Independent Journalism

Transmediality in Independent Journalisminvestigates mainstream journalism and its escape routes to independence through transmedia strategies. Within the scope of the latest debates in Turkey, the author argues that the function of transmediality in Turkish journalism is gradually shifting from being only a commercial entity to becoming a political system for social change, a survival mechanism for independent journalists to reach out to diverse audiences, and gain back the public trust.

Bringing a fresh perspective to recent studies on cultures of transmediality along with an in-depth analysis of three contemporary Turkish cases, the book:

- Builds upon questions of whether transmedia storytelling can offer a support system to construct an alternative news media world in a political context such as Turkey’s
- Examines how transmedia storytelling can reach places the mainstream news media can’t control
- Explores whether transmedia storytelling can sustain the survival of an independent journalist in Turkey’s political context

Looking beyond the case of Turkey, this study will be an important addition to the literature on rethinking journalistic form and practice, teaching transmedia strategies, and social communication. It will be of great benefit to students and scholars of journalism studies, transmedia studies, and media and communication studies.

Essa pesquisa tem como objetivo identificar se a Pública – Agência de Reportagem e Jornalismo Investigativo se enquadra no conceito de jornalismo pós-industrial.
A partir da revisão da literatura dos conceitos de jornalismo pós-industrial, independente, investigativo e também os modelos de negócio do jornalismo tradicional e da fase pós-industrial, foi possível perceber que apesar de em certos aspectos a Agência Pública apenas utilizar as ferramentas do jornalismo da terceira geração, em outros, como no modelo de negócio adotado por ela, e bem como as estratégias utilizadas para ganhar doadores, há inovação e o enquadramento no conceito do jornalismo pós-industrial.

Izvještaj je nastao iz potrebe da se predstave pretpostavljene veze politike i javnih medija u lokalnim zajednicama. Neka od istraživačkih pitanja tiču se transparentnosti postupaka imenovanja i smjenjivanja upravljačkih organa u javnim lokalnim medijima, kao i direktnog i indirektnog utjecaja na imenovanja direktora i glavnih i odgovornih urednika. Istraživanje javnih lokalnih medija pokazalo je da mediji imaju različite prakse u postupcima imenovanja upravljačkih struktura, kao i da su često meta političke instrumentalizacije lokalnih vlasti kroz imenovanje podobnih kandidata na direktorska i urednička mjesta. Kao jedan od gorućih problema u lokalnim medijima prepoznat je i hronični nedostatak kadra usljed loših finansijskih prilika. S druge strane, novinari prolaze kroz različite oblike pritisaka, dok su garancije njihove autonomije i kolektivno organizovanje još uvijek slabi. Izvještaj daje pregled legislativnog okvira, kao i nekih od identificiranih praksi, te su na kraju date preporuke za unapređenje integriteta, transparentnosti i monitoringa procesa imenovanja. Najvažnije preporuke su: 1) definisati precizne kriterije za imenovanja upravljačkih struktura skupštine, nadzornih i upravnih odbora, direktora i urednika u lokalnim javnim medijima i takve kriterije uvrstiti u statute i interne pravilnike; 2) povećati transparentnost sastava i djelovanja komisija koje provode javne konkurse, i te izmjene inkorporirati u interne pravilnike i statute javnih medija; 3) povećati transparentnost procedura imenovanja, biografija članova i djelovanja izabranih upravljačkih tijela i urednika i te izmjene propisati statutima javnih medija, 4) uvesti dodatne garancije uredničke neovisnosti: onemogućiti da funkciju skupštine javnog preduzeća preuzima skupština lokalne vlasti i onemogućiti da direktor istovremeno obavlja posao glavnog i odgovornog urednika.

News media coverage of the Asia-Pacific region in Aotearoa/New Zealand has been traditionally limited and parochial, apart from Polynesia which has been regarded as an extension of the country with a significant Pacific Islander urban and rural population in the largest city of Auckland. Indonesia and the Philippines, New Zealand’s closest neighbours among Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), rarely have serious coverage or current affairs analysis. When Asia-Pacific reporting does get some exposure, it is often reflecting an Australian perspective rather than Asian, or even New Zealand. Few specialist political and current affairs media exist in the country and it is left to small special interest news services such as the state-funded public broadcaster Radio New Zealand International and the independent Scoop, both in the capital of Wellington, to provide critical coverage. This paper provides a case study of a small university-based media freedom advocacy and analysis service that has reported media developments in the region for almost two decades.Pacific Media Watchwas founded as an independent, non-profit and non-government network by two journalism academics. Its genesis was the jailing of two Taimi ‘o Tonga journalists, ‘Ekalafi Moala and Filokalafi ‘Akau’ola, and a ‘whistleblowing’ pro-democracy member of Parliament in Tonga, ‘Akilisi Pohiva, for alleged contempt in September 1996. They were later freed by the Pacific kingdom’s Supreme Court which ruled their imprisonment was unconstitutional. PMW played an important role in the campaign to free the three men, including organising an international petition seeking their release. Since then, the agency has developed a strategy to challenge issues of parochial news-generation by reporting on the region’s media developments, including Indonesia and the Philippines in particular. At times it has also reported on Burma, China, Thailand and Vietnam. Ethics, media freedom, industry ownership, cross-cultural diversity and media plurality have featured in the service’s reports. PMW has also been involved in reporting coups d’etat, civil conflict, climate change, health, social activism and media independence. The paper examines the PMW project, history and purpose as a catalyst for activist journalists, educator journalists, citizen journalists and critical journalists in a broader trajectory of Asia-Pacific protest.

Dr David Robie is Professor of Journalism and Director of the Pacific Media Centre in the School of Communication Studies at Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand. He is also a former head of journalism at both the University of Papua New Guinea and the University of the South Pacific, and the author of Mekim Nius: South Pacific media, politics and education and The Pacific Journalist.
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The article discusses the vulnerability and insecurity in the work of independent investigative
reporters without employment contract or any other formal link with journalistic companies, in a scenario of
precariousness of the profession accentuated by the crisis of the industrial model. The reflection is anchored in
data on labor and employment relations, the necessary conditions of security and in the aid, and
recommendations of national and international entities and institutions. A questionnaire was also applied to four
reporters. The analysis is based on investigative journalism, transformations of the journalism and labor
precarization.

A collection of Pacific Journalism Review 20th Anniversary conference peer-reviewed papers
PACIFIC JOURNALISM REVIEW is far more than a research journal. As an independent publication, it has given strong support to investigative journalism, socio-political journalism, political economy of the media, photojournalism and political cartooning in its two decades of publishing, which have all been strongly reflected in the character of the journal.

It has also been a champion of journalism practice-as-research methodologies and strategies, as reflected especially in its Frontline section, initiated by one of the co-editors of this volume, Wendy Bacon. Barry King and Philip Cass are also co-editors and have been key contributors at various stages. Many people have contributed to developing PJR along the way and I will try to do justice over their roles. - excerpt from the editorial.

http://www.pjreview.info/volume-21/issue-1