Kristy Hess is a Professor of communication at Deakin University. Her research focuses on the relationship between journalism, media innovation, sense of belonging and social order, especially in local and digital settings. She takes a critical cultural sociological approach to her work with specific emphasis on issues of media power and how everyday media-related practices inform understandings of news sustainability in the digital era. She is also interested in understanding centre/periphery tensions, especially in regards to perceptions of the rural, local and agricultural issues. Kristy is the co-author of two books (Palgrave, Routledge), co-editor of two published edited collections (Routledge) and is the associate editor of Digital Journalism (Routledge). She is currently a chief investigator on two projects funded by the Australian Research Council.