ABC’s incredible reporting of the 2016 Census results
What are three most important core values you think journalists must have in today’s world? Why?
The first value I’ve chosen is quite careerist, but I think it’s really important that emerging, contemporary journalists are multi-talented and offer a diverse set of skills, a brand so to speak, to succeed in today’s uncertain climate.
The second core value that I think is really important for journalists to hold is a wide-ranging curiosity for the world and for people. That allows a more humanistic approach that is a necessary juxtaposition to the more robotic aspects of reporting. Through curiosity we can empathise, understand and practice our work more ethically.
The third value is self-awareness, understanding our place in society and in situations. Through self-awareness we can think critically, grow, and be powerful in our exchanges with subjects (as an example).
How can those values be useful in approaching digital tools we have today to produce good journalism?
Thinking about my first value, being engaged in the digital world allowed us to better market ourselves and our material for traction (clicks in modern journalism are vital). It is a fundamental medium to us establishing a brand and can allow us to embed external ventures (perhaps creatively) into a personal package. It’s important, however, to not get caught up in style of substance. Digital journalism, at it’s best, enhances a story through visual and other aesthetic components.
Those visual and aesthetic elements that are particular to digital journalism also allow a more humanistic connection to subjects which through viral attention tend to invite more public engagement.
Can you find at least one example of good online journalism that reflects these values?
I thought the ABC’s reporting of the 2016 census results was really clever. It was really engaging and fascinating, making something as inaccessible as statistics accessible to a greater public. My only complaint in that it was extremely cis-normative regarding gender.
