Category Archives: Journalism

Professional journalism and journalism education

Women and war reporting

More and more women journalists and female crews are reporting from the front lines of conflicts . Once almost wholly the domain of men, war reporting now seems to be open to women, but how true is that? And while women can bring an expanded skillset to the job, are we actually seeing that on our news pages and TV screens? What can we do to redress failures in assigning and valuing women war reporters? Read More

Who will blink first in Fiji?

Fijian coup leader, military dictator and then elected Prime Minister, Frank Bainimarama wanted to be remembered as a man who implemented reform in his island nation of 800,000 people. But it was the very journalists he bullied who would be writing his legacy. More than 10 years have now passed since this article was first published, but has anything really changed in the Pacific islands state? Read More

Vultures or doves? When journalists can do harm in covering tragedy.

There is often a fine line between reporting tragedy and making it. Society’s seemingly insatiable appetite to see, read and hear of fellow humans in trouble can lead journalists into thinking we’re just doing what the public wants. But how far can we intrude into the grief of victims and survivors? As Australia recovers from more horrific bushfires, we look back at 2009, which brought out the best and the worst in the media. Read More

Can journalism survive modern media warfare?

Manipulation of the media by people who have power is not new, but is it getting more cunning and insidious? The seemingly endless conflict in Gaza in early 2009 showed how difficult life could be for journalists reporting from the front line of conflicts. It’s not just a matter of dodging bullets and shells but trying to avoid the shrapnel from public relations spin too. Read More

When journalists fall from grace – sometimes they’re victims too

Journalism can be a dangerous business wherever it’s practised. Though experienced reporters get used to navigating foreign cultures and alien customs, sometimes the greatest dangers are hidden away from the front line. The case of Australian broadcaster Peter Lloyd brought home the need for journalists to take extra care of themselves wherever they are, even when the pressure seems to be off. Read More

Why media freedom is important to us all

In the often rocky relationship between journalists and governments, it is a sad truth that we are often liked best when we are at our worst, and disliked most when we are at our best. Few governments like a free and unrestrained media to criticise them, give voice to opposing views and expose corruption. In opposition, those same politicians support free media. So it is important journalists hold true to core principles. Read More

When campaigning journalism backfires

A decision by an Australian court that an accused paedophile must be set free because he could not get a fair trial sent a clear warning about the limits of campaigning journalism in free societies. While the media play a vital role in exposing crimes and corruption, we are just one of the four pillars holding up western democracies. Independent courts are another and it pays not to cross them without a very good reason. Read More

Dilemma of receiving lost documents

Finders keepers? A highly sensitive, controversial, confidential document found on a train seat or cafe table is every journalist’s dream, presenting the possibility of a scoop of a lifetime. But it’s not yours, right? Should you give it back unread or publish and be damned? The practical and ethical choices – and the consequences – should give us all pause for thought. Read More

Prince Harry at war

When should the media exercise self-censorship? Reporting when the British Royal Prince Harry was posted to his army unit in the Gulf sparked an international debate about media responsibility when lives might be put at risk. It also contained some useful lessons for the spin doctors on how they should relate to journalists when trust is required from all parties involved. Read More

Journalists killed on duty

Journalism can be a very dangerous business. When we hear that as many as a hundred are killed each year just doing their job, we immediately picture war reporters. But for all the glamour attached to the dangerous lives of front-line correspondents from the western media, most journalists are killed reporting in their own countries, often in oppressive regimes or lawless societies. And the toll continues each year. Read More