Research

The visual unites almost all of T.J.’s research and he often focuses on under-represented identities, attributes, and environments in his scholarship. His outputs can be grouped into three categories: the visual dimensions of news and journalistic practice; visual communication in personal and online contexts; and the scholarship of learning and teaching.

You can find a list of T.J.’s research outputs on Google Scholar, ORCiD, or Figshare. You can find his public writings for The Conversation here.

You can sort his research by category, find full-text versions of his research outputs, and search by abstracts using this spreadsheet. You can also find his scholarly outputs (last updated on Jan. 5, 2025) grouped thematically within three areas below.

The visual dimensions of news and journalistic practice

• Thomson, T. J. (2016). Freelance Photojournalists and Photo Editors: Learning and adapting in a (mostly faceless) virtual world. Journalism Studies, 19(6), 803–823. https://doi.org/10.1080/1461670X.2016.1215851
• Thomson, T. J., & Greenwood, K. (2016). Beyond Framing: Influences of subject–photographer interactions on visual journalism. Journalism Practice, 11(5), 625–644. https://doi.org/10.1080/17512786.2016.1152908
• Thomson, T. J. (2016). Black, White, and a Whole Lot of Gray: How White Photojournalists Covered Race During the 2015 Protests at Mizzou. Visual Communication Quarterly, 23(4), 223–233. https://doi.org/10.1080/15551393.2016.1230473
• Thomson, T. J., & Greenwood, K. (2017). I “Like” That: Exploring the Characteristics That Promote Social Media Engagement With News Photographs. Visual Communication Quarterly, 24(4), 203–218. https://doi.org/10.1080/15551393.2017.1388701
• Thomson, T. J., Perreault, G., & Duffy, M. (2017). Politicians, Photographers, and a Pope: How state-controlled and independent media covered Francis’s 2015 Cuba visit. Journalism Studies, 19(9), 1313–1330. https://doi.org/10.1080/1461670X.2016.1268929
• Thomson, T. J. (2021). Mapping the emotional labor and work of visual journalism. Journalism, 22(4), 956-973. https://doi.org/10.1177/1464884918799227
• Thomson, T. J. (2018). The Evolution of Story: How Time and Modality Affect Visual and Verbal Narratives. Visual Communication Quarterly, 25(4), 199–210. https://doi.org/10.1080/15551393.2018.1498742
• Thomson, T. J. (2019). In Front of the Lens: The Expectations, Experiences, and Reactions of Visual Journalism’s Subjects. Journalism & Communication Monographs, 21(1), 4-65. https://doi.org/10.1177/1522637918823261
• Thomson, T. J. (2019). To see and be seen: The Environments, Interactions, and Identities Behind News Images. London & New York: Rowman & Littlefield.
• Greenwood, K., & Thomson, T. J. (2020). Framing the migration: A study of news photographs showing people fleeing war and persecution. International Communication Gazette, 82(2), 140-163. https://doi.org/10.1177/1748048519833515
• Thomson, T. J. (2021). Picturing destruction at home and abroad: a comparative visual analysis of icons and news values during disaster. Media International Australia, 181(1), 197-216. https://doi.org/10.1177/1329878X211008181
• Thomson, T. J., & Sternberg, J. (2022). Journalism Employability in the Modern Newsroom: Insights From Applicant Resumes and Cover Letters. Journalism & Mass Communication Educator, 77(2), 157-176. https://doi.org/10.1177/10776958211032856
• Thomson, T. J., Johnstone, S., Seevinck, J., Miller, E., & Holland-Batt, S. (2022). It’s not enough to be seen: exploring how journalists show aged care in Australia from 2018-2021. Communication Research and Practice, 8(4), 261–277. https://doi.org/10.1080/22041451.2022.2137237
• Thomson, T. J., Angus, D., Dootson, P., Hurcombe, E., & Smith, A. (2020). Visual Mis/disinformation in Journalism and Public Communications: Current Verification Practices, Challenges, and Future Opportunities. Journalism Practice, 16(5), 938–962. https://doi.org/10.1080/17512786.2020.1832139
• Thomson, T. J., Miller, E., Holland-Batt, S., Seevinck, J., & Regi, S. (2024). Visibility and invisibility in the aged care sector: visual representation in Australian news from 2018–2021. Media International Australia, 190(1), 146-164. https://doi.org/10.1177/1329878X221094374
• Thomson, T. J., Phan, A., Holland-Batt, S., Seevinck, J., Miller, E., & Regi, S. (2023). Who or What Gets Referenced by Whom, How Often, and in Which Ways? Exploring Journalists’ Sourcing Practices in the Context of Aged Care Coverage. Journalism Practice, 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1080/17512786.2023.2215237
• Thomson, T. J. & Thomas, R. (2023). Generative visual AI in newsrooms: Considerations related to production, presentation, and audience interpretation and impact. Journalistik. 
• Thomson, T. J., & Bock, M. A. (2023). Designing the Visual Gateways into Crime News: A Comparison of Youtube Thumbnails from Journalists and Non-Journalists. Journalism Practice, 1–25. https://doi.org/10.1080/17512786.2023.2288921
• Thomas, R. J., & Thomson, T. J. (2023). What Does a Journalist Look like? Visualizing Journalistic Roles through AI. Digital Journalism, 1–23. https://doi.org/10.1080/21670811.2023.2229883
• Patrick, R., McLaughlin, J., King-Smith, L., Schultz, T., Thomson, T. J., & Dezuanni, M. (2024). Unlearning journalism through decolonising, Indigenous approaches. Journalism, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/14648849241305363
• Thomson, T. J. (2024). Picturing a quality local news visual: Perspectives from non-specialist journalists. Journalism, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/14648849241253136
• Thomson, T. J., Zhang, S. I., Ren, Q., & Chen, Y. A. (2024). Contrasting Frames: Visual Coverage at Urban and Regional News Outlets in Australia and China. Journalism Studies, 25(11), 1272–1292. https://doi.org/10.1080/1461670X.2024.2372436
• Thomson, T. J. (2024). Place, Access, and (Lack of) Belonging in News Photographs of Migration. Journalism & Communication Monographs, 26(3), 248-252. https://doi.org/10.1177/15226379241261570
• Thomson, T. J., Thomas, R. J., & Matich, P. (2024). Generative Visual AI in News Organizations: Challenges, Opportunities, Perceptions, and Policies. Digital Journalism, 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1080/21670811.2024.2331769
• Matich, P., Thomson, T. J., & Thomas, R. (2025). Old Threats, New Name? Generative AI and Visual Journalism. Journalism Practice. https://doi.org/10.1080/17512786.2025.2451677

Visual communication in personal and online contexts

• Thomson, T. J. (2018). From the Closet to the Beach: A Photographer’s View of Gay Life on Fire Island From 1975 to 1983. Visual Communication Quarterly, 25(1), 3–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/15551393.2017.1343152
• Koegler, E., Thomson, T. J., Speno, A. G., & Teti, M. (2018). Image-Sharing Via Social Media: Reflections from an Ethnically- and Age-Diverse Sample of People Living with HIV in the Midwest. Journal of HIV/AIDS & Social Services, 17(4), 249–262. https://doi.org/10.1080/15381501.2018.1519479
• Thomson, T. J. (2021). International, innovative, multimodal and representative? The geographies, methods, modes and aims present in two visual communication journals. Visual Communication, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/14703572211038987
• Thomson, T. J. (2020). Pride in America’s Heartland: A visual exploration of queer life in the rural midwest. Visual Communication Quarterly. https://doi.org/10.1080/15551393.2019.1707087
• Thomson, T. J. & Greenwood, K. (2020). Profile Pictures Across Platforms: How identity visually manifests itself among social media accounts. In The Handbook of Visual Communication: Theory, Methods, and Media (2nd ed). Josephson, S. & Kelly, J. (eds). London: Routledge.
• Thomson, T. J. (2021). Reflections on 25 Years of Visual Communication Quarterly. Visual Communication Quarterly, 28(4), 240–241. https://doi.org/10.1080/15551393.2021.1992240
• Thomson, T. J. (2021). Exploring the Life Cycle of Smartphone Images from Camera Rolls to Social Media Platforms. Visual Communication Quarterly, 28(1), 19–33. https://doi.org/10.1080/15551393.2020.1862663
• Dootson, P., Thomson, T. J., & Angus, D. Miller, S., Hurcombe, E., & Smith, A. (2021). Managing problematic visual media in natural hazard emergencies. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2021.102249
• Thomson, T. J., & Uddin, S. (2023). Contemporary ways of seeing: exploring how smartphone cameras shape visual culture and literacy. Journal of Visual Literacy, 42(4), 269–286. https://doi.org/10.1080/1051144X.2023.2281163

The scholarship of learning and teaching

• Thomson, T. J., Thomas, G., & Irvine, L. (2021). Conceptualising communication: a survey of introduction to communication university units. Communication Research and Practice, 7(2), 111–127. https://doi.org/10.1080/22041451.2021.1964049
• Thomson, T. J., McLaughlin, J., King-Smith, L., Bell, A., & Tsimpikas, M. (2022). Indigenous Knowledges and Perspectives in University Journalism Education: Exploring experiences, challenges, and opportunities. Australian Journalism Review. https://doi.org/10.1386/ajr_00087_1
• Rossiter, E., Thomson, T. J., & Fitzgerald, R. (2022). Supporting university students’ learning across time and space: A from-scratch, personalised, and mobile-friendly approach. Interactive Technology and Smart Education. https://doi.org/10.1108/itse-07-2022-0082
• Thomson, T. J., & Sternberg, J. (2023). Using Course Management Software and Videoconferencing. In S. Keith & R. Cozma (Eds.), Teaching Journalism Online. The World Journalism Education Council and UNESCO.
• Thomson, T. J., Irvine, L., & Thomas, G. (2024). Learning the art of Scholarly Peer-Review: Insights from the Communication Discipline. Media International Australia, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/1329878X241254568

If you would like to be involved in this research, please email T. J. at t.j.thomson@rmit.edu.au.