Aneta Podkalicka has been appointed as researcher on the Youthworx project, replacing Dr Ellie Rennie. She completed a PhD in media and communication at Creative Industries, QUT, in 2007. Dr Poklakicka will be based at the Swinburne University node of CCI in Melbourne.

During 2008, Phase 2 of the Youthworx project will feature a launch, a new Research Fellow, a new book and a PhD.

Swinburne University researcher Dr. Ellie Rennie is in the process of writing up phase one of the Youthwork research in to a book addressing the assumptions regarding young people and the media, in particular the anxiety that young people are ‘leaving’ traditional media spheres and points of public connection in favour of digital media.

2007 brought Phase 1 to a conclusion. This involved comprehensive research into the Student Youth Network (SYN) as a case study for community-based innovation and digital literacy. We used ethnographic methods, including participant observation at SYN, monitoring ‘basecamp’ (an online discussion forum), interviews and focus groups. We also conducted a major online survey of media industries workers, focusing on educational qualifications and voluntary work. The results indicate that a high proportion of media industries workers have undertaken voluntary community media work.