Professor Jim Macnamara PhD, FAMEC, FAMI, CPM, FPRIA is Professor of Public Communication at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) and Associate Dean, Engagement and International of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at UTS.
He joined UTS in 2007 after a distinguished 30-year career in professional communication practice spanning journalism, public relations and corporate communication, and media and communication research. Immediately prior to taking up an academic career, Professor Macnamara was the founder and CEO of the Asia Pacific office of global media research company CARMA International for more than a decade.
He has undertaken academic research supported by the Australian Electoral Commission; the Intergovernmental Consultation (IGC) on Migration, Asylum and Refugees; the New South Wales Department of Premier and Cabinet; the Multicultural Health Communication Service of the NSW Department of Health; and the UK Cabinet Office.
He is the author of 16 books and more than 100 academic and professional journal articles across journalism, media studies, public relations, communication, political science, and cultural studies disciplines.
Jim holds a BA in journalism, media studies and literary studies and an MA by research in media studies from Deakin University in Australia; a Graduate Certificate in Writing from the University of Technology Sydney; and a PhD in media research from the University of Western Sydney.
He is a Fellow of the International Association for Measurement and Evaluation of Communication (AMEC); a Fellow of the Australian Marketing Institute (AMI) and a Certified Practicing Marketing; and a Fellow of the Public Relations Institute of Australia.
Professor Macnamara’s research focusses on transdisciplinary approaches to three inter-related areas of media and communication: (1) evaluation of public communication; (2) social media use for and impact on journalism, advertising, public relations, the public sphere and politics including e-democracy, e-electioneering; and (3) organisational listening for addressing the ‘democratic deficit’ and enabling dialogue, engagement, and participation.
Recent publications include:
Macnamara, J. 2016, Organizational Listening: The Missing Essential in Public Communication, Peter Lang, New York.
Macnamara, J. 2014, Journalism and PR: Unpacking ‘Spin’, Stereotypes and Media Myths, Peter Lang, New York.
Macnamara, J. 2014, The 21st Century Media (R)evolution: Emergent Communication Practices, 2nd edn, Peter Lang, New York.
Macnamara, J. 2012, Public Relations Theories, Practices, Critiques, Pearson, Sydney.
Macnamara, J. 2016, ‘The work and “architecture of listening”: Addressing gaps in organization-public communication’, International Journal of Strategic Communication, vol. 10, no. 2, pp. 133–48. doi: 10.1080/1553118X.2016.1147043
Macnamara, J. & Camit, M. 2016 (in print), ‘Effective CALD community health communication through research and collaboration: An exemplar case study’, Communication Research & Practice. doi: 10.1080/22041451.2016.1209277
Macnamara, J. 2015, ‘The continuing convergence of journalism and PR: New insights for ethical practice from a three-country study of senior practitioners’, Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, vol. 93, no. 1, pp. 118–41. doi: 10.1177/1077699015605803
Macnamara, J. 2015, ‘Breaking the measurement and evaluation deadlock: A new approach and model’, Journal of Communication Management, vol. 19, no. 4, pp. 371–87. doi: 10.1108/JCOM-04-2014-0020
Macnamara, J. 2015, ‘The work and ‘architecture of listening’: Requisites for ethical organization-public communication, Ethical Space, vol. 12, no. 2, pp. 29–37. Available at http://journals.communicationethics.net
Macnamara, J. 2014, ‘Journalism-PR relations revisited: The good news, the bad news, and insights into tomorrow’s news’, Public Relations Review, vol. 40, pp. 739–50. doi:10.1016/j.pubrev.2014.07.002
Macnamara, J. & Kenning, G. 2014, ‘E-electioneering 2007–2014: Trends in online political communication over three elections’, Media International Australia, no. 152, pp. 57–74.
Macnamara, J. 2013, ‘Beyond voice: Audience-making and the work and architecture of listening’, Continuum: Journal of Media and Cultural Studies, vol. 27, no. 1, pp. 160–75. doi: 10.1080/10304312.2013.736950
Macnamara, J. 2012, ‘Democracy 2.0: Can social media engage youth and disengaged citizens in the public sphere’, Australian Journal of Communication, vol. 39, no. 3, pp. 65–86.