Geoffrey Barker wrote a scathing attack on journalism and newspaper managers in July, reminiscent of Jason Whittaker’s appraisal a few months ago on his blog, importanceofideas.com, where he lambasted the entire managerial hierarchy of Australian print media.
In Barker’s essay, The Crumbling Estate, written for the Griffith Review, he presents 10 trends he says are “throttling the life, authority and influence out of newspapers”.
He rightly asks:

“whether the declines in circulation and revenue result partly from decisions by companies’ managers who, desperate to ensure newspapers’ survival, have embraced a range of practices damaging to the craft of journalism”.

Summarised, Barker’s 10 trends killing (newspaper) journalism in Australia are:

1. Managerialism displacing journalism as the dominant newsroom culture
2. Perpetual efforts to cut costs and staff
3. Changing work habits cutting journalists off from outside world
4. Young journalists less likely to see the job as a vocation and more of a stepping stone
5. Journalists out-gunned, out-thought, out-paid by armies of communications advisers
6. Cost-cuts that lead to buying more content from notable international papers
7. Avoiding difficult issues and highlighting sensationalist material, emphasising sex and sport
8. Breakdown in separation between editorial and advertising
9. Little sustained investigative journalism
10. Downplay coverage of foreign and national news in favour of local news

Indicative of the relative lack of technological progress made by Australian newspapers, Barker says:

“the strategic decisions made by newspapers to defend themselves against technological change and economic difficulties have only worsened their situation”.

and:

“despite their vigour, newspapers are increasingly at risk from their misguided attempts to save themselves”.

On having recently left an Australian newspaper, I can say there is clearly truth in the statements about newspapers not embracing technological change. At the same time, however, I am quick to defend those involved in the production of newspaper websites, but I’ll get to that in a minute.

Variously, newspapers are increasingly aware and openly acknowledging that they must be news “outlets” or companies, not just news “papers”. In that recognition, they are admirably going about the work of catching up on years of pig-headedness (and I’m being generous there – not all who are trying to catch up are necessarily working hard in the right direction). Years ago people were trying new things – promising things that had the potential to blossom into new media production experiments that, while not necessarily game changing, would have at least been industry leading.

At fault in that lost potential is not online news teams, who I think genuinely want nothing more than to grow and better inform their audience in exciting and innovative ways. Rather, an industry downturn combined with management’s perceived lack of value in pursuing new platforms or distribution ideas and other decisions like those mentioned by Barker – particularly staff cutbacks or hiring freezes – are at fault. With staff cutbacks, online teams are largely limited to moderating comments and producing image galleries of scantily clad women, instead of implementing additional content of constantly refining quality (the only thing that might be worth paying for?).

It’s positive, as it should be, that Barker sees the Australian newspaper industry as redeemable. In what way can it redeem itself? Well, that’s the trick question. And by redeem I mean make money while at the same time doing the work that can again be called that of the “Fourth Estate”.

UPDATE
Related reading and a superfluous explanation (that I’ve had to retype on my iPhone after losing half of it just before publishing the post):

On the way to catch my flight to Sydney early Wednesday morning I was reading John Birmingham’s piece in The Monthly, Mash-up: A short history of the media future.

During the flight I read The Crumbling Estate, mentioned above, and wrote the majority of this blog post as a kind of summary before going off on a tangent that kept a somewhat less than tenuous link to Barker’s essay topic.

It wasn’t until exiting the plane – and after having written this – that I started to read Jason Wilson’s New Matilda piece, News Corpus Christi (which prompted the despondent tweet below) and then Mark Scott’s speech on the Decline and Fall of the Rupertan Empire.

Some may have seen the below tweet, written immediately having read Jason Wilson’s piece. No offence intended towards either Jason or John, who I both admire and respect, but I felt I had just read a nearly carbon copy article by both men. The arguments, the examples, the conclusions – they all read the same and reminded me of all the similar “ponderings” I’d read before. And so I tweeted:

“Talk talk talk.We all keep saying the same things re future of journalism #foj. slightly #jaded :(

Mr Scott’s words were slightly more uplifting in their ushering of fantastical visions of our future utopia. And in reference to the tweet, it is not lost on me that I what I have written proposes nothing new and is far less erudite than what either Jason or John have written. But there you go. I may later talk about how I have never had to consider the business side of our glorious media future, being but a mere minion. It’s a reality I will now likely have to consider.

The central argument, that users need to pay for news to recoup costs, is an effective raising of the white flag. It’s an admission that, unlike at Google, the media industry is bereft of ideas about how to make online advertising profitable. This extends to the entire industry, all of whom are discussing the merits and timetables of a user-pays model. It just so happens that the News Ltd announcement has thrust that model back into the spotlight.

It reminds me of a rant from David Cross in the outtakes of Arrested Development: “If you can’t market that kind of show and get better ratings, then maybe the problem doesn’t lie here, maybe it lies with marketing”.

In The Australian’s Media and Marketing section on August 10, Mark Day said a paywall would allow newspapers to wrest back control of their business model. How? The way the music industry did, through the “grim enforcement of copyright, uniform action by the music companies and technological advances such as the iTunes micro-payment systems”.  The music industry business model was all but destroyed by online, and rather than bludgeoning users to return to the good old days, they instead bow to the consumer who is willing to pay, but demands to control how, when, and what they pay for.

I disagree completely that “the [music] industry was able to wrest back control of its product”. The music industry was dragged kicking and screaming to its knees, finally relinquishing control to a micro-payment model after consumer outrage put a gun to their head and forced the issue. Introducing a user-pays model isn’t about wresting back control of the news product at all, and you could not pick a worse example of an industry to emulate than the music business.

As an aside, in the music industry consumers have always paid for the product. In the news industry, consumers have never paid for the product, advertising has. The cover price of a newspaper wouldn’t cover the cost of the ink on its pages.

Surprisingly there were a few things I agreed with Mark Day about (despite the column’s title, Bloggers may howl, but cash for content makes sense), like his examples of the three strands of news (happening, manufactured, investigated) and what kind of news people might be willing to pay for. It’s a valid argument, and one industry people are having everywhere, but I do wonder if it’s the sense of inevitibility that is now driving the debate. Now that the introduction of pay-per-view content seems inevitable, everyone is expending cognitive energy on the issue, speculating about how the paywall could work, or what content people are willing to pay for. This, instead of developing a model where advertising still pays for news.

Whether it was the classified “rivers of gold” or advertising on the page, the news industry has for some reason given up on that model working online. I find it inexplicable that nobody in the news industry, across the globe, can figure out how to make advertising work online. Google are just smarter, I guess.

No less than the president of media at Thomson Reuters, Chris Ahearn, recently penned a piece titled, Why I believe in the link economy

Blaming the new leaders or aggregators for disrupting the business of the old leaders, or saber-rattling and threatening to sue are not business strategies – they are personal therapy sessions. Go ask a music executive how well it works.

From Mark Day’s Bloggers may howl, but cash for content makes sense

It is clear a free internet has the power to wreck the economic model of newspapers and news-gathering itself. But the irony is, if that were to happen, the most valuable elements of news — that which is investigated, tested and credible — would disappear because of a lack of funding. Ultimately, that serves no one. Society would be the loser.

We do a disservice to society by making that valuable and important news inaccessible, by telling society that, unless you pay, we will withhold the information that informs your understanding of the machinations of government and the economy.

Related reading:

I first started writing this post over a week ago. The biggest addition since then is the Associated Press plan for content charging online, assessed by Nieman Journalism Lab after they got hold an internal AP document labeled, “AP CONFIDENTIAL — NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION.”

• AP’s Online Strategy » Nieman Journalism Lab
• Why I believe in the link economy (Chris Ahearn, President, Media at Thomson Reuters)
• Will Rupert Murdoch Lead Way for Paid Online Content? – TIME
  ["the pay wall would have destroyed them. Or cured them"]
• Economics for CEO dummies – The Future of Journalism – Open Salon
  ["He made an unfortunately apt comparison between a stale bagel and his newspapers"]
• Pitfalls of the pay wall | Knight Digital Media Center
  ["Before they jump into charging for content, news organizations must bypass the quality journalism argument and answer these five questions instead"]
• Rupert Murdoch’s move to charge for content opens doors for competitors | Media | The Guardian
• Economists on pay-per-view online print news – Terry Flew from QUT

UPDATE:
Last week I tweeted about an article that literally took the words out of my mouth in relation to this blog post.
Five Key Reasons Why Newspapers Are Failing | SPLICETODAY.COM
The first point there illustrates this post:
1. Consumers don’t pay for news. They have never paid for news.

My question is, “How much unique content is out there?”

The arguments in favor of paywalls have largely focused on the value of unique content that is produced by media outlets. I would like to see an objective analysis and review of unique content. I can only assume some sort of exhaustive analysis has informed the direction we are all being pushed towards.

I had already put this question to journalism academic Julie Posetti earlier in the week in an email, but Murdoch’s comments prompted me to ask the question again publicly.
Are there any in-depth studies looking at unique content in newspapers or their online sites, and what do those studies conclude?

On Thursday night, ABC’s Lateline Business reported plans to introduce paywalls at all News Corporation outlets by next year’s Northern summer. In a recorded teleconference Murdoch is heard saying that, to make a paywall work, News Corp would need to “make our content better and differentiate it from other people“.

RUPERT MURDOCH: We just make our content better, and differentiate it from other people and I believe that if we are successful, we’ll be followed by all the media.

Watch the video or read the transcript of the three-minute Lateline Business report on their site.

Or listen to what was said by just Rupert Murdoch here:
[podcast]http://earleyedition.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/murdoch-teleconference.mp3[/podcast]

The wording used sounds more like a statement of future intent – this is what we must do – but much of the paywall argument to date has focused on the unique content that newspapers and their online sites are currently giving away for free. I think using the Wall Street Journal as proof of concept is a bit flawed, because it is very different to a “paper of record”. If WSJ are generally targeting a specific market with market-related content, then they could be described as a niche publication. Is a paper of record that covers the gamut of local, national and world news able to drill down and provide unique content? That is, content that won’t be easily found elsewhere, and provides value to the reader.

I’m hoping a study exists, or some clever postgraduate student is currently working on it. It would be illogical to discuss the possibility of making people pay for unique content without a thorough assessment of the quantity of same.

An interesting one that just popped up yesterday in The Australian’s Media & Marketing section was that subscription paid off for one site after just three weeks.
Subscribers turn profit for NZ site | The Australian

Related reading:
Murdoch On Leading The Charging Charge | paidContent
This Is Rupert’s Last Stand: Making You Pay
Rupert Murdoch to charge to view news websites by 2010 | Media | The Guardian
Roy Greenslade: Murdoch is wrong to charge for online content | Media | guardian.co.uk
News Limited working on paid net models | The Australian
Bloggers may howl, but cash for content makes sense | The Australian

UPDATE:
To be perfectly clear on this, I don’t see a paywall working as a flat entry fee for the entirety of a masthead news site. It’s no secret that the internet’s disruption to the traditional business model is choice. People will only pay to get *exactly* what they want. Niche markets…you’ve heard it all before.
If there has to be an argument for paywalls, then the case of the WSJ is illustrative: people are willing to pay for premium industry insight and business-critical information. In Australia that might similarly translate to the business section of the paper, or quality reporting on state politics.

But then again, it might not. The biggest threat to the paywall will be free quality content available from places like the ABC and BBC.

This list was originally contained in the post, Australia’s Top 100 Journalists and News Media People on Twitter. That post has been trimmed back to just 100 Twitter accounts to more accurately reflect the post title.
The original list has been reposted in full here, with even more additions taking it beyond 500 Twitter accounts listed.
Read on…

That (original) post title is utter bollocks and mere linkbait. This list does not in any way rank influence, importance or interest, and it contains far more than 100 journalists.

There have been a few lists of Australian journalists on Twitter (see end of post), but this one is a little different, and much larger. I have classified as journalist anyone who produces content for online or traditional media and, as you’ll see, some people who are simply involved in the selling or promoting of news media. So really it’s more of a list of Australian media people on Twitter It’s also not a complete list of Australian journalists and people in the news media industry on Twitter because that number has exploded in the last few months. It’s getting to the point where I would be surprised if there’s a journalist who DOESN’T have a Twitter account, and so I’ve stopped keeping track. I’ve stopped looking for more. I’m hitting publish.

LC Smith Corona Typewriter

Sections

• News Limited
• Fairfax
• ABC
• Other Media – organised
• Other Media – unorganised
• Freelance
• Photographers
• Radio
• Television
• Miscellaneous
• Academics
• Australians Overseas
• Blurb

NEWS LIMITED

The Courier-Mail

@djfcm David Fagan – Courier Mail editor
@jg_rat John Grey – online editor
@ViralAgent John O’Brien – sub-editor and Mac columnist
@bartman6 Chris Bartlett – online editor
@lyndalcairns Lyndal Cairns – online editor
@jendudley Jennifer Dudley-Nicholson – Technology reporter and blogger
@earleyedition Dave Earley – general news and police reporter
@felicitymoore Felicity Moore – Sub editor and parenting blogger
@readfearn Graham Readfearn – Environment reporter and blogger
@annacaldwell Anna Caldwell – police reporter
@jodieobrien Jodie O’Brien – police and courts reporter
@ironsider Robyn Ironside – crime editor
@patricklion Patrick Lion – state political reporter
@cmrosemary Rosemary Odgers – state political reporter
@nataschamirosch Natascha Mirosch – Food feature writer
@thejobblog Amanda Horswill – CareerOne editor
@johnstonec Craig Johnstone – state political editor
@emilyeverywhere Emily Jade O’Keefe – Courier Mail blogger (also Triple M radio)
@brizbands Candice Bridger – entertainment and music blogger and vlogger
@poppymasselos Poppy Masselos – headstart editor, integration team
@terryoconnor Terry O’Connor – online editor
@alisonsandy Alison Sandy – city council reporter
@shopblog Paddy Hintz – Journalist, shopping blogger
@therealrocky123 Neale Maynard – online editor
@barringtond Barry Dick – courier mail online sports editor
@michaellund Michael Lund – feature writer
@petewallis Peter Wallis – photographer
@mickwray11 Michael Wray – joined Twitter while chief police reporter, since left to Hong Kong
@ursulaheger Ursula Heger – transport reporter
@ajdicko Alex Dickinson – MX reporter
@chesterrod Rod Chester
@NatGregg Natalie Gregg
@melbris Melanie Christiansen
@dwabriz Dennis Atkins
@lisayallamas Lisa Yallamas
@waggachap David Costello
@jensent Torny Jensen – mX reporter

news.com.au and/or News Digital Media (NDM)
@cowspanker David Higgins – Editor news.com.au
@rodpeno Rod Peno – Social Media Producer at News Digital Media
@penbo David Penberthy – editor of The Punch, former editor of the Daily Telegraph
@colgo Paul Colgan – Managing Editor of The Punch
@_tors Tory Maguire – Deputy Editor of The Punch
@_leo_s Leo Shanahan – staff writer, The Punch
@lucyjk Lucy Kippist – The Punch
@imacri Irena Macri – multimedia producer
@diversionary Simon Wright – designer
@aramadge Andrew Ramadge – technology reporter
@newsbee Lanai Vasek – business owner editor
@agitated Chris Agiasotis
@chrisrhyss Chris Rhyss Edwards
@newsian Ian Rakowski
@schneiderk Kate Schneider – travel reporter
@myleswearring Myles Wearring – entertainment editor
@chelsea_mes Chelsea Mes – business reporter
@taylordane75 Lee Taylor – travel editor
@aysha Aysha Leo – multimedia producer
@coogeecoup Alison Godfrey – journalist
@felicityh Felicity Hetherington – afternoon news editor
@lincolnarcher Lincoln Archer
@edmundtadros Edmund Tadros – business editor
@ericdot Eric Auld – designer
@gogaino
@nocreditbob
@newslab Charles Brewer – photographer – who also has
@letterstoharry
@sydfilmfestival
@jeanti Jeanti St Clair – the original news.com.au foray into Twitter? Her last tweet was in May 2007
@ozfashionweek – as above
@vidiva Vida Redoblado – News Digital Media PR
@c41 Pete Ottery – designer at news digital media
@timburton
@ccoaster2002 Andrew Banks – editorial promotions at news.com.au
@dnazaroff Diane Nazaroff – multimedia producer
@askbossy Kate de Brito – Ask Bossy blogger
@chris_deal Chris Deal designer
@trentenda James Harris – news digital media SEO manager
@alhaigh Alastair Haigh – News Digital Media, Mastheads Lead Designer

QUEST
@korenhelbig Koren Helbig – Albert and Logan News
@idrinktang Dan Tang – Albert and Logan News
@lukeroyes Luke Royes – journalist Southern Star
@foodiegirlie Wendy Hall – food writer at City News (Brisbane) and chief sub at Quest

The Australian
@mclayfield Matthew Clayfield – journalist
@chris_griffith Chris Griffith – multimedia journalist
@sarahelks Sarah Elks – Brisbane-based journalist
@gerardhenderson Gerard Henderson – fake?
@overingtonc Caroline Overington
@meadea Amanda Meade – Media journalist
@sally_jackson Sally Jackson – Media journalist

Other News Ltd
@tburton Tim Burton
@matthew_hall Matthew Hall – Sun Herald
@joe_hildebrand Joe Hildebrand – Daily Telegraph blogger
@cate3221 Cate Swannell – Gold Coast Bulletin journalist
@sueGCB Sue Lappeman – Gold Coast Bulletin
@saline Samela Harris – Adelaide Advertiser
@chrisreports Chris Pepper – adelaidenow, Adelaide Advertiser
@buck_ers Brian Buchanan – online operations manager herald and weekly times
@tabloidterror Ros Reine – Sunday Telegraph gossip columnist
@scottpape Scott Pape – financial columnist and blogger
@jen_bennett Jennifer Bennett – Wentworth Courier reporter
@adamjoseph1 Adam Joseph – Herald Sun Marketing Insights Manager
@mattpinkney Matt Pinkney – Herald Sun online editor
@lukedennehy Luke Dennehy – Sunday Herald Sun
@heraldsunscoop Megan Miller
@rodsavage Rod Savage – AdelaideNow editor
@MarPar Maralyn Parker – Education columnist for The Daily Telegraph
@andrewfenton Andrew Fenton – Film Writer and Magazine Journalist with News Ltd, based in Adelaide.

Return to top of list

FAIRFAX

Brisbane Times
@bigtruck Dan Sankey – managing editor
@JohnBirmingham John Birmingham – blogger
@heidi75 Heidi Davoren – morning producer
@phillutton1 Phil Lutton – sports editor
@katherinefeeney Katherine Feeney – journalist and blogger
@georgiawaters Georgia Waters – journalist
@lilhack Melissa Singer – news editor
@karlsikora Karl Sikora – marketing manager
@scottjmcasey Scott Casey – reporter, multimedia editor

Sydney Morning Herald
@brandstand Julian Lee – media and marketing news
@carlosmonteiro Carlos Monteiro –
@valeriekhoo Valerie Khoo – enterprise blogger
@annabelcrabb Annabel Crabb –
@ashermoses Asher Moses – technology journalist
@joelgibson Joel Gibson – indigenous affairs reporter
@aclennell Andrew Clennell – state political editor
@engalvo Nick Galvin – journalist
@curious_scribe Glenda Kwek – journalist and multimedia
@arjun_aus Arjun Ramachandran – journalist
@ronerdos Ron Erdos – online marketer
@simonthomsen Simon Thomsen – Good Food Guide co-editor and restaurant critic
@jo_co Joanna Cohen – film writer
@joannasavill Joanna Savill – SMH food journalist writer editor (Good Food Guide)
@brontegirl Kimberley Porteous – multmedia editor.
@hornery Andrew Hornery – gossip columnist – editor of Private Sydney
@geerob Georgina Robinson – reporter

Other Fairfax
@paulwiggins Paul Wiggins – editor and longtime Australian content manager at Testy Copy Editors
@matthew_hall Matthew Hall – Sun Herald blogger
@lucasng Lucas Ng – search and analytics director fairfax digital
@mfantini – Margarida Fantini – fairfax digital
@melinashanks Meline Cruickshank – fairfax digital
@kuns Mike van Niekirk – editor-in-chief online – fairfax media
@annacico Anna Cicognani – fairfax digital
@amstrad Darren Burden – Director of News and Sport, Fairfax Digital
@dalemccarthy Dale McCarthy – head of digital strategy at Fairfax Digital
@ebaral Edward Baral – Group Marketing Manager for Fairfax Business Media
@liamphillips Liam Phillips – chief of staff watoday.com.au
@DailePepper Daile Pepper – style editor watoday.com.au
@chrisberg Chris Berg – sunday age columnist
@suzannecarbone Suzanne Carbone – The Age, Diary columnist
@jvdouglas – IT and business journalist with BRW
@eliotfish Eliot Fish – freelance games journalist, the Sun-Herald
@leongettler Leon Gettler – business management blogger The Age
@artsjourno Nicholas Pickard – theatre reviewer for the Sun-Herald and feature writer for Crikey
@nikhiljn Nikhil Jain – Online Marketing Manager, Fairfax Digital
@miafreedman Mia Freedman Essential Baby blog, columnist Sun-Herald and Sunday Age
Return to top of list

ABC

@abcmarkscott Mark Scott – managing director
@mishaketch Misha Ketch – Media Watch journalist
@mariekehardy Marieke Hardy – triple j breakfast
@myfwarhurst Myfanwy Warhurst
@kteej Kaitlyn Sawrey – triplej Hack journalist
@rosieryan Rosanna Ryan – online journalist, new media tutor at QUT
@nic_macbean Nic MacBean – journalist
@rjcooke Richard Cooke
@farlster Edwina Farley – abc rural reporter
@calebcluff Caleb Cluff – abc rural producer
@paulverhoeven Paul verhoeven – triplej
@awrd Andrew Davies – radio national producer (Future Tense, previously The Media Report)
@leighsales Leigh Sales – ABC Lateline presenter
@bruceyeah Bruce Collier – iView developer
@marcfennell Marc Fennell – Triple J film critic and ABC Local Radio
@kingleonard Leanord King – internet video specialist ABC news online
@garykemble Gary Kemble – abc journalist and blogger
@abcarticulate
@adambspencer Adam Spencer
@doctorkarl Doctor Karl
@valentine702 James Valentine
@leighsales Leigh Sales
@triplejtvdoctor Lindsay McDougall
@triplejtheking Richard Kingsmill
@vijaykhurana Vijay Khurana
@abcpool ABC Pool
@triplejbrekkie Triple J – Breakfast
@triplejdools Triple J – Dools
@jhouseparty Triple J – House Party
@triplejmornings Zan Rowe – Mornings
@shortfastloud Triple J – Short Fast Loud
@triplejsr Triple J – Super Request
@junearthed Triple J – Unearthed
@triplejhack triplej Hack
@triplejmag Jenny Valentish- jmag editor
@dellvink Amanda Dell – 612 Brisbane
@colvinius Mark Colvin – Presenter of PM, ABC Radio
@arliedouglas Arlie Douglas – Toowoomba rural radio reporter ABC
@lucethoughts Lucy Carter – triple j News Journalist,
@Peter_F_Ryan Peter Ryan – ABC Business editor
@tonywalker Tony Walker – Manager Digital Radio at Australian Broadcasting Corp
@rosiefantail Mel Campbell – private account. Also
@ftpathzeitgeist and
@the_enthusiast
@rynobi Ryan Egan – Producer/Presenter – Tech Stream (technology program), ABC Radio Australia
@grahamcairns Graham Cairns – ABC NewsRadio Web Producer
@bryceives Bryce Ives – coordinator Heywire, ABC Radio
@dt_downunder Dan Taylor – Producer, Developer
@philliprsmith Phil Smith – Saturday Breakfast for ABC Brisbane
@tanwatt Majella Watt – ABC Brisbane
@michaelturtle Michael Turtle – ABC Youth Affairs Reporter, occasional triple j newsreader
@tech_stream – Tech Stream – ABC Radio australia presented by Ryan Egan
@arliedouglas – Arlie Douglas – ABC rural radio – Toowoomba

ABC keep an “official” list of ABC Twitter accounts here, including all ABC Local accounts http://www.abc.net.au/services/twitter/accounts.htm

Return to top of list

OTHER MEDIA – organised

Crikey
@greenj Johnathan Green – editor
@sophblack Sophie Black – deputy editor
@andrewjcrook Andrew Crook – politics
@rgcooke
@firstdogonmoon – cartoonist
@margaretsimons Margaret Simons – Content Makers blog
@bernardkeane Bernard Keane – canberra political correspondent
@stilgherrian – I don?t consider myself a ?journalist?, but have sometimes used ?writer?.
@pollytics Pollytics Crikey blog
@rbbrown Ruth Brown – journalist
@elerimai Eleri Harris – journalist
@LiteraryMinded Angela Meyer – literary blogger, Bookseller+Publisher writer/ed assistant
@stephenmayne Stephen Mayne – Crikey founder, now @mayneReport

AAP
@ozy1962 Mike Osborne – editor (sydney)
@osbornep Paul Osborne – Brisbane bureau chief
@aapbrisbane Angelina Harper-Erini – Brisbane deputy bureau chief
@selinaday Selina Day
@migueldsouza Miguel D Souza
@aapcanberra – not being used yet
@aappicdesk – picture desk
@lmarti Lisa Martin – reporter

SBS
@foraggio Toby Forage – executive producer SBS sport online
@miketomalaris Michael Tomalaris ? SBS Sports presenter & Tour de France commentator
@valerioveo Valerio Veo Head of News & Current Affairs Online
@marshallheald Marshall Heald ? SBS Head of Digital
@shalailah Shalailah Medhora ? Multimedia Journalist ? SBS
@debsm Debs Majumdar ? Multimedia Journalist ? SBS
@Sonya_gee Sonya Gee ? Current Affairs Producer SBS & multimedia artist
@drKeir Keir Smith ? Technical Lead, SBS Online
@sam_ikin Sam Ikin ? Reporter, SBS World News Australia

CBS Interactive Australia
@wendy_hogan Wendy Hogan – Managing Director & Vice President
@bhaverty Brian Haverty – Editorial Director
@renailemay Renai Lemay – editor ZDnet.com.au
@randolphramsay Randolph Ramsay – Editor, GameSpot AU
@dobes Chris duckett – ZDNet.com.au, Builder AU and BNET Australia.
@troy_martinAU Troy Martin – Commercial Director, Media – CBS Interactive AU
@MlyB Emily Baxter – Marketing Director
@screelman Sarah Creelman – PR & Marketing Manager – Consumer & Entertainment, CBS Interactive

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OTHER MEDIA – unorganised

Some of these probably belong in a group above

@emmakenton Emma Kenton – General Manager, West Australian Publishers
@bjj4me Rinaldo De Paolis – Digital Operations Manager at West Australian Newspapers Limited
@dylanmcevoy Dylan McEvoy – The West Australian Online Editorial
@AdamAndJones Adam Jones – Freelance film writer/critic for The West Australian
@hughjm Hugh Martin – GM APN Online @wazl Warren Lee – CEO APN Online
@theburgerman John Bergin – Deputy Director of Digital News, Sky News Australia
@owenjay Owen Jacques – Daily Mercury, Mackay, business, resources, council journalist
@newsed Simon Holt – group news editor Cumberland and Courier newspaper groups
@chrisberg – editor IPA review, Sunday Age columnist
@harleyd Harley Dennett – news editor, Sydney Star Observer
@kalgoorliekid Nick Rynne – journalist Kalgoorlie Miner
@kerryn_manifold Kerryn Manifold – journalist thedaily.com.au
@paulajoye Paula Joye – magazine editor
@thetowncrier Jason Whittaker – managing editor at Trader Business Media – ACP magazines
@kateedwards Kate Edwards – makes movies for @atnmag
@kerryfinch Kerry Finch – writer
@mikeh101 Mike Hanley – Business writer, magazine journalist, AFR Boss magazine
@genrobey Genevieve Robey – editor Wotnews
@djackmanson David Jackmanson – Brisbane Blog
@natecochrane Nate Cochrane – Editor in Chief of ITNews, former IT editor of the Age.
@danwarne Dan Warne – online editor apcmag.com, freelance SMH
@bruff Nick Broughall – gizmodo journalist
@renailemay Renai LeMay – ZDnet.com.au news editor
@riskybusiness Patrick Gray – podcaster and ZDnet.au journalist
@tara_g Tara Grimshaw – video journalist
@cameronreilly Cameron Reilly – ceo the podcast network
@derekbarry Derek Barry – journalist
@jessmcguire Jess McGuire – defamer.com.au
@engochick Suzanne Tindal – ZDnet.com.au journalist
@mumbrella Tim Burrowes – media and marketing journalist
@tonyblackie Tony Blackie – brw.com.au
@sarahprout Sarah Prout – owner/director Sprout Publishing
@bruff Nick Broughall – tech journalist, gizmodo.com.au
@duncanriley Duncan Riley – editor the Inquisitr
@zarabee – PC Authority editor
@stacyfarrar Stacy Farrar – editor Cumberland Newspapers
@justiniannews Richard Ackland – editor and publisher online law journal Justinian
@swandives Georgina Swan – consumer interactivity manager at CHOICE magazine
@GlitterAshen Ros Page – Choice journo.
@grahamy Graham Young – chief editor Online Opinion
@vquinn Valens Quinn – journalist and MD of Gadget Group
@bronwen Bronwen Clune ceo and founder of norg media
@danwalsh Dan Walsh – editor Kwoff.com.au
@rod3000 Rod McGuinnes – managing editor new matilda
@madeinmelbourne – editor Green magazine, The Pun and the Pundit
@ebaxter Elissa Baxter ebaxter editor of, Go magazine, Freelance journo, blogger
@paulhansford Paul Hansford – football journalist, FourFourTwo
@csimps0n Campbell Simpson – tech journalist and reviewer at goodgearguide.com.au
@katekendall Kate Kendall – online editor marketingmag.com.au
@imtimhanlon Tim Hanlon – Assoc Editor Gizmag
@huntzie Andrew Hunter – Head of News, Sport and Finance at ninemsn
@rachelhills Rachel Hills – editor ninemsn
@charispalmer Charis Palmer – Editor Online Banking Review
@jenniferESt Jen Storey- writer for Online Banking Review
@faldo David Field – online editor atomicmpc.com.au
@jcmc Jessica Crouch – Editor, president of @synmedia
@sethyates Seth Yates – CTO of Independent Digital Media, previously CTO of Fairfax Digital
@mikedobbie Mike Dobbie – Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA)
@jonty98 Jonathan Este – MEAA journalist
@claireorourke Claire ORourke – MEAA organiser
@mjcp Matthew JC Powell – Editor of MacTheMag and writes for crn.com.au
@dr_nic Nic Healey – Managing Editor at Future Publishing
@mediahaze Rachael Bolton – staff writer, Mediaweek
@michscav Michelle Scavone – medical editor/journalist for MedConnect
@Tim_Coronel Tim Coronel – publisher, Bookseller+Publisher magazine
@mgorey Michael Gorey – Editor of The Border Watch
@princessfluffy Nikki Bradley – Producer at Fox Interactive Media (MySpace IGN AskMen)
@guymosel Guy Mosel – FHM
@SecretsHQ Michelle Matthews – Publisher of Deck of Secrets guides and contributor to Qantas Travel Insider website, Sunday magazine (News Ltd) & others
@cecilialindgren Cecilia Lindgren – News journalist by trade. Commercial Manager @ AIMIA
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FREELANCE

known to be freelancers or describe themselves as such

@gusworldau Angus Kidman – IT journalist
@alexkidman Alex Kidman – IT journalist
@ssharwood Simon Sharwood – freelance tech writer
@bengrubb Ben Grubb – TechWiredAu, freelance for news.com.au
@pocketmojo Anthony Caruana – freelance tech journo – The Age, Macworld, APC, PC Update
@paulzucker Paul Zucker
@markhjones Mark Jones – australian financial review, freelance tech writer
@Warlach – produced stuff for The Age, SMH, BRW, The Fin Review and The Australian
@tomatom Ed Charles – food and business journo
@riskybusiness – Patrick Gray – podcaster and writes for ZDnet
@davezed Dave Zwolenski – journalist
@musojourno Denis Semchenko – in comments requests to be known as writer (Rave magazine, Brisbane), journalist and music write
@sclepj Simon Jones
@cankles Brendon Chase – freelance digital media producer
@ncaross Nick Ross – freelancer SMH/Age/APC and owner Sproog media
@dlelkind Debbie Elkind – Journalist/Copywriter
@seamus Seamus Byrne – Former Editor at Gizmodo AU, now Midnight Update
@benhourigan Ben Hourigan
@mwikramanayake Marisa Wikramanayake – feature writer and columnist, also music beat, writing for RTR FM and The Sunday Leader
@secretsHQ Michelle Matthews – Publisher of Deck of Secrets guides and freelance
@metaverseoz David Holloway – Virtual worlds news and events
@Wolfie_Rankin Wolfie Rankin – volunteer on ABC Island in Secondlife
@rossprowd Ross Prowd – freelance / The Sportsman
@franmolloy Fran Molloy – freelance journalist for Fairfax, ABC and too many others
@AdrianMusolino Adrian Musolino – freelance sports journalist
@nicolehaddow Nicole Haddow – freelance writer and editor
@caferosamond Rose Hartley – Freelance writer, Online Editor
@mikerism101 Mike Bennie – wine, travel writer
@renbarau Renee Barnes – Freelance journalist and online journalism lecturer
@david_heath David Heath – freelance IT journo writing for ITWire
@twittymaria Maria Nguyen – freelance journo
@loopymedia Lucy Robertson – freelance writer, editor and sub
@katrinafox Katrina Fox – Freelance journalist
@roulla Roulla Yiacoumi – freelance gadget and technology journalist
@ajwight Andrew Wight – freelance science journalist

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PHOTOGRAPHERS

@cammo Cameron Laird – photographer freelances for News Ltd – The Courier Mail
@muzaloid Murray Cox – freelance photojournalist
@ysass JJ Sassine – photojournalist
@yaboo007 Joseph Sirucka – photographer for Fairfax
@trigg3rsnappy Josephine Ki – freelance
@petewallis Peter Wallis – Courier Mail
@ErikVeland Erik Veland – and from comments recommends: “@kyza, @stillpixels and @dreadfuldan are very talented Music Photographers”.
@kyza Kylie Keene – Freelance photographer [Brisbane] Triple M & B105, contributor for Rave Magazine, Fasterlouder.com.au, Hi-Fi Brisbane
@photo_journ John Le Fevre – Freelance photo-journalist (also appears in Overseas)
@danielbedford Daniel Bedford – from comments he adds:
@nicbezzina – NSW
@antzpantz – WA
@mojojay – WA
@leni_t – QLD
@cybele_m – NSW
@mattbooy – Ex JJJ Photog, now in London
@musicphotos – NSW
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RADIO

@girlclumsy Natalie Bochenski – 4BC Brisbane
@bree_r Bree Roberts – Newcastle radio journalist
@blague – rural radio journalist
@dandebuf Dan Debuf – Perth NOVA
@iamnotmatt Matt Saraceni – Perth NOVA
@meshel_laurie Meshel Laurie – NOVA Brisbane
@brisbanebrad Brad Roberts – NOVA Brisbane
@brooke079 Brooke Powell – Triple M
@thomasrdotorg Tom Reynolds – freelance motoring journo for 3AW (Fairfax radio)
@jaymueller Jay Mueller – Breakfast producer 3AW (Fairfax radio)
@dnee Denee Savoia – Nova969 Journalist/Newsreader
@joshuawither 107.3fm Radio Jock
@EmandSamMac Em Rusciano – 92.9 Breakfast show hosts of the ?Em and Sam Mac Show? (Austereo Perth)
@fortunegrey Matt Levinson – presenter of arts show Canvas
@frogworth Peter Hollo – FBi Radio, 94.5 FM in Sydney
@HannahRobertson Hannah Robertson – journalism student and news presenter on 4ZzZ (Brisbane)
@perthtones Tony Serve – currently hosting fill-ins at Fairfax/6PR, freelancing
@zipfox Charlie Fox – Program Director MIX 106.5 | 101.7 WSFM | The Edge 96.ONE Sydney
@miss_chicken Ellie Freeman – 4zzz news team, student journlaist
@marshagoldcoast Marsha Graham – Multimedia Manager for 102.9FM Hot Tomato, Gold Coast

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TELEVISION

@melissadoyle Melissa Doyle – Sunrise co-host
@davidkoch David Koch – Sunrise? No updates, no bio, but could be the Koch
@patrickcondren Patrick Condren – Channel Seven Brisbane
@tenCB Cathy Border – Channel Ten Brisbane
@benfordham Ben Fordham – A Current Affair
@andrewmontesi Andrew Montesi – Sport Reporter Channel 9 News
@superfabulous Aisha Hillary – New Media at SBS
@jamieinsydney Jamie Campbell – Foxtel General Manager, Program Publicity and Talent
@SarahAMurdoch Sarah Murdoch

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MISCELLANEOUS

(yet to be categorised – or I don’t know where they work)
@lewgus
@timdunlop Tim Dunlop – blogger Road to Surfdom, then news.com.au’s Blogacracy
@ursulajefferson Bec Madden – deputy editor
@nadine_lee Nadine Lee – Journalist
@loopymedia Lucy Robertson –
@Jen2107 Jenna Daroczy – Journo based in SE QLD
@debritz Brett Debritz – formerly Courier Mail
@vealmince Josh Mehlman – journalist
@baconchips
@joshglid Joshua Gliddon – science journo
@rodsavage Rod Savage – online journalist
@bemedia_bern B Phelan
@marisewatson Marise Watson – digital director at Yaffa
@tashlee Natasha Lee
@stuartbuchanan
@charlie69
@andygregory Andy Gregory –
@sonberg Sonia van den Berg –
@applejuicy Brisbane journalist multimedia storytelling
@nmalexander Natalie Alexander –
@lmarti Lisa Martin – melbourne journalist
@bhowarth Brad Howarth
@sholtomac Sholto Macpherson
@fergle Fergus Pitt – digital media producer
@potrm Geoff Nicholson – journalist
@davebraith Dave Braithwaite
@flavourfirst Juan-Carlo Tomas
@mark_schliebs Mark Schliebs
@kristoforlawson Kristofor Lawson – QUT journalism student, editor of enspri.com
@melissahoyer Melissa Hoyer
@barrysaunders Barry Saunders – multimedia does work for abc as well
@templesmith Ben Templesmith
@mpesce Mark Pesce – abc online, new inventors
@audaciousgloop Simon Young
@markmcdonald101 Mark McDonald – copywriter
@landeryou – journalist
@georgiaporgia Georgia Webster – broadcaster
@timdunlop Tim Dunlop – journalist
@smallkathryn Kathryn Small
@johnlacey John Lacey – writer/photographer
@benjaminhaslem Benjamin Haslem
@jacquimunn – Adelaide journalist
@terryjohal Terry Johal
@clint_t Clint Thomas – sports journo footygoss.com
@mspennypink Penny Brand – brisbane journalist
@chelsea_hunter Chelsea Hunter – editor, writer (music, film, health, pop culture)
@rachelhills Rachel Hills
@melbsmudges Melbourne Smudges
@undercover Paul Cashmere – music news
@dacheah
@justads
@lynchy
@sophiebenjamin
@rule17 Steven Lewis
@lifemusicmedia Stuart Blythe
@melissahoyer
@johnfossey
@brendenwood
@chelsea_mes
@scriber Naomi Stekelenberg
@jen_bennett Jen Bennet

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ACADEMICS

@julie_posetti Julie Posetti – journalism at University of Canberra
@mgawenda Michael Gawenda – former editor, now academic
@sraquinn Stephen Quinn – Deakin university journalism academic, specialises in mobile journalism, or mojo. Also
@globalmojo
@themediapod Ross Monaghan – Deakin University lecturer
@wespot Earle Bridger – lecturer in photojournalism at Griffith University
@marykozlovski Mary Kozlovski – SYN
@landunn Ann Lund – journalism at QUT
@snoozen Susan Hetherington – associate lecturer journalism at QUT
@wendybacon1 Wendy Bacon – journalist and academic at University of Technology, Sydney where the Australian Centre for Independent Journalism is based
@PhilStubbsTeach Phil Stubbs – lecturer in digital media, online journalism and advertising
@wendyldavis Wendy Davis – television studies researcher. She works at a regional university in Queensland, Australia
@lzion Lawrie Zion – coordinator of Bachelor of Journalism and Master of Global Communications degree programs at La Trobe uni
@qutnews Queensland University of Technology
@rmitv RMIT
@uommedia University of Melbourne
@nowuc University of Canberra

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AUSTRALIANS OVERSEAS

and a few NZ journos listed by others

@JuhaSaarinen Juha Saarinen – New Zealand journalist
@dizzymum Bronwyn Marquardt Australian journalist in New Zealand
@tburton Tom Burton – formerly SMH, now living in Washington
@sdbrook Stephen Brook – Australian working in London for the Media Guardian
@mediamum Jo White – grad student and TA at SJMC Uni of Colorado at Boulder
@jedwhite Jed White – previous Editor-in-Chief of APC and Publishing Director at ACP. Married to @mediamum
@rww Richard McManus – ReadWriteWeb
@hamishreporter Hamish Macdonald – presenter and correspondent Aljazeera English
@rosevines Rose Vines – freelance writer, writes mostly for Australian PC User and Office Watch, working in New Orleans.
@photo_journ John Le Fevre – Freelance photo-journalist – currently based in Bangkok
@ashbetteridge Ashlee Betteridge – Former Village Voice (Sydney) journalist, now living in Indonesia working at the Jakarta Globe English daily
@niltiac Caitlin Fitzsimmons – in London
@HelenBradley Helen Bradley – expat Australian, freelancer ACP ? PC User mag
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BLURB

If you have been missed, and undoubtedly you will have been missed – please add yourself in the comments. Provide Twitter ID, name, where you work (or freelance), role (round or beat for a journo, designer, editor, graphic artist… whatever you like) if you have one or topic area you like to freelance in Not that you have to be genuine – @andrewbolt, @mirandadevine, @gerardhenderson…etc There are probably more News Ltd people than others because I’ve collated this list mostly on the fly, which has happened to bring me across more people in News Ltd circles. It’s likely there will be crossover in some of the categories, where I’m not sure who someone works for, particularly freelancers. I’m sorry if I’ve missed you and you wanted to be here. I’m not so sorry if I’ve listed you here and you wanted to quietly lurk, undisturbed or unknown amongst the growing black cloud that is the approaching Twitter flock. New media is open and social. You’ve put yourself out there on Twitter – embrace it.

A few other lists of Australian and New Zealand journalists are available, and can be found at:

• TrackVia
• laurelpapworth.com
• Trevor Cook on Crikey
• Bill Bennet’s list of New Zealand media people on Twitter
• @aujournos – Australian Journos – has been set up to follow professional Australian journalists on Twitter. The list of journos is found simply by looking at who @aujournos is following.

You might find some of the accounts listed in my list above are deleted, or no longer active. I’ve left some inactive ones in the list because I think they provide some insight to the early attempts of Australian news media to come to grips with how Twitter could work. My first post looking at
Australian Media Organisations on Twitter was in March 2008, but obviously things have changed dramatically in 12 months. The following will provide a more up-to-date list of media organisations on Twitter: A-Z of Australian media using Twitter : http://fanbloodytastic.com/top100/media/a-z

To more accurately reflect this post’s title, Australia’s Top 100 Journalists and News Media People on Twitter, the list here has been trimmed back to who I consider to be the top 100 Australian journalists and news media people on Twitter.

News Limited
@jg_rat John Grey – editor couriermail.com.au
@jendudley Jennifer Dudley-Nicholson – Technology reporter and blogger The Courier-Mail
@lyndalcairns Lyndal Cairns – online editor couriermail.com.au
@cowspanker David Higgins – Editor news.com.au
@rodpeno Rod Peno – Social Media Producer at News Digital Media
@penbo David Penberthy – editor of The Punch, former editor of the Daily Telegraph
@colgo Paul Colgan – Managing Editor of The Punch
@diversionary Simon Wright – designer news.com.au
@aramadge Andrew Ramadge – news.com.au technology reporter
@newsbee Lanai Vasek -news.com.au business owner editor
@edmundtadros Edmund Tadros – news.com.au business editor
@mclayfield Matthew Clayfield – journalist The Australian
@sarahelks Sarah Elks – Brisbane-based journalist The Australian
@meadea Amanda Meade – Media journalist The Australian
@sally_jackson Sally Jackson – Media journalist The Australian
@joe_hildebrand Joe Hildebrand – Daily Telegraph blogger
@cate3221 Cate Swannell – Gold Coast Bulletin journalist
@rodsavage Rod Savage – AdelaideNow editor

Fairfax
@JohnBirmingham John Birmingham – blogging with Brisbane Times
@valeriekhoo Valerie Khoo – enterprise blogger
@annabelcrabb Annabel Crabb
@ashermoses Asher Moses – technology journalist
@curious_scribe Glenda Kwek – journalist and multimedia
@brontegirl Kimberley Porteous – multimedia editor
@paulwiggins Paul Wiggins – online editor
@lucasng Lucas Ng – search and analytics director fairfax digital
@kuns Mike van Niekirk – editor-in-chief online – fairfax media
@jvdouglas – IT and business journalist with BRW
@miafreedman Mia Freedman Essential Baby blog, columnist Sun-Herald and Sunday Age

ABC
@abcmarkscott Mark Scott – managing director
@mariekehardy Marieke Hardy – triple j breakfast
@myfwarhurst Myfanwy Warhurst – ABC
@kteej Kaitlyn Sawrey – triplej Hack journalist
@rosieryan Rosanna Ryan – ABC online journalist, new media tutor at QUT
@nic_macbean Nic MacBean – ABC journalist
@paulverhoeven Paul verhoeven – triplej
@awrd Andrew Davies – ABC Radio National producer (Future Tense, previously The Media Report)
@leighsales Leigh Sales – ABC Lateline presenter
@marcfennell Marc Fennell – Triple J film critic and ABC Local Radio
@kingleonard Leanord King – internet video specialist ABC news online
@garykemble Gary Kemble – ABC journalist and blogger
@dellvink Amanda Dell – 612 ABC Brisbane
@colvinius Mark Colvin – Presenter of PM, ABC Radio

Crikey
@greenj Johnathan Green – editor Crikey
@BernardKeane Bernard Keane – Crikey
@andrewjcrook Andrew Crook – politics
@firstdogonmoon – Crikey cartoonist
@margaretsimons Margaret Simons – Content Makers blog at Crikey and academic
@stilgherrian – I don’t consider myself a “journalist”, but have sometimes used “writer”

@stephenmayne Stephen Mayne – Crikey founder, now @mayneReport
@aapbrisbane Angelina Harper-Erini – AAP Brisbane deputy bureau chief
@migueldsouza Miguel D Souza – AAP
@renailemay Renai Lemay – editor ZDnet.com.au
@hughjm Hugh Martin – GM APN Online @wazl Warren Lee – CEO APN Online
@theburgerman John Bergin – Deputy Director of Digital News, Sky News Australia
@owenjay Owen Jacques – Daily Mercury, Mackay, business, resources, council journalist
@newsed Simon Holt – group news editor Cumberland and Courier newspaper groups
@harleyd Harley Dennett – news editor, Sydney Star Observer
@thetowncrier Jason Whittaker – managing editor at Trader Business Media – ACP magazines
@genrobey Genevieve Robey – editor Wotnews
@natecochrane Nate Cochrane – Editor in Chief of ITNews, former IT editor of the Age.
@danwarne Dan Warne – online editor apcmag.com, freelance SMH
@bruff Nick Broughall – gizmodo journalist
@riskybusiness Patrick Gray – podcaster and ZDnet.au journalist
@tara_g Tara Grimshaw – video journalist
@cameronreilly Cameron Reilly – ceo the podcast network
@derekbarry Derek Barry – journalist
@mumbrella Tim Burrowes – media and marketing journalist
@duncanriley Duncan Riley – editor the Inquisitr
@grahamy Graham Young – chief editor Online Opinion
@bronwen Bronwen Clune ceo and founder of norg media
@rod3000 Rod McGuinnes – managing editor new matilda
@charispalmer Charis Palmer – Editor Online Banking Review
@jenniferESt Jen Storey- writer for Online Banking Review
@jcmc Jessica Crouch – Editor, president of @synmedia
@mjcp Matthew JC Powell – Editor of MacTheMag and writes for crn.com.au
@dr_nic Nic Healey – Managing Editor at Future Publishing
@gusworldau Angus Kidman – IT journalist
@alexkidman Alex Kidman – IT journalist
@ssharwood Simon Sharwood – freelance tech writer
@bengrubb Ben Grubb – TechWiredAu, freelance for news.com.au
@pocketmojo Anthony Caruana – freelance tech journo – The Age, Macworld, APC, PC Update
@markhjones Mark Jones – australian financial review, freelance tech writer
@seamus Seamus Byrne – Former Editor at Gizmodo AU, now Midnight Update
@cammo Cameron Laird – photographer freelances for News Ltd – The Courier Mail
@muzaloid Murray Cox – freelance photojournalist
@yaboo007 Joseph Sirucka – photographer for Fairfax
@girlclumsy Natalie Bochenski – 4BC Brisbane
@rodsavage Rod Savage – online journalist
@julie_posetti Julie Posetti – journalism at University of Canberra
@sraquinn Stephen Quinn – Deakin university journalism academic, specialises in mobile journalism, or mojo.
@themediapod Ross Monaghan – Deakin University lecturer
@sdbrook Stephen Brook – Australian working in London for the Media Guardian
@mediamum Jo White – grad student and TA at SJMC Uni of Colorado at Boulder
@hamishreporter Hamish Macdonald – presenter and correspondent Aljazeera English
@photo_journ John Le Fevre – Freelance photo-journalist – currently based in Bangkok
@ashbetteridge Ashlee Betteridge – Former Village Voice (Sydney) journalist, now living in Indonesia working at the Jakarta Globe English daily
@niltiac Caitlin Fitzsimmons – in London

Stephanie Sword, a Griffith University communications student, asked me a few questions for an assignment. Below are Stephanie’s questions and my answers about Citizen Journalism: read on to see my comments on the term itself, and generally where I think the “citizen” fits in the evolving media environment.

Stephanie: As a professional journalist, how do you feel citizen journalism is radically reforming/challenging traditional journalism?

Dave: I’ve said this elsewhere, but I think citizen journalism is both a challenge and a benefit to traditional journalism. The traditional journalist/s can’t be everywhere. Not only can they not be everywhere in physical location, but they also can’t be everywhere in terms of local/inside knowledge about the players and/or access to them. While it might take professional journalists to distil the news into something short and consumable, citizen journalists can either be there more quickly, or are already there because they are simply involved in the story.

In the age of media convergence, how does the role of a ‘citizen journalist’ differ from that of a professional journalist?

Defining a citizen journalist is going to be difficult. Is the citizen journalist the person who calls themselves that, and makes an attempt to get to stories, find stories and produce content about those stories? I would argue that if someone calls themselves a “citizen journalist”, and makes an attempt to be at stories, or cover news, then they are going to be more of a freelance journalist. The difference is that Citizen Journalists don’t do “journalism” or “news” reporting as their job. They have real jobs.

I would say the citizen journalist is the person who just happens to be there and records an event occurring, whether by photo/video/audio or text. Instantaneous “text” citizen journalism might be something like Twitter updates, so include the Denver plane crash, the Hudson River plane crash or the Mumbai bombings, where someone has posted text online (in these cases on Twitter).  At the same time instantaneously there can be images posted online (via Twitter-based services or Flickr). [Yes, those links are shamelessly only to News Ltd content].

So the role difference is huge. Citizen journalists are likely to simply be recording an event they have witnessed or been involved in, and generally making that content available online. When they make it available online, it’s most likely to be in the same way they share their lives online with family and friends through a variety of social networks. Putting it online won’t be for the purpose of being citizen journalists, and I can’t imagine anyone would want to call themselves citizen journalists.

Should media outlets actively encourage citizens to become amateur reporters by using new digital media technologies? What are the benefits of soliciting viewer input into news programs?

I don’t think they should encourage people to become “amateur reporters”, they should encourage people to share their content for some of the reasons already mentioned – they’re there when mainstream media can’t be, and they’re the people the story is happening to. People will be amateur reporters if they want to be, but I’d say there are very few people who would want to describe themselves as that. It’s semantics, but I think that specific terminology would likely turn people off. The benefit of soliciting public content is that it is content the news program or site would not have, and it’s also newsworthy content that otherwise might have never been seen by the wider public.

There is always going to be a struggle with mainstream media not just using that sort of content because it’s available (although not freely available, it’s still subject to copyright) and published on the web, but also having the hubris to decide which of it is the most important to show. Naturally, advocates of the semantic web argue that if the content is already going to be made available on the web, mainstream media shouldn’t have to “aggregate” it, because suitable information systems will be in place that will automatically present individually relevant information. But we’re not there, and mainstream media will continue to present to the public what it thinks is important, interesting, and/or will make them money.

What are some of the issues of relying on public eyewitness accounts as news suitable for broadcast? Can you clarify the difference between a citizen journalist and an eyewitness?

The issue of relying on public eyewitness accounts for news for broadcast is that you might have no way of verifying the person knows what they’re talking about, was even present when the incident occurred, or has not manufactured a fake news event. Similarly there’s the chance, and it will happen, that PR will move into the realm and submit subtle marketing or positive spin material (see my co. If you’re asking about relying on public content (user generated content) for broadcast, the actual provision of UGC is fairly infrequent, so can’t be relied on as a basis for news. In terms of relying on UGC as “broadcast quality”, like grainy video from a phone, I don’t think it’s an issue. No matter how bad the “quality” of the content, if it’s compelling you use it.
I don’t know if I can clarify the difference, but I think I can suggest the difference between a citizen journalist and an eyewitness is that a citizen journalist has recorded the event in some fashion – audio, video, or still image. An eyewitness is perhaps just that, someone who has seen an event but not recorded it in any other way, so can only relay what they have seen. The difference then is that you listen to a first-hand account as it is told by an eyewitness. A citizen journalist can still do that, but I would think they would also present some kind of material to go along with that. Again, as in the last question, I don’t know about media using the term “citizen journalist”. If someone who provides content wants to think of themselves as a “citizen journalist” and call themselves that, let them claim that.

There was a fifth question, but I’ve asked Stephanie for an explanation of what the question is going for. I may update this post at some point if I have an answer for that question.

Stephanie asked me for the interview because, in her words, “you represent the next generation of journalists, where these approaches are much-more integrated with your work than say my generation (journalism was very different when I was first in uni in the late 80s, early 90s)”.

Thanks Stephanie! Also, this was an email exchange interview.

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• User generated content and citizen journalism (Online Journalism lesson #4) (onlinejournalismblog.com)

Who else can have an opinion on Clay Shirky’s Newspapers and Thinking the Unthinkable? Me, apparently, but maybe I’m coming at it from a different angle. When thinking of a business model destroyed, the first thing that came to mind was recent discussions about the individual as a brand. Specifically Andy Dickinson’s contribution to the Carnival of Journalism in December 2008, where he said 2009 is the year of the individual journalist. I’m not suggesting I have any answers, but here’s one of those fanciful theories: Maybe the individual as a brand can sustain news beyond “The Unthinkable”.

The December 2009 Carnival of Journalism host was Spot.us founder David Cohn and, ever the optimist, the topic of discussion leading into 2009 was Positive new media predictions for the year 2009. It was in this context, looking for the good in the approaching storm, that Dickinson predicted the rise of the individually branded journalist.

This post began as a comment on Ben Wilks’ blog, and is here expanded.

As “fixes” for the news industry go none have been found, and Clay Shirky suggests none will be found.  I’m in agreement with some of what Shirky says, that there is no single solution that will be able to be successfully applied to every newspaper or traditional media operation.

As someone who occasionally muses about the future of journalism, I no longer try to think of a panacea for the news industry, but rather about new approaches that might help the individual survive, whether they be content maker, distributor, or distiller. That leads to the question of what now defines a “journalist”, but I won’t go there now.

When applying to myself that consideration about what is best for the individual I don’t see it as selfish at all. If I can discover something that will financially sustain me as an individual journalist and, by extension, my family, it may also prove useful to others. Through my “brand” – be that this website, my other social networking homes, or my employer – I can distribute that information to others, and from there my success or failure can be adopted in full, copied, edited or mashed up to create a new, better solution.

As much as I dislike engaging in marketing-speak, I think it entirely plausible that the individual as a “brand” can be self-sustaining in niche reporting. Not only that, the individual can more quickly adapt as and when required to new technologies or techniques. If innovation is a faster process at the individual level, a higher volume and speed of experimentation allows ineffectual ideas to be sooner discarded and, for the optimist, a good chance of sooner solving their corner of the puzzle.

Any experiment, though, designed to provide new models for journalism is going to be an improvement over hiding from the real, especially in a year when, for many papers, the unthinkable future is already in the past.

Clay Shirky, Newspapers and Thinking the Unthinkable

Finally, if the individual creates something sustainable perhaps its form will successfully translate to larger groups. Maybe, just maybe, the sustainability discovered by and for just one person can eventually return full circle to a business model that can work for mainstream media.

If you haven’t read it, Shirky’s Newspapers and Thinking the Unthinkable (which, for a differing view, has been well critiqued by Adrian Monck) suggests the current situation newspapers are facing is similar to that of the introduction of the printing press around 1400. There was literary history before the printing press, where books were unknown, and literary history after the introduction of the printing press, where the old, impractical forms of reading were left behind. Shirky suggests the history people forget is that of transition, a time of wild experimentation and epic failure, where nobody could possibly know what a successful product was supposed to look like.

It is that history of revolutionary transition Shirky suggests newspaper journalism should consider itself to now be in. The “unthinkable” is that prospect that nobody wants to talk about, a business model that has so irrevocably changed that there is no going back to what was there before.

Further Reading:

Excellent post by Dave Cohn about “branding”:It is NOT personal branding – it’s Just living your life online.

Some Australian Twitter examples from Tiphereth: What’s in a name? More on building brand You.

PANPA - Pacific Area Newspaper Publishers Association

Based on a survey of six students, they listed Facebook as the media outlet most accessed.

They asked for feedback, so I provided it. Basically, the survey would be interesting if it was expanded to as many students as possible, and actually ask questions about what aspects of social networking use they consider to be news consumption, or news related.

My comment:

Not disagreeing, just interested to know if Facebook was chosen as a media outlet or just a site visited (as top five media outlets).

Saw what was written re: Facebook, so by gossip did you mean gossip/entertainment news was being seen through Facebook, or was hard(er) news also looked at?
And how are students accessing that news through Facebook (news RSS apps/widgets, media outlet fan pages, wall posts, link recommendations from friends, etc)?

In a wider survey of the 18-25 demographic that would be interesting, but also moving the question beyond just Facebook, to social networking in general and other specific sites people might use.

Whether the news was gossip and entertainment, or more serious news, is somewhat less important at this point than how it is being accessed. I’m sure a study like this has been done. If not I challenge someone in academia, whose job it is to study how people interact with and share news media online, to conduct that survey and share its results.

A practical look at how different demographics interact and share news online can, at the very least, help inform decisions about more effective news distribution online, whether for large corporations or individual journalists trying to get a story seen.

If such a survey or report has been done and is old news, apologies, and a link to the study in the comments would be much appreciated!
—————

Slightly unrelated:
PANPA also have a “podcast” on their site which I have yet to listen to, having seen it just a few hours ago. My only problem is, I would argue that a podcast requires the ability to automatically download new updates using something like iTunes. That would require RSS to be present.

There are quite a few very good interviewees listed, which I will download to listen to, but it’s not immediately apparent how old, or new, the interviews are.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Facebook usage – dominated by young audience, despite older demographics growing quickly (nickburcher.com)
• Social Networking That pays (myventurepad.com)

Image via Wikipedia

• Just F8 and Be There, but faster :: Jim MacMillan: Blogging, News, Information and Opinion from Philadelphia
  People need to remember that MSM (mainstream media) need instant photos for online. MSM need to remember they should not just acknowledge the public for these pics, but remunerate where appropriate (exclusive/first). In this example, photos taken on an iPhone (remember, only a 2 megapixel camera) were paid for at the same rate as ‘pro’ photos.
  “After I sent another couple of photos, I [...] found messages from the editor of philly.com [...]. She had seen my Twitter posts and Twitpics, and was interested in getting them.
  I let her know that there were other pros working hard on the scene, but the Internet wants breaking news asap and – in a nutshell – she bought my pictures and posted one right away.
  I was compensated roughly on the scale that freelancers in this town are paid in traditional scenarios: for responding and shooting with pro-level Nikons or Canons, and delivering their photos via laptops with cell modems.”
  (tags: citizenjournalism journalism newmedia twitter mobile mojo iphone photojournalism)

Originally from my auto-posting daily Delicious links, I have cut this back to just the link I have added comment to. This is in preparation for a blog redesign, where I no longer want posts titled “links for YYYY-MM-DD”. A live stream of Delicious links will also always be available in a sidebar widget and/or stand-alone page.

She’s been in the newspaper industry so long, I think Helen would bleed ink, and will quietly mourn the state of the newspaper industry.

I realized really how dedicated I was to newspapers, which are dying.

via huffington post via crikey

You can also read through the live Future of Journalism tweets from various people on the day.

What I’m providing here is just a quick video of a question I asked of news.com.au editor David Higgins about the use of social networking tools for newsgathering.

Video after the jump…

About the conference itself, there wasn’t really a great deal suggested in the way of what the future might actually hold for ‘journalism’. Although for newspapers, a comment by David Higgins is worth noting. He said that more morning commuters were moving to mobile phones for their news instead of newspapers, and suggested the future of the weekday paper in physical form could be in doubt.

“Monday to Friday, I don’t think the outlook’s very good,” he said.

In the process of asking a question from the floor earlier David said that, since they started promoting news.com.au as an iPhone optimised site, traffic was up by more than 50,000 hits per month.

As Louis Hau from Forbes says in the article linked from Romenesko, circulation decline isn’t the biggest problem, it’s monetising an increasingly online readership.

The industry’s most pressing problem isn’t the state of print circulation, which has been in decline since the mid-1980s. Instead, it is figuring out how to generate more advertising revenue from both its shrinking but still lucrative print product and its growing online properties.

Is it the beginning of the end for newspapers? Not likely, since dropping circulation has been ‘the beginning of the end’ for the last 20 years according to Hau’s quote above.

It’s just the beginning. Smaller community newspapers will continue to provide local news, including in a web presence. Larger metropolitan dailies may become media outlets, of which their newspaper is a component of the news distribution methods they offer, rather than their defining characteristic.

Until someone comes up with an effective monetisation strategy for web and mobile content that can either match current print advertising revenue, or at the very least break even, the doom and gloom outlook for newspapers will continue.

Sourced from Romenesko:

Print newspaper circulation continues on its steep downward slide
Editor & Publisher
Some ABC FAS-FAX numbers for the six-month period ending March 31, 2008:
* New York Times down 9.2% on Sunday, 3.8% daily
* Washington Post down 4.3% on Sunday, 3.5% daily
* Wall Street Journal up 0.3
* Los Angeles down 6% on Sunday, 5.1% daily
* USA Today up .27% to 2,284,219
* Boston Globe down 6.4% on Sunday, 8.3% daily

> How the top 25 daily newspapers performed in the FAS-FAX report (E&P)
> Louis Hau: Why circulation declines aren’t a wholly reliable barometer of overall performance. (Forbes)

Circulation has fallen from a high of 100,000+ in the mid 90s to just 57,000 in the last audit in September 2007.

The press release said the trend was “symptomatic of the impact of the internet on this particular genre”.

Surprisingly, The Bulletin will not remain in online form.

Director of Communications for PBL Media Arabella Gibson said there will be no online presence remaining, and the website would likely be taken down over the coming weekend.

At the end of the release, some information about ACP Magazines boasts that of its stable of 70 international magazines, “integral to its success are vibrant, information-packed reader websites”.

The Bulletin website is certainly information-packed, perhaps it’s just not ‘vibrant’ enough.

Related links:

• ABC: Union blames media ownership changes for Bulletin’s death
• Crikey.com editorial and article.
• ACP Press Release
• The Bulletin online (link active as of noon Thursday, January 24)

• New delivery systems – RSS, SMS, Facebook, Twitter, etc. – aren’t the competition. Ignore them at your own peril.
• You don’t need millions of dollars or HD cameras or years of training to make it happen; all you need is the right frame of mind.
• Bloggers aren’t an uneducated lynch mob unconcerned by facts. They’re your readers and your neighbors and if you play your cards right, your sources and your community moderators.

I also like the first comment response by online journalism educator Mindy McAdams, who says user-generated content shouldn’t exist in a backwater (or not at all), but in “a place where the public’s concerns and interests (not just their opinions) are brought out and discussed”.

This ties in with the idea that bloggers = readers = neighbours = community sources.

And not only that, but online-savvy community sources.

It basically breaks down to these seven things.

• community and citizen journalists
• niche topics
• staff with multiple skills
• transparency
• audio and video aren’t “web extras”, they’re just part of the story
• respond to criticism positively
• leave the “save it for print” mindset behind.

Essentially, become a web-first newsroom.