Rate My Professor Alan McKee

Professor Alan McKee is Professor of Digital Intimacies in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at the University of Sydney. He has served as Head of the School of Art, Communication and English since joining the University in July 2022. Prior to this, McKee held positions at the University of Technology Sydney in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Queensland University of Technology in the Creative Industries Faculty, University of Queensland, and Edith Cowan University. He earned his PhD in Communication and Media Studies from the University of Glasgow in 1996, with a thesis titled "Making race mean: the limits of interpretation in the case of Australian Aboriginality in films and television programs."

McKee's research specializations include digital intimacies, pornography studies, healthy sexual development through entertainment, and digital sexual literacy. He led the ARC-funded project "Understanding Pornography in Australia," which surveyed over 1,000 consumers and documented predominantly positive self-reported effects of pornography exposure. In 2026, The Australian newspaper named him Australia's leading researcher in sex and sexuality. Key publications encompass books such as Textual Analysis: A Beginner's Guide (Sage, 2003), The Public Sphere: An Introduction (Cambridge University Press, 2005), The Porn Report (Melbourne University Publishing, 2008, with Catharine Lumby and Katherine Albury), and The Indigenous Public Sphere (Oxford University Press, 2000, with John Hartley). Prominent articles include "A Profile of Pornography Users in Australia: Findings from the Second Australian Study of Health and Relationships" (Journal of Sex Research, 2017) and "Humanities and social scientific research methods in porn studies" (Porn Studies, 2014). McKee served as President of the Cultural Studies Association of Australasia and holds editorial roles on Continuum: Journal of Media & Cultural Studies, M/C Journal, and Girlfriend Guide to Life. He is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA) and Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD). His contributions shape academic discourse on ethical pornography criteria, age verification technologies, and media's role in sexual health.