After the killing fields: Post-pandemic changes in journalism employment in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand

John  Cokley; Peter Chen; Joanna  Beresford; Alexis  Bundy

doi:10.24135/pjr.v30i1and2.1276

John Cokley Griffith University, Queensland https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0053-0223
Peter Chen University of Sydney, New South Wales
Joanna Beresford Central Queensland University, Rockhampton https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5344-0267
Alexis Bundy University of Sydney, New South Wales

DOI: https://doi.org/10.24135/pjr.v30i1and2.1276

Keywords: Australia, employment, journalism, journalism education, labour, media companies, New Zealand, regionalism

Abstract

This article continues a longitudinal national study of journalism employment in Australia and contributes to new understandings of journalism employment in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. Results suggest a shift in the organisational landscape of the media in Australia, with an expansion of large organisations at the ‘top,’ and a considerable loss of small micro-ventures (largely based online) at the ‘bottom.’ Implications include stronger centralised editorial control at the corporate level, urbanisation and homogenisation of media producers and product, and reduced opportunities for creative entry-level roles.

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Author Biographies

John Cokley, Griffith University, Queensland

Griffith University, Queensland

Joanna Beresford, Central Queensland University, Rockhampton

Creative Arts and Writing, Central Queensland University, Rockhampton, Queensland

Alexis Bundy, University of Sydney, New South Wales

University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales

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