The past month has shown just how much diversity in media matters. But there is no quick fix – sustained, multi-pronged initiatives are required to bring more diverse journalists into the industry.
The national broadcaster has announced more cuts to its services, including 250 job losses and the axing of the major 7:45am news bulletin. It is the latest in a long line of blows to the ABC.
Since 2014, the ABC has lost $783 million in funding. It has now been announced another 250 jobs will go, further gutting the broadcaster and posing a serious threat to our democracy.
The federal government has announced a package to help regional media through the coronavirus crisis. But our national broadcasters have not been so lucky.
In dismissing the case, Justice Wendy Abraham drew attention to a huge gap in the protection of journalists’ sources under ‘shield laws’, which don’t apply to most search warrants.
ABC once viewed sports coverage as integral to its mission of nation-building. But in recent years, it has grown far more ambivalent about sports.
Dean Lewins/AAP
ABC’s decision to ax its radio coverage of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics has been labeled a ‘complete shame’. But from a financial viewpoint, the broadcaster had few other options.
The Coalition government has reintroduced a bill seeking to mandate the ABC devote more resources to covering regional Australia – a measure that has been defeated before by parliament.
Danny Casey/AAP
The latest proposals to amend the ABC Charter raise questions about media law reform. To be effective and sustainable, it needs to be strategic, not ad hoc and politicised.
‘Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!’ was a funky, lighthearted alternative to the action cartoons that, for years, had dominated Saturday morning lineups.
GeekDad
Demands for regulation of media violence reached a fever pitch after RFK’s assassination, and networks scrambled to insert more kid-friendly fare into their lineups. Enter: the Mystery Machine.
According to the ACCC, the number of journalists employed in print and online businesses in Australia dropped by 20% from 2014-18.
Lukas Coch/AAP
The ACCC Digital Platforms Report recommends several ways to revive journalism in the social media age, including A$50m in direct grants to local news services.
The government has approved a parliamentary inquiry into press freedom – a step the major media organisations have dismissed as unnecessary.
Bianca De Marchi/AAP
A parliamentary inquiry into press freedom is merely a public relations exercise designed to buy time until the public anger over last month’s police raids dies down.
News Corp Executive Chariman Michael Miller (left), Nine Chief Executive Officer Hugh Marks (centre) and ABC Managing Director David Anderson (right) stressed unity in their fight for press freedom.
Rohan Thomson/AAP
The heads of News Corp, Nine and ABC talked tough on the need for stronger legal protections for journalists. But unity is meaningless unless it brings meaningful action from the government.
The ABC and News Corp have argued that the AFP raids infringe the “implied freedom of political communication” protected by the Australian Constitution.
AAP/The Conversation
Media companies’ legal challenges to the legitimacy of recent AFP raids will allow the courts to clarify where the line is between national security and press freedom.
Michelle Guthrie in 2018: the former ABC managing director made greater staff diversity a top priority. But her final Equity and Diversity annual report failed to meet several long-held targets.
Joel Carrett/AAP
As we face a growing tide of unregulated hate speech, the media is crucial in normalising diversity. Yet progress here has been slow. Even the ABC has failed to meet some of its own targets for hiring a diversity of employees.
Senator James McGrath in the Senate chamber at Parliament House in Canberra.
Mick Tsikas
Following similar comments by Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack, a senator has called for the ABC to sell its Ultimo headquarters and move to the suburbs and regional centres.
This week’s police raids have forced us to think again about the role of the media in a democracy.
David Gray/AAP
After this week’s police raids on media outlets, we need a better way to balance two crucial elements of our democracy - national security and press freedom.
Bill Shorten walks past the painting The Pioneer by Frederick McCubbin at the NGV Australia in Melbourne on May 11.
Lukas Coch/AAP
Labor’s arts election policy includes more funding for the Australia Council and the ABC. But while this is welcome, arts and culture deserve far greater attention.
David Anderson has more than 30 years’ experience at the ABC, and appears to be well-regarded within the organisation.
AAP/Dan Himbrechts
However, the problem of combining the managing director and editor-in-chief roles remains, and these must be separated to preserve editorial independence.
Communications and Arts Minister Mitch Fifield during a press conference in Canberra in June 2018. Over the last six years of Coalition government, there has been a lack of strong policy initiatives and a neglect of smaller arts organisations.
Lukas Coch/AAP
The Coalition government’s approach to arts and culture policy has been one of ad hocism and neglect. Perhaps most serious has been the damage done to the Australia Council and the ABC.
According to new research, the ABC stands to lose A$783 million in total funding by 2022, unless steps are taken to reverse budget cuts.
Shutterstock
Yes, the ABC received A$43.7 million to continue funding its ‘enhanced news gathering’ operation in the 2019 budget, but this is a drop in the bucket compared to how much it stands to lose.
The committee says it was not until Guthrie’s now famous dossier about Milne’s alleged interference came out in the Fairfax press that the rest of the board woke up to what had been going on.
Joel Carrett/AAP
A Senate inquiry report has found that while the broadcaster’s board was aware of the deteriorating relationship between the chair and managing director, it did not make any further inquiries.