Digital Commons Network^™

Editorial: In This Issue, Eric Loo

Asia Pacific Media Educator

This issue begins with two contributions by Yan Mei Ning and Tim Hamlett who paint a picture of how freedom of expression is continually being re-defined, curtailed, yet in other ways protected by the judiciary in its judgement of defamation cases.

Re-Reading The Media: A Stylistic Analysis Of Malaysian Media Coverage Of Anwar And The Reformasi Movement, S. Manan

Asia Pacific Media Educator

This paper attempts to study how language is used by a pro-establishment paper in Malaysia - the New Straits Times (NST) - to portray the former Deputy Prime Minister, Anwar Ibrahim and the Reformasi Movement. It aims to investigate how the NST represents dissenting voices and the extent to which it helps to promote consensus and the dominant view. This paper argues that language in news coverage plays a crucial role in the construction of social reality. News is a practice, a discourse which does not reflect reality in a neutral manner but helps to “interpret”, “organize” and “classify” this …

Public Trust, Media Responsibility And Public Journalism: Us Newspaper Editors And Educators' Attitudes About Media Credibility, T. Dickson, E. Topping

Asia Pacific Media Educator

A survey of media educators and editors of daily newspapers in the United States concluded that the two groups had similar concerns about public trust and media responsibility, and both groups saw public journalism as a potential means for improving media credibility. Educators, however, were significantly more likely to state that the media are contributing to the public’s mistrust of government, that responsibility shown by daily newspapers is worse than it was five years earlier, and that public journalism reduces a media organization’s objectivity. The authors present suggestions for what the findings mean for journalism educators.

Book Review: Ethics For Journalists, I. Richards

Asia Pacific Media Educator

Keeble, Richard (2001)
Ethics For Journalists,
Routledge, London.

Reviewed by Ian Richards

At the height of the “cash for comment” scandal in 1999, former Australian radio talkback host Derryn Hinch was asked on ABC Radio about “king of talkback” John Laws’ defence that he was an entertainer not a journalist (and so not bound by journalistic ethical considerations). “Just because you’re an entertainer, it doesn’t mean you rob a bank,” Hinch replied. A few minutes later, in the same interview, Hinch was asked whether he had been made aware of Australian commercial radio’s codes of practice at any of the …

Playing Serious Games In Journalism Classes, D. Cameron

Asia Pacific Media Educator

One of the defining features of journalism education in a university setting is the requirement that students demonstrate their understanding of core skills by producing professional work. Writing skills are assessed by news reporting tasks, research skills are tested by research exercises, interviewing ability is demonstrated by conducting an interview, and so on. Sometimes this skills assessment is managed in the form of regular student publications or broadcasts. At other times it is structured as class writing exercises. In some cases mock news conferences or simulated news events are used. Regardless of the form it takes, teaching effective journalism practice …

Book Review: Interviewing For Journalists, D. Bartlett

Asia Pacific Media Educator

Adams, Sally with HICKS, Wynford (2001)
Interviewing For Journalists,
Routledge, London, 185pp. ISBN 0 41522913

Reviewed by Desley Bartlett

The latest in the how-to Media Skills series, this book ably demonstrates what Adams and Hicks explored in their 1999 text Writing for Journalists – it’s succinct, informs and entertains. From the chapter on “basics” (basic interviewing, basic principles, vox pops, press releases, rounds and conferences) to interviewing “special cases” (reluctant interviewees, children, vulnerable people and ‘death knocks’), Adams gets to the point quickly but with clear and concise examples.

One Court, Two Rulings? Freedom Of Expression In Post-1997 Hong Kong, Y. M. Ning

Asia Pacific Media Educator

This paper examines the two most controversial decisions on freedom of expression made by the Court of Final Appeal, the highest court in Hong Kong in the post-handover period. The first was a defamation case - Cheng Albert and Another v Tse Wai Chun Paul. The second - HKSAR v Ng Kung Siu and Another - was the criminal sanction of flag desecration. The outcomes of these two landmark cases were completely different. One has promoted freedom of expression, while the other has restricted it. Both cases have considerable potential to impact on how much and what kind of freedom …

Scandalising The Scumbags: The Secretary For Justice Vs The Oriental Press Group, T. Hamlett

Asia Pacific Media Educator

“Scandalising the court” is a rare and controversial branch of the law of contempt. It allows judges to punish those who make general criticisms of the legal system or judges, regardless of whether any particular case is affected, or even mentioned. A Hong Kong newspaper, the Oriental Daily News, was prosecuted in 1998 for this offence. The newspaper was heavily fined and its editor was jailed. This paper explores the background to the case and examines its implications for the media in Hong Kong and other Common Law territories.

Political Education Through The Mass Media? A Survey Of Indonesian University Students, I. Hamad, H. Q. Ichtiat, Mr Zulham

Asia Pacific Media Educator

Students and the media were instrumental in bringing about political reforms in Indonesia in the 1990s, which led to the resignation of Soeharto in 1998 after 32 years in power. In the lead-up to and aftermath of the 1999 national general elections, the mass media was particularly active in heightening awareness of needed political reforms. It was assumed that as an educated social grouping, students would use the mass media for their political activities. A survey of 1,000 university students was conducted to determine how effective the mass media was as an agent of political education in influencing the students’ …

New Technologies And Future Of Newspapers, L. Obijiofor, K. Green

Asia Pacific Media Educator

This essay analyses the impact of new communication technologies on the future of newspapers. In examining current arguments in the literature, it argues that while Internet technology gives it an edge over newspapers in terms of immediacy of news coverage, audience reach and greater interactivity with readers, these characteristics should not be perceived as evidence of the demise of traditional newspapers. The authors contend that the future of newspapers is bright because there are inherent qualities that traditional newspapers possess which would enable them to withstand the Internet news revolution.

Pluralism In The Australian Print Media, K. Lewis

Asia Pacific Media Educator

This paper discusses the issue of pluralism in the Australian print media and analyses Australian newspaper ownership from 1986 to 2000. It does so for three reasons: to identify who owns what at the start of the 21st century; to gain a view on trends in newspaper ownership concentration; and to gauge newspaper circulation trends, particularly in regard to arguments that newspaper circulations face a ‘long-term decline’. While evidence appears to discount this, the analysis concurs with the dominant academic viewpoint that the Australian print media industry is concentrated within a few owners and these owners have formed a powerful …

Cultural Specific Training In Corruption Reporting For Pacific Island Journalists, S. Tanner, N. Mccarthy

Asia Pacific Media Educator

It is a truism that all countries experience corruption and equally true that journalists and media organisations will list the uncovering and reporting of corruption as one of their principal responsibilities. Despite this, very few journalists have formal training in corruption reporting. Staff from the University of Queensland’s Centre for International Journalism (CIJ) conducted workshops in 2000 and 2001 for journalists from the Pacific Islands, where corruption is well entrenched in many business and political activities. As a result of the workshops, we hope to stimulate debate about how such programs might best be implemented, given the economic and cultural …

Work Experience At Major Events: Is It Worth The Bother?, R. Patching

Asia Pacific Media Educator

Tertiary journalism students have had a smorgasbord of work experience opportunities at major sporting events over the past couple of years. But for many - especially those who volunteered for the Sydney 2000 Olympics - the experience was one of disappointment. This paper chronicles some of the major work experience opportunities afforded students in recent times and concludes that a more productive arrangement with event organisers looking for willing helpers from journalism schools need to be put in place to avert disappointing student journalists looking for “real journalism experience”.

Teaching Journalism In A Changing Islamic Nation, S. Quinn

Asia Pacific Media Educator

This paper describes the structure of the government, education system and media in one of the most technologically-advanced Islamic nations, the United Arab Emirates. It outlines the huge growth in technology and media there, and discusses UAE news values relative to Western news values in the context of issues of freedom of expression. This paper questions whether it is possible to apply Western notions to the practice or the teaching of journalism in this country.

Patriotism Is Not Enough: Chinese Intellectuals And The Knowledge Economy, M. Keane, Q. Lin

Asia Pacific Media Educator

This paper examines the changing appeal of patriotism and nationalism in the civic consciousness of Chinese intellectuals shaped by the notion of a global knowledge economy. It investigates the career aspirations of scientists and IT professionals returning from overseas study in the US and argues that the famous motto of intellectuals during the 1980s – “Science does not have national boundaries but I (the scientist) have the nationality”, is losing its appeal. Scientists and IT professionals are acknowledged as knowledge-workers and are valued in nation building. At the same time they have the freedom to not return home by virtue …

Book Review: Culture, Politics And Television In Hong Kong, J. Herbert

Asia Pacific Media Educator

Ma, Eric Kit-wai (1999)
Culture, Politics and Television in Hong Kong
Routledge, 242pp, ISBN 0-415-17998-x

Reviewed by John Herbert

This book is a fascinating insight into the way Hong Kong works in media terms and the mind of Hong Kong pre- and post-handover. It has an excellent historical development of television in Hong Kong since the 1960s. It has highly relevant case studies drawn from television programmes to show the mind of the present and past (and to some extent the future) Hong Konger. It is a work of scholarship, most certainly, and this sometimes gives it an air of …

Book Review: Annual Report 2000-2001: Euforia, Konsentrasi Modal Dan Tekanan Massa (Euphoria, Capital Concentration And Public Pressure), D. N. Hidayat

Asia Pacific Media Educator

Aliansi Jurnalis Independen (AJI) (2001)
Annual Report 2000-2001: Euforia, Konsentrasi Modal dan Tekanan Massa (Euphoria, Capital Concentration and Public Pressure),
Jakarta, AJI Indonesia. 128 pp. ISBN 979-95689-7-8

Reviewed by Dedy N. Hidayat

The significance of this annual report, from the Indonesian Alliance of Independent Journalists, is that it immediately plays a part in the broad debate about the compatibility between economic liberalisation and democracy. Free-market fundamentalists postulate that “the greater the play of the market forces, the greater the freedom of the press; the greater the freedom of the press, the greater the freedom of consumer choice”. Advocates of the …

Editorial: In This Issue, A. Romano, Eric Loo

Asia Pacific Media Educator

The relationship between tertiary-level journalism courses and media employers is lively but not always cordial. Questions are regularly raised by both sides about whether journalism courses are relevant to the media industry and what employment outcomes students can expect from enrolling in journalism programs. Industry and educational figures frequently engage in debates about the appropriate balance between theoretical and vocational content in journalism courses, whether the graduates should aim to be generalists or specialists, and the degree and range of competence that students should have achieved at graduation.

Workplace Training At Sbs Radio, L. Simons

Asia Pacific Media Educator

Is a tertiary qualification in journalism sufficient to equip graduates with all the skills they need on the job? Opinions vary. Undisputed, however, is that new recruits to journalism need to have a clear understanding of the philosophical approaches and practical expectations of their employer.

Educating The Friend Of The Family: The Local Journalist, J. Herbert

Asia Pacific Media Educator

To survive, the regional newspapers in the UK have to be at the forefront of modern technology, with reporters being not just multi-skilled but competent at all aspects of the editorial and production processes. This is the first point worth noting for those interested in the subject of journalism education for the modern local newspaper. Point two is that work experience for journalism students is best done on local, small, suburban newspapers where they will get to do everything. They will need to master QuarkXPress; know about law and ethics; know how to take photos; know how to get accurate …

Book Review: Public Service Broadcasting In Asia: Surviving In The New Information Age, P. Wessels

Asia Pacific Media Educator

Asian Media Information and Communication Centre, (1999)
Public Service Broadcasting in Asia: Surviving in the New Information Age,
AMIC, Singapore, 168 pp. ISBN 9971 905 744

Reviewed by Pieter Wessels

This is a compilation of mostly well-researched and referenced articles on public service broadcasting in Asia and crucial to any understanding of what is happening in the region. It covers Pakistan to the Philippines, Japan to Indonesia and most places in between. But more importantly it puts into print much of what has been said about public service broadcasting in recent years.

Coup Coup Land: The Press And The Putsch In Fiji, D. Robie

Asia Pacific Media Educator

On 19 May 2000, an insurrection led by failed businessman George Speight and seven renegade members of the élite 1st Meridian Squadron special forces engulfed the Fiji Islands in turmoil for the next three months. Speight and his armed co-conspirators stormed Parliament and seized the Labour-led Mahendra Chaudhry Government hostage for 56 days. On Chaudhry’s release from captivity, he partly blamed the media for the overthrow of his government. Some sectors of the media were accused of waging a bitter campaign against the Fiji Labour Party-led administration and its rollback of privatisation. In the early weeks of the insurrection, the …

Journalism Education And Multiculturalism: Enhancing The Curriculum, M. Deuze

Asia Pacific Media Educator

Scholarly and professional debates on issues regarding multiculturalism vis-à-vis journalism can be seen as a particular feature of the 1990s in many (Western) democracies. Several journalism programs have introduced the topic in their curriculum. Many have not. In this paper the concept of multiculturalism is explored in terms of how it is articulated to journalism and education in particular. Three dimensions are identified and investigated: the professional knowledge of journalists regarding cultural and ethnic diversity, their respresentations of diversity and the responsibilities of journalists covering diversity. Based on an inventory of journalism curricula (available online) in the United States, Australia …

Training In The Suburban Newsroom, J. Cafarella

Asia Pacific Media Educator

Suburban newspapers have traditionally relied on a junior workforce, which means they have a significant influence in training cadets and shaping the journalists of the future. These cadets may find themselves comprising 50 per cent of the editorial staff of the newspaper they are assigned to, producing up to 16 stories a week on anything from complex planning issues to golden wedding anniversaries. Lack of staff and resources mean that the loftier ideals of journalism often give way for the more practical issues of finding enough stories and dealing with pushy advertising representatives. This paper discusses the challenges facing suburban …

Are Community Newspapers Really Different?, R. Kirkpatrick

Asia Pacific Media Educator

Cafarella has written what amounts to a wake-up call for many journalism educators (in this issue, page 6). Her paper will have varying degrees of relevance for different educators and different institutions. In some instances, she may well be reflecting the viewpoints of particular educators in particular situations but these same educators, because of institutional pressures and the very pressures of time and limited resources that Cafarella discusses in a suburban newspaper setting, are unable to implement their heart’s desire. For example, they may want to do all the things Cafarella cited, but to meet the academic requirements of their …

Better Press For Suburbia: Preparing Young Journalists For Suburban Newsrooms, F. Morgan

Asia Pacific Media Educator

Within a decade, humankind will become an urban (rather than a rural) species. The majority of the human race will live in cities of more than a million people. “So what?” you say, “most Australians already live in the cities”. Not so. Most Australians live in the suburbs of cities. Most of them get a daily newspaper. And virtually all, once or twice a week, have a local paper tossed on their lawn or stuffed in their letterbox.

Journalism Education And Rural Newspaper Standards, E. Hart

Asia Pacific Media Educator

In the newsrooms of the regional and rural press, the skills of fledgling journalists come into view, reflecting on the quality of the university courses that trained many of them. Country and city journalists have studied the same subjects and learnt the same skills in preparation for the workplace, but recruits to the rural press face particular challenges that might inhibit their capacity to work to the professional standards of their metropolitan counterparts. These challenges arise partly from the lack of professional support in rural newsrooms and partly from the culture of the country press. Attempts to lift standards therefore …

News Values And Country Non-Daily Reporting, J. Vine

Asia Pacific Media Educator

Australia’s country, non-daily newspapers present journalism graduates with excellent opportunities to get a foot in the door, experience a wide range of journalistic responsibilities and compile an impressive portfolio. However, tertiary journalism courses largely ignore the unique news values, issues and challenges involved with country non-daily reporting. Considering a large percentage of future journalists are likely to enter the industry on a country non-daily, journalism education’s current attitude has serious implications for the profession. However, this situation cannot be rectified until these specific news values, issues and challenges have been documented in order for them to be integrated into pedagogical …

Training For Community Journalism In The Usa, T. Dickson

Asia Pacific Media Educator

The assumption among print journalism educators in the United States seems to be that graduates who take newspaper jobs likely will begin at a small daily, so-called community journalism, and that young journalists will move on to higher-paying jobs in larger markets as they hone their skills. Thus, a major point in the debate among journalism educators has been whether students should be prepared only for these entry-level jobs or also for future advancement in the field.

Suburban Journalism In The Hong Kong Context, B. Mcintyre

Asia Pacific Media Educator

Hong Kong differs from other geopolitical units in being more like a city-state than a nation. Most of the population is concentrated in densely populated areas of Kowloon and Hong Kong Island. However, Hong Kong also has several so-called New Towns that are located in the New Territories, a rural area north of Kowloon. The New Towns have some attributes of suburban communities.