Journalists aren’t ‘selfish’ to strike for a more audacious vision of their industry

Journalism in Australia needs a new kind of audacity. Not the kind that expects workers to “toe the line”, as former ABC chair Ita Buttrose believes, champagne-toasting (and torch-bearing) for the Olympics while their livelihoods fizzle out. Nor the kind that criticises striking journalists as “selfish and entitled”, as The Australian’s James Madden quipped, for daring to fight for fairer compensation.

To hand-wring and pearl-clutch about the strike’s timing during the Olympics is also terribly unimaginative and unkind. What’s more important: two weeks of sports coverage or the future of a profession dedicated to informing the public and holding power to account?

It’s crucial to remember that journalists have no moral obligation to prioritise their audience over their working conditions. They have the right to protest, and protests are meant to be disruptive. The striking journalists at Nine Publishing aren’t saboteurs, however. They’re canaries in the coal mine, warning us that the air in our industry is becoming too toxic.

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The urgency of this fight becomes clear when we look at the research on the Australian journalism industry. It paints a complex picture, with precarity, overwork, diminishing independence and increasing workplace toxicity as common themes. As a journalism lecturer, I’ve witnessed this firsthand, seeing promising new journalists leave the industry after short stints, jaded by their early experiences.

One Australian study attributes this toxicity not solely to stress itself, but also “the lack of imagination or grace of the people entrusted with managing newsrooms”. This explains why attacks on striking journalists come from both outside and inside the industry, especially from those who speak about the relationships between journalists, readers and workplaces in corporate modes.

When we dig into the data, we see a stark gender disparity emerging. From 2014 to 2018, male journalists saw their yearly pay rise by more than $30,000; their female counterparts experienced a mere $3,000 increase. It’s no coincidence that women — including some of the best journalists working in Australia right now — are at the forefront of this strike.

This gender gap underscores why we must rethink not only journalism’s future but also its past, including diverse voices traditionally excluded from conversations about the industry. In this context, the strike from Nine staff takes on crucial importance. Beyond better wages, the strike calls for deeper engagement with diverse communities and demands ethical, transparent use of artificial intelligence in newsrooms.

Achieving this reimagined journalism requires journalists who can function beyond corporate expectations and who can forge new partnerships with diverse communities. In other words, journalists who see diversity and anti-racism not as buzzwords but as the lifeblood of our newsrooms and our stories.

Regarding the call for ethics and transparency in the use of AI, we do need journalists who can envision how digital technologies enhance our ability to speak truth to power. But this also requires time, investment and support — three things that our striking colleagues are not getting enough of.

Importantly, this struggle isn’t happening in isolation. These striking journalists have allies who are rethinking reporting, acknowledging the diverse voices it has silenced, the communities it has overlooked, and the power structures it has too often served instead of challenged. This perspective helps us recognise that journalism has always been in flux, always adapting, always fighting for its place in society. Looking to our region, we see some of these allies. Publications like Rappler in the Philippines and Project Multatuli in Indonesia are already reimagining journalism, showing us what’s possible in Australia.

So, to those fretting over a potential gap in Olympics coverage, I say this: It’s time to stand with these striking journalists. It’s time to demand not just fair wages, but a fair shot at reinventing journalism in Australia. It’s time to be as audacious in our vision for journalism as those who seek to undermine it.

Do you support the striking journalists at Nine? Let us know your thoughts by writing to letters@crikey.com.au. Please include your full name to be considered for publication. We reserve the right to edit for length and clarity.