Journalism at the Crossroads

crisis and opportunity for the press
Margaret Simons

'A dose of much-needed optimism at a dark time.'

The Sydney Morning Herald

'Provides much-needed optimism at a dark time in the history of the press.'

Fiona Capp, The Age

Our mainstream press is in crisis, and the future of journalism is uncertain.

In response to plunging sales and profitability, and an inexorable increase in online and social-media platforms, the Fairfax and News Limited organisations have embarked on major cost-cutting and restructuring exercises. Hundreds of journalists’ jobs will be shed, printing plants will close, and The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald— our formerly iconic broadsheet dailies — will soon be downsized to a tabloid format. Meanwhile, a corporate predator is hunting Fairfax, and News Corporation internationally is splitting its newspaper operations from its much more lucrative entertainment businesses.

In Journalism at the Crossroads, journalist, educator, and media commentator Dr Margaret Simons explores these challenges, and discusses the opportunities they might represent. Simons considers the role of the journalist in this new media landscape, why we still need quality news reporting, how new technologies can enhance traditional reporting, ways in which journalists and citizens can work together to break stories, and how media organisations can reinvigorate their newsrooms by engaging directly with the community.

The imperative to think about new ways of journalism has arrived, and it is time for all of us — citizens and journalists alike — to become involved in this vital debate.

'A dose of much-needed optimism at a dark time.'

The Sydney Morning Herald

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Details

Format:Paperback

Size: 210mm × 135mm

Extent:144pp

ISBN (13):9781922070203

RRP:$24.99

Pub date:28 Aug 2012

Rights Held: World

High-res cover:Download Image

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AUTHOR

Margaret Simons

Margaret Simons is a freelance journalist and author and director of the Centre for Advancing Journalism at the University of Melbourne. She writes about the media for a number of publications and has published eleven books including The Content Makers and more recently Malcolm Fraser: the political memoirs, written with the late former prime minister. This won book of the year and best non-fiction book at the 2010 NSW Premier’s Literary Awards. Her most recent book before this one was Self Made Man, a biography of media proprietor Kerry Stokes, which won the history prize in the WA Australian Premier’s Literary Awards. In the past Simons has worked for The Ageand The Australian newspapers. As a freelancer, she has had work published in dozens of magazines and newspapers in Australia and overseas.