Jiang (2024)
Recipient of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication’s Communicating Science, Health, Environment, Risk Division Top Paper Award (2022)
Selected Book Projects
PODCASTS
Dive into captivating conversations, cutting-edge research, and inspiring stories that redefine communication and new media. Through accessible, public-facing discussions, we bring scholarship into civic life and invite listeners to engage, question, and contribute to informed public conversation.