WK 6: Freedom of the press, of speech, of information

Times are changing in Australia media. Image

Issues derived from Australia’s 19th ranking on World Press Freedom Index – an assessment of the freedom of a country’s media – include shield laws and media concentration.

Incredibly, two Australian states – Queensland and South Australia – along with the Northern Territory, don’t have Shield Laws. This means journalists’ sources aren’t protected in those jurisdictions. This leaves journalists working in those areas with incredible ethical and legal decisions to make. If compelled to reveal a source in those areas, a journalist will either bring damage to themselves or the source. The major implication being ‘possible informants may be deterred from providing information to them’ in the future (The Australian Collaboration, 2015). This gap in media protection leaves the freedom of Australia’s press with plenty of food for thought.

With recent changes to Australia’s media ownership regulation, concerns over a concentrated media will potentially only grow given the expected mergers the changes could bring. In its 2017 Australian Press Freedom Report the Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance outlined its own concerns of changes simply ‘relieving the regulatory burden on currently regulated entities’ (MEAA, 2017, p. 48). While the internet has the potential to bring new players to the media market in Australia, the resources available for start-ups or smaller organisations to compete with the dominant players are not there. The MEAA (2017) predicted the new changes to allow the dominant players to ‘consolidate and achieve broader scales of operation and efficiencies in service delivery’ (MEAA, 2017, p. 48).

In a time of considerable media change, the next period of Australian media will be an industry that will ask new tasks of journalists and continue to redefine the role. While it is clear the public still values the service journalism provides, their willingness to financially access it will continue to influence the existence of media companies. It is difficult to assess the long-term results of media regulation changes given my evolving knowledge of the field, but it’s clear being dynamic and diversified will be essential in order to establish and maintain a long career.

Can Australia’s media become much more concentrated? Is there even a public demand significant enough out there to attained more diversification?

What a time to be entering the industry!

References

Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance. (2017). The chilling effect – The report into the state of press freedom in Australia in 2017. Retrieved from
            https://uonline.newcastle.edu.au/bbcswebdav/pid-3376385-dt-content-rid-11219839_1/courses/CRS.120653.2017.S2/170503_Press_Freedom_report_low-res.pdf


The Australian Collaboration. (2015). Democracy in Australia – Protection of journalists and their sources. [Fact sheet]. Retrieved from http://www.australiancollaboration.com.au/pdf/Democracy/Protection-journalists-sources.pdf

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