Cutting Deeper: U.S. Newspapers Wipeout Jobs and Alter Career Identities

Modeled on the “New Beats: A study of Australian Journalism Redundancies” project (2014–17), the purpose of this study was to gather data to examine how forced career change among U.S. newspaper journalists has affected their employment, professional identities, financial situations and perceptions of newspaper journalism. Drawing from a sample of about 350 former and current U.S. newspaper journalists who had lost their jobs, 47%said the career change did not affect their professional identity. Meanwhile, 36% still identify themselves as journalists, although many have not worked in their traditional newspaper job for several years. Similarities between this study and those conducted by the New Beats team include: About 30% of those who left newspapers returned to journalism jobs; the most common new career for the departed was in media communications or marketing; and Australian journalists and American journalists demonstrated a breadth of positive and negative emotions after leaving their media jobs. A common finding between this study and the Australian parent study is that journalists are actively negotiating their professional identity at a profoundly challenging moment, and that despite the role of structural forces, journalists are retaining at least some agency in how they define themselves

Who is a journalist now? Recognising atypical journalism work in the digital media economy

For the past two decades, understandings of the scale of digital disruption in journalism work in post-industrialised countries have relied on data about newspaper closures, newsroom job losses and the creation of new full-time jobs in journalism. Yet, the digital economy has fostered new employment and work arrangements, and there is less secure employment in journalism, making it more difficult to define who is a journalist now. Using a case study of Australian journalists seeking re-employment after newsroom job loss, this article examines some of the emerging patterns of atypical journalism work. It concludes that attempts to measure the current extent of journalism work need to explicitly account for hybrid careers characterised by professional activities at the margins of or outside of traditional newsroom work. In the digital economy, journalists may undertake a range of journalism and non-journalism work simultaneously or sequentially

'It has a bleak future': The effects of job loss on regional and rural journalism in Australia

Severe contractions in the Australian media landscape have led to a loss of jobs in major metropolitan newsrooms. In 2015, those cuts spread significantly to regional and rural newsrooms in Australia. This paper explores the effect of job loss on rural and regional journalism through a survey of 31 journalists working at rural and regional media organisations whose positions were made redundant from 2012 to 2015. As well as providing accounts of their own personal redundancy experiences, this paper explores the participants’ opinions of regional and rural journalism. It concludes that those whose positions in local journalism have become redundant are concerned about the resources of local newsrooms, and the quality of journalism these newsrooms can subsequently produce

Submission to the Select Committee on the Future of Public Interest Journalism

New Beats is a project studying Australian journalists whose positions became redundant during or since 2012. The four-year project is funded by the Australian Research Council and is being conducted by a team of researchers at four universities. The project aims to create greater understanding about the process of redundancy in journalism and of the human effects and societal ramifications for an industry undergoing profound change. The project is also a means by which journalists who have been through the redundancy process can share information and gather data on jobs, demand for journalistic expertise, new career directions, re-training, and the impact of redundancy on professional identity, family life and well-being. This submission addresses themes that pertain to the current state of public interest journalism in Australia and around the world, including the role of government in ensuring a viable, independent and diverse range of media services. This inquiry is taking place at a time when the ranks of journalists employed by major news outlets have been in serious decline for a decade.Australian Research Counci

When Reporters get Hands-on with Robo-writing: Professionals Consider Automated Journalism’s Capabilities and Consequences

The availability of data feeds, the demand for news on digital devices, and advances in algorithms are helping to make automated journalism more prevalent. This article extends the literature on the subject by analysing professional journalists’ experiences with, and opinions about, the technology. Uniquely, the participants were drawn from a range of news organizations—including the BBC, CNN, and Thomson Reuters—and had first-hand experience working with robo-writing software provided by one of the leading technology suppliers. The results reveal journalists’ judgements on the limitations of automation, including the nature of its sources and the sensitivity of its “nose for news”. Nonetheless, journalists believe that automated journalism will become more common, increasing the depth, breadth, specificity, and immediacy of information available. While some news organizations and consumers may benefit, such changes raise ethical and societal issues and, counter-intuitively perhaps, may increase the need for skills—news judgement, curiosity, and scepticism—that human journalists embody

Sport media and journalism: An introduction

The media have played a key role in sport’s ascendancy as a social, cultural and economic institution, both in Australia and internationally. This article outlines some of the recent developments in the nexus between sport and the media, as well as the criticisms that have been levelled at the sport journalism profession. It is argued that it is now difficult to analyse sport, in its many forms, without acknowledging its relationship with the media, and vice versa. The final part of the article draws together the key issues and debates addressed in this themed issue

Technology x Society Forum: Implementing Australia's AI Ethics Principles

Presented by La Trobe University and Swinburne's Social Innovation Research Institute. 2023 will go down as the year that the conversation about the impact of AI on society took centre stage. Have humans lost control? Should we pause AI research to figure out what the dangers are? At the same time, efforts are being focused to maximise the benefits of AI. In March this year, Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, announced the establishment of their National AI Centre to co-ordinate ‘Australia's expertise and capabilities for a strong, collaborative and focused AI ecosystem that benefits all Australians’ and published Implementing Australia's AI Ethics Principles report - CSIRO. We invite you to join Rita Arrigo, Strategic Engagement Manager at CSIRO National AI Centre and Professor Lawrie Zion, Associate Dean, Research and Industry Engagement, La Trobe University in conversation about implementing Australia's AI Ethics Principles