Dr Mathias Felipe de Lima Santos
Academic Degrees
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PhD in Communication – University of Navarra, Spain, October 2021
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Master’s in Digital Communication Leadership (Media Management) – Aalborg University, Denmark & University of Salzburg, Austria, October 2018
Exchange at Queensland University of Technology, Australia -
BA in Communication and Journalism – Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, December 2018
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BSc in Computer Science – Federal University of São Paulo, Brazil, June 2013
Exchange at Masaryk University, Czech Republic
Dr. Mathias Felipe de Lima Santos is a scholar and practitioner specializing in the intersection of media, technology, and society.
His expertise extends to various areas including data journalism, digital news business models, and the societal impacts of AI. His research is globally recognized, with SciVal ranking his journalism research first worldwide in the area of Artificial Intelligence, Big Data, and Journalism between 2020 and 2025. His research is not only prolific, with over 49 peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters since 2021, but also impactful, with more than 1500 citations and an h-index of 19. More than 27 of his published articles are classified as top-tier (Q1).
He has been recognized by The Australian and The Australian Academy of the Humanities as a rising star in the field of Communication and Cultural Studies.
He is actively engaged in research projects in the Global South, for example, examining the influence of AI and digital platforms on media. He has secured prestigious journalism awards for his work with industry partners. He has also consistently bridged the gap between academia and real-world impact, with his research cited by policymakers, civil society organizations and media, particularly COVID-19 disinformation, platform governance, and media innovation. In addition to his academic achievements, he is an award-winning journalist whose investigative and data-driven work has been recognized by leading media and industry institutions, including the ONA, WAN-IFRA, Gabo, and Vladimir Herzog awards.
Between 2024 and 2026, he has served as a consultant for Google to support news outlet in Australia and New Zealand in their development of project using GenAI tools. He has also worked with Latin American outlets such as InfoAmazonia and Amazon Underworld on award-winning media projects, and has collaborated with Al Jazeera, BBC, La Nación, and ProPublica.
He has also served on the editorial board of Digital Journalism journal and has been elected Secretary for the International Communication Association’s Journalism Studies Division. He has experience coordinating courses and delivering high-quality programs at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. His teaching philosophy emphasizes active learning, critical thinking, and practical application.
- Publications
- Media
- Grants
- Awards
- Research Activities
- Engagement
- Teaching and Supervision
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JERAA Research Grant – Public Data Purge (2026-2027)
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CNPq International Research Network – YouTube Coordinated Campaign (2025-2026)
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Silencing the Press – Knight Foundation/University of Kanvas (2026-2027)
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ESRC Digital Good Network - Who Funds Democracy (2025-2026)
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Australian Media Landscape Monitor (AMLM) – Susan McKinnon Foundation, MQ Data Horizons, and the MQ Enterprise Partnerships Scheme (2025-2026)
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Can the “RNAissance” survive the (dis)information war? Transnational threats, emerging challenges, communicative solutions. Macquarie BioInnovation Initiative RNA Research Project Seed Funding scheme (2025).
Academic Recognitions
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Named a rising star in Communication and Cultural Studies by The Australian and the Australian Academy of the Humanities (2024)
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Globally recognized research, ranked first worldwide by SciVal in Artificial Intelligence, Big Data, and Journalism (2020–2025).
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2023 Bob Franklin Award Finalist – Recognized for the article "Data Journalism in Favela" (https://doi.org/10.1080/17512786.2021.1922301)
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2021 AEJMC Best Student Paper, 3rd Place – Recognized for the article "Digital News Business Models in the Age of Industry 4.0" (https://doi.org/10.1080/21670811.2022.2037444)
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Al Jazeera Fellowship, 2021.
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Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellowship, 2019–2022
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Erasmus+ DCLEAD Scholarship, 2016–2018
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Erasmus Mundus EMUNDUS15 Scholarship, 2010–2011
Industry Recognitions
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ONA, WAN-IFRA, Gabo, and Vladimir Herzog Award – Awarded for the investigative work Amazon Underworld Origin (2024-2025).
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ECO Award by AmCham – Awarded for the project PlenaMata, 2021
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International Center for Journalists LEAP Program – Innovative Solution for Media Trust, 2022.
His research interests include the changing nature of communications driven by technological innovations, particularly in journalism, media, and online social networks.
He is currently leading and collaborating on several major research projects, including JEERA’s Public Data Purges project with Dr. Silvia Montaña-Niño (UniMelb), which investigates how disappearing government data undermines evidence-based journalism across five countries; a CNPq-funded project with NetLab led by with Dr. Marie Santini (UFRJ) on disinformation campaigns on YouTube; the Silencing the Press project with Dr. Lucia Mesquita (Lusófona University); the ESRC-funded Digital Good project examining the political economy of tech-for-democracy interventions in the Global Majority; and, together with Prof. Peter Greste (MQ), the Australian Media Landscape Monitor (AMLM), supported by the Susan McKinnon Foundation, MQ Data Horizons, and the MQ Enterprise Partnerships Scheme.
Mathias-Felipe currently serves on the editorial boards of the Digital Journalism, Journalism Practice, and Emerging Media journals.
He was Early Career Representative (2023-2025) and current Secretary (2025-2027) for the International Communication Association (ICA) Journalism Studies Division.
My Research Supervision
- Research Assistants: Dr. Mathias Felipe de Lima Santos has worked with three research assistants to date (Maria Clara Couto, Thiago Cortez, Victoria Ansarah).
- Master Students: Currently, he has one Research Master Student (Samuel Hockey, MQ).
- PhD Students: He is supervising two PhD Student with associate supervision from overseas institutions (Cláudia Regina Ferreira with the Federal University of Ceará (UFC), Brazil and Amalia Nurul Muthmainnah (MQ) with the University of Groningen; main supervisor).
My Teaching
Dr. Mathias Felipe de Lima Santos has extensive experience teaching at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels, combining theoretical foundations with practical, data-driven applications. He previously served as the Master of Research (MRes) Convenor for Macquarie University (MQ)’s School of Communication, Society and Culture (SCSC), where he coordinated and supervised research programs for MRes students and taught Data Journalism at the Master’s level as well as Journalism Research at the undergraduate level.
Prior to joining MQ, he taught at the University of Amsterdam, coordinating the lectures Foundations of Cultural and Social Data and Analysis Applications of Cultural and Social Data Analysis, and co-coordinating the course Language, Speech and Dialogue Processing in 2023.
His teaching philosophy emphasizes active learning, critical thinking, and practical application, preparing students to address contemporary challenges in media, journalism, and digital technologies.