Australian Journalism Review - Volume 41, Issue 1, 2019

INTRODUCTION

The consolidation of digital journalism has brought about new forms of news production, distribution and use that clash with the progressive promises of post-industrial news many imagined not so long ago. False news and misinformation overshadow the contributions of digital journalism to democracy. How do virtuous forms of journalism help to confront the challenges brought about by the fragmentation of news epistemologies? How do they infuse quality information in chaotic news ecologies, especially amid the consolidation of non-journalistic intermediaries?

Over the past two decades the issue of gender imbalance in teaching has been the subject of media and political discussion. Researchers have yet to draw definitive conclusions as to the relationship between teacher gender and student achievement, but the notion that more men are needed in teaching persists, with calls for governments to enact ‘affirmative action’ policies. Despite this, surveys of male teachers have found that many believe they are portrayed negatively in the media and that they are under greater scrutiny than their female counterparts. In seeking to better understand this contradiction, this article examines 233 news stories covering the issue of men in teaching. Using framing theory, the authors found that despite a high percentage of stories carrying a positive angle, male teachers are predominantly framed in problematic ways. The authors argue that the news media is ideologically limited in its representation of male teachers, resulting in any advocacy being a counter-narrative to the prevailing logic.

Over five decades of empirical research have demonstrated the power of study abroad programmes to broaden students’ perspectives by exposing them to other peoples and cultures. In a range of fields, universities offer study abroad to help prepare students for a rapidly globalizing world. In recent years, short-term study abroad programmes have become popular in helping students of journalism prepare for the rigours of international reporting. However, travel to another country can be difficult and expensive, putting strain on education budgets and limiting access to a relatively small pool of students. Travel to the most newsworthy sites is also frequently impossible due to lack of security. On the whole, study abroad can reinforce historical imbalances. Students from high-income nations tend to have multiple opportunities to travel and view the world from another perspective, while students from low-income countries have significantly fewer opportunities to do the same. In this research, we developed and studied a Virtual Student Exchange programme in journalism, a new pedagogical strategy that harnessed technology to connect a group of students from RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia, with a similarly composed group of students from the University of Peshawar in Peshawar, Pakistan. For modest cost, the programme provided all students with an opportunity to meet one another, learn about each other’s societies, and work collaboratively on newsworthy events in each other’s country. Informed by Contact Theory, the programme also provided students with opportunities to serve as fixers for one another, and thus to view the relationship between international correspondent and local fixer from both perspectives. Open-ended surveys and semi-structured interviews conducted after the experience show how students on both sides gained from the experience, suggesting productive avenues for further research.

One of the key questions students and parents ask journalism and communication educators is, ‘where are the jobs?’. Additionally, every few years news outlets recycle stories on how journalism and communication schools are over-enrolling students in programmes with difficult job prospects. How can educators prepare students to work in a precarious media environment? And how can we embed that preparation in a practical understanding of creativity and creative practice? During 2014–16, I conducted a research project that examined how alternative media producers are telling their stories online. The project consisted of 28 semi-structured interviews with bloggers, broad/narrowcasters, website producers and online magazine publishers and set out to answer questions about the skills, business models, technologies and success of these entrepreneurial journalistic enterprises. Each of the respondents was also asked if they had any advice for students who wanted to work in the online space. Thematic analysis of the interview data revealed six key themes: the importance of networking; developing a broad skill base; finding a niche; engaging with your audience; ‘success won’t happen overnight’ and ‘love what you do’. Employing theoretical models of creativity and cultural production from psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi and sociologist Pierre Bourdieu, who both contend that creativity and cultural production emerge from a creative system in action, discussion of these themes demonstrates how to prepare students for entering a changing and precarious journalism workforce.

In the context of rapidly changing newsrooms and a constriction in entry-level positions for graduates, the Europe and Australia in the World (WORLDREP) programme seeks to prepare students by pairing freelance journalism with overseas training and exchange. However, the entrepreneurial focus of the course must be weighed against the challenges and idiosyncratic hiring criteria that graduates face on their return home. This article discusses interviews with former Tasmanian participants to compare what the students felt they acquired during the course with perceived barriers and challenges post-graduation. We find that the programme’s freelance focus cultivates a range of applied skills, an extensive publication portfolio and professional confidence. However, interviewees also reported that a lack of local newsroom contacts – traditionally provided through newsroom internships – constitutes a hurdle on their return home. This prompts a discussion about how to complement exchange programmes with local networking and professional development initiatives that can ground what students have learnt overseas in local journalism practice.

Allegations against film producer Harvey Weinstein, co-owner of US entertainment company Miramax Films, which led to the revitalized #MeToo movement of October 2017, gave global recognition to the sexual violence (sexism, misogyny, sexual harassment, assault and rape) that women experience in the creative industries. As a spin-off, the #MeNoMore campaign in December 2017 resulted in more than 400 women working in the Australian music industry speaking out against similar behavior. Despite having a reputation for sexual violence, the local music press played a minor role in this hashtag development, claiming that its practices are tied to radical, liberal and progressive values. In the post-Weinstein, #MeToo and #MeNoMore era, this contradiction signifies that the Australian music press is fertile ground for a feminist investigation. However, to date minimal local research has examined the link between sexual violence and music journalism. As a literature review to a larger empirical case study, this article draws on a critical discourse analysis from the post-feminist wave of media research into rockism, poptimism, punk, rap, hip hop, dubstep and electronic dance music genres, mainly conducted in the United States and United Kingdom. Derived from this analysis, the article argues that there are four framing techniques associated with music journalism practice in Australia: gendered music press, a masculine attitude towards music reporting, gendered musical tastes and gendered sexual harassment.