ABC Radio Saturday Extra Forum – Quality Journalism: How to pay for it? Does it matter?

At the conclusion of the ABC Radio National Forum ‘Quality Journalism: How to pay for it? Does it matter?‘ I felt the discussion had became a ‘definition debate’ which, as debaters will know, go nowhere fast. It did not seem as though ‘quality journalism’ could be defined by any party, each offering their own version of concept and forming their arguments around these. I didn’t get a sense of mutual understanding between the panellists and so there seemed, to me, a lack of connection and engagement. This is not to say that interesting and relevant points were not raised. I just felt it was missing ‘fire in the belly’ and was not as passionate as I expected a discussion to be between  Eric Beecher (Eric Beecher, Publisher Crikey & Business Spectator), Wendy Bacon (Centre for Independent Journalism, UTS), Alan Kohler (Publisher, Business Spectator and Eureka Report), John Hewson (Liberal Party Federal Leader, 1990 – 1994) and Campbell Reid (Group Editorial Director, News Ltd).

Hosted by the delightful Geraldine Doogue, those involved discussed their predictions for funding their own forms of news medium through the recession, which did answer part of the forum topic but I would have liked to hear more about ‘does it matter’.  

It was also very clear that many journalists do not understand the function of public relations. One particular journalist working for a NFP online news blog criticised the growth of advertising influence as the economy declines and publications are relying on ad spend to stay alive. This lead to her frustration at the difficulty finding freelance journalists as a way to secure stories, exasperated by the number of calls for ad-like media coverage from marketing and public relations professionals. Had I the courage, I would have thrown a shoe at her. Bearing in mind the topic of the forum, I wanted to say “quality journalism is knowing the difference between an advertisement and a PR person being the source of information for news about their clients.” 

http://www.abc.net.au/rn/events/competition/summer/satextra.htm

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11 comments

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    I crave this in college and in life.
    About a right of passage …
    “If I cooked you, I’d be able to survive on your meat for over a thirty day period.” This was not the welcome I had expected on my number one working day within the British School in Phuket, Thailand. I wondered if my fellow students listed here would be as kind as they ended up in America or would they be rude and brash, as this insult implied? Would the curriculum be an academic challenge or an intellectual breeze? I had no idea what to expect.
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    Believe it or not, the old phrase, “A woman’s spot is within the home” is nevertheless alive and very well inside the scientific community, as being the dramatic gender-bias study published last September within the Proceedings of your National Academy in the Sciences shows. Today, it is “A woman’s position isn’t inside lab.” The path I have taken over the past four years has proven to me that women can certainly be just as comfortable in STEM careers as they had been 75 years ago as housewives. My put – where I feel really most content – is definitely inside of the lab.
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    My do the trick focuses on animal research, immunohistochemistry, and biochemical studies involving amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). ALS is known as a disease for which there isn’t a present effective treatment or cure. Research is critical in offering alternatives for patients who have very few alternatives for a great superior of life. My mentor, Dr. Amanda Snyder, has taught me far even more than lab technique and critical analysis skills. She has instilled in me the importance of being tenacious, inventive, and passionate about researching this sort of a debilitating disease. Dr. Snyder also demonstrates the importance of comparative studies. As a scientist, she is committed to meaningful, humane animal research. Through her example, I have become an active proponent of responsible animal studies, a topic I advocated in a very TEDx Youth talk I presented during my junior 12 months. Moreover to providing a system for activism, my lab position has also enabled me to shadow leading ALS specialists, who have further inspired me to follow in their path. Most importantly, though, my lab do the job will allow me to meet ALS patients who would most likely someday benefit from our clinical trials. These patients are the reason I dedicate my summers and no charge time to seemingly tedious duties and constant commuting.
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    Be sure to check out all my admissions-related articles on College Confidential .
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