COVER SHEET

Duffield, Lee R. and Cokley, John (2006) I, Journalist: Coping with and crafting media information in the 21st century, Duffield, Lee R. and Cokley, John, Eds. . Pearson Education Australia. Copyright 2006 Pearson Education Australia Accessed from http://eprints.qut.edu.au

I, JOURNALIST

Coping with and crafting media information in the 21st century Edited by: Lee Duffield PhD and John Cokley PhD With contributions by: Lee Duffield PhD John Cokley PhD Mark Hayes PhD John Herbert PhD Elaine Ford B.Jour (Hons) Rebekah Van Druten B.Jour (Hons) Kasey Glazebrook B.Jour Janice Holland BA (Jour) John Flynn B.Jour Bill Harper BAppSc. (Comp)

The editors Dr Lee Duffield is a journalism lecturer at the Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane. He was a journalist and overseas correspondent during more than twenty years with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. His research interests include the roles of journalists and mass media in historical crises and international relations. Dr John Cokley lectures and researches in journalism, media and communication at the University of Queensland specialising in news delivery to remote communities; he is also convener of the Australian Convergent Journalism Special Interest Group (the Australian affiliate of the NewsPlex research complex, University of South Carolina). A reporter and editor with independent magazines and News Corporation newspapers between 1981 and 2002, he has taught and researched at four universities; has worked as a volunteer presenter in community radio, run successful small communication businesses with his wife Phillipa Hanrick, and is a member of the Society of Editors (Queensland) and the Small Island Cultures Research Institute.

The contributors John Flynn spent most of his first 15 years in journalism in Queensland regional television news. One of the first video journalists, he did pioneering work with new technologies before starting out as an independent. He is a sports specialist contributing to international online services, and a journalism graduate from the Queensland University of Technology. Elaine Ford began career life in journalism as a freelancer but moved quickly to her present position as a journalist and new-media producer with the state-owned broadcaster ABC News Online in 2001. Graduating with first-class honours in journalism from the Queensland University of Technology, she received a major international Golden Key (Adult Scholar) award. Kasey Glazebrook is a journalist with Prime television in New South Wales. She graduated in journalism from the Queensland University of Technology in 2004. Her preparation for journalism included student exchange experience overseas and advanced studies in French. Her research at university included work on developments in freelance journalism. Bill Harper is a public service information technology specialist with an Applied Science (Computing) degree from Charles Sturt University. He has done further study in creative writing and journalism to support activities as a regular podcast consumer, planning to create his own podcast (though still with ‘no idea what the hell to talk about’). Dr Mark Hayes is a sociologist, journalist, and writer on mass media who has taught journalism at four Australian universities and the University of the South Pacific in Fiji. He is currently following specialist interests and engaging in research on cultural issues and mass communication in the South Pacific. Professor John Herbert is an Australian broadcast journalist and academic who has worked in broadcasting, newspapers and journalism education for all his professional life, split between Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and Hong Kong. He co-founded the UK’s first postgraduate diploma in radio journalism in London; was Head of Radio Training for the BBC; in charge of radio journalism training for the ABC; started print and broadcast journalism, both undergraduate and postgraduate, at Staffordshire University and was foundation Professor of Journalism there. He now specialises in researching, writing and speaking about many aspects of journalism and journalism education. Janice Holland graduated in journalism at the Queensland University of Technology, and then progressed to an MA (research) degree where she has examined the street-press phenomenon and its implications for journalism practice. She has worked freelance and in corporate communication, has edited business and industry magazines, and publishes Your Pet magazine. Rebekah Van Druten is a journalist with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. She is a firstclass honours graduate of the Queensland University of Technology [B.Jour, 2004] and continues there as a tutor. Her research on international news and correspondents has included extensive interviews with practitioners in Australia and Europe. ¾

Note on referencing styles: In deference to our general position that journalism is becoming freer, the editors have chosen not to hog-tie contributors to the same style ‘post’. Accordingly, varying recognised academic referencing styles – all rigorous, of course – have been allowed within these pages, which readers in different markets around the world will find accommodating according to their tastes.

Introduction I, Journalist looks at some facts and theories about the new economy of the world, with its heavy component of information technology across the whole range of economic and also social activity. This is done with two principles in mind: firstly, the changing world communication and mass media scene is viewed from the perspective of media practitioners, specifically the journalists; and secondly, we confine ourselves to discussion about technologies and technology-driven changes that are already strongly in evidence, documenting changes in the making instead of speculating about futures. One prime reason for I, Journalist is to assist journalists to locate themselves in the new terrain of global media and media organisations this century. There is certainly considerable writing already on where mass media is going, much of which will suppose it means the end of the news business, and will celebrate the prospect of a world where media professionals will be replaced by a ‘democratised’ free exchange of information. In truth our collective research for this book suggests that demand for journalistic ways of thought and professional media skills stands to increase. Such demand for journalists, or at least journalistic abilities, may well enter new fields and new industries, where there is much more communication going on than before, and where accurate and well-formed communication becomes vital to many forms of production. For example, the convergence of audio-visual systems, mass media and telecommunications, puts sophisticated communication tools in the hands of many people in many kinds of enterprise, as we will hope to show in the following chapters. The actual profiles of journalists and their journalistic practices can be expected to change suddenly. The professionals have begun the new century by losing their near-monopoly on communication tools, from licensed television frequencies to satellite transponder space, and their near monopoly on expertise in mass communications practice. From now on, virtually everybody can become as materially well equipped as the professionals, if they want to. They can certainly obtain and process large wads of information and use it to publish their own interesting news products, if they want to. This means that professional journalists can expect to be dealing with extremely aware audiences who know how communication is done and who will take full advantage of the systems available to interact with them freely. Therefore we propose in this book that citizens generally should consider getting a journalistic education as a very effective way to come to terms with the new world. We identify the ways of thought that have characterised professional journalists, especially those which are applicable to the demands of the new technology and global media. We suggest that these will be of great use to all, for example, in handling huge amounts of information, as journalists must do; in making products for communication, such as reports, features, presentations of many kinds; and especially, in making sense of a confusing world environment. Here we argue that ordinary ways of dealing with information, crafting and representing it, and putting it into an individual mental context, actually are unsuitable for coping with powerful media instruments. It is far better to take up some applied ways of managing them – and journalism is a very relevant choice. We also identify ways in which the model of the professional media worker needs to change in response to the demands of the times. For example, interactivity has arrived and must streamline journalists’ understanding of their markets, and their relations with the public, in a radical way. Likewise, as another example, producers of television are confronted with the option of breaking a chain of historical developments in their craft, over centuries, to adopt new production values, new forms of representation, born of new software and equipment. The method we adopt for making this argument and showing how things are progressing in our world of media is to stick very close to actual experience. Where there is discussion about burgeoning technology and the confusing array of options it presents, we take a walk into the streets to note the array of communication activities going on, check it in a knowledgeable way, and make an inventory of the systems in use. Where we see journalists having to make adjustments, specifically elite practitioners found in overseas reporting or in television current affairs, we ask them directly about their experiences. Where we see journalists exploiting fresh options to set up new enterprises, with new kinds of production facilities, targeted audiences they can get to, novel approaches in the way they organise their work and finances, and the way they design and make products, we report on their progress as case studies. In the conclusion we will suggest that projects such as I, Journalist, just like journalism, are here to stay. More activity and new forms must come up to be documented, as is being done here. The book is intended as a forum for self-conscious reflection by media professionals on their situation and their ongoing practices. It offers one way in which people both within media professions, and those affiliated

with them through being their clients, audiences, customers, interlocutors, correspondents, collaborators and friends, can get a sound understanding of how the media world is progressing.

Contents Dedications.............................................................................3 The editors ......................................................................4 The contributors....................................................................5 Introduction...........................................................................7 Preface...............................................................................14 References.....................................................................16 Executive summaries of chapters..........................................17 Chapter 1 .............................................................................19 Introduction.......................................................................20 A new economy as the context for media workers’ employment 20 Working in corporations and as sole traders.....................22 Everybody could do well to become a journalist..............23 Characteristics of journalists’ mode of work, and thinking........................................................24 Journalism defining itself, resisting social prescriptions .............................................27 Audiences informed and equipped to participate in journalism...............................28 Futures for communication, media and journalism ..........30 References.....................................................................31 Chapter 2 .............................................................................33 Introduction.......................................................................34 Theoretical background ....................................................35 The audit ...........................................................................37 Discussion .........................................................................63 Conclusions.......................................................................65 References.....................................................................66 Chapter 3 .............................................................................73 Introduction.......................................................................74 Research method...............................................................75 Globalisation .....................................................................75 Corporatisation..................................................................76 Foreign News Content ......................................................78 Culture of correspondents .................................................78 Professional Autonomy.....................................................79 Media Contents Review....................................................80 Findings on Media Contents .............................................80 Interview Analysis ............................................................83 Changes to bureaus ...........................................................84 Economic factors ..............................................................86 Technology and productivity ............................................87 Working autonomously.....................................................88 Neo-firefighter model .......................................................90 Conclusions.......................................................................94 Appendix – Correspondents Interviewed......................95

References.....................................................................96 Chapter 4 .............................................................................98 Introduction.......................................................................99 Method of research ...........................................................99 Focus on public affairs as a television genre and field of professional work ..........................................99 Analysis of the findings ..................................................100 Audience .........................................................................102 Practical Concerns ..........................................................102 Short and long-form television current affairs, documentaries Conventions in use today ................................................106 Role of television current affairs practitioners................106 Picture sequences ............................................................107 Camera shots and angles.................................................108 Editing.............................................................................109 Sound ..............................................................................109 Staging re-enactments.....................................................110 Graphic devices...............................................................111 Reporter presence............................................................111 Genre...............................................................................111 Future for television current affairs ................................113 Current affairs journalists responding to change ............114 Technologies driving change ..........................................115 Video journalism.............................................................116 Industry habits and change..............................................117 Conclusion ......................................................................119 Appendix – The interviews.........................................120 References...................................................................120 Chapter 5 ...........................................................................122 Prologue ..........................................................................123 Introduction: Tuvalu mo te Atua – Tatou ne Tuvalu Katoa ..................123 The basics........................................................................124 Global Warming..............................................................128 Dot TV ............................................................................133 Doing Journalism in Tuvalu............................................137 Tuvaluan Te Fenua – Really Understanding Tuvalu ......142 Conclusion ......................................................................157 Note on acknowledgments..........................................157 Chapter 6 ...........................................................................158 Introduction.....................................................................159 What is a ‘podcast’?........................................................159 What kinds of podcasts are available? ............................161 Why are people listening to podcasts?............................162 Why people are making podcasts ...................................163 The downside of podcasts...............................................164 For the listener ................................................................164 For the creator .................................................................165 How to beat the bandwidth blues....................................167 The future........................................................................168

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References...................................................................169 Chapter 7 ...........................................................................171 Introduction.....................................................................172 Method ............................................................................172 An expanding field..........................................................173 Old problems...................................................................173 New modes of operation .................................................175 Experience of freelancers................................................178 Conclusion ......................................................................180 Appendix - Interviews.................................................181 References...................................................................182 Chapter 8 ...........................................................................183 Janice Holland founder of Your Pet................................184 Introduction.....................................................................184 Background .....................................................................184 The idea...........................................................................185 Stages of Growth.............................................................186 Stage 1 – Start up ............................................................186 Business planning .......................................................186 Marketing and public relations; advertising ...............186 Distribution .................................................................187 Editorial and production of issue 1 .............................187 Stage 2 – Production .......................................................187 Marketing....................................................................187 Advertising sales.........................................................188 Editorial and production of issues 2, 3 and 4..............188 Distribution .................................................................188 Business planning .......................................................188 Stage 3 – Evaluation .......................................................189 Achievements..............................................................189 Challenges...................................................................189 The enterprise in context.................................................190 Histories ..........................................................................190 Evolution of street press..................................................190 Impact of technology ......................................................191 The future for Your Pet ...................................................193 John Flynn, proprietor of Jofly Media ............................194 Introduction.....................................................................194 Story of a change ............................................................194 Breaking the shackles .....................................................194 Why go it alone? .............................................................195 Working at the parish pump............................................195 The capital city curse ......................................................196 Life as a video journalist.................................................196 Learning new skills .........................................................196 Working with the Web....................................................197 My role in online journalism...........................................199 Can anyone be a Web journalist?....................................200 What about the method? .................................................200 Making a living at the margins .......................................201

Reflection and conclusions .............................................202 Ethical considerations .....................................................203 The road ahead................................................................203 Appendix – Sports Websites (notes by John Flynn)...203 References...................................................................205 Chapter 9 ...........................................................................206