Andrew Dodd and Matthew Ricketson (Eds)
UNSW Press
Otago Daily Times, September 4th 2021
The last decade has seen waves of redundancies in newsrooms around the world, with profound consequences for both the individuals involved and journalism as a whole. Drawn from interviews with 57 veterans of Australian media – reporters, photographers, editors, cartoonists, broadcasters and foreign correspondents – Upheaval charts the transformation of newspapers from multi-story empires staffed by an army of specialists to pared-back operations that occupy less than a single floor in which reporters do everything from copy-editing to photography themselves.
The book, which is structured chronologically and thematically, opens with descriptions of the early phases of the journalists’ careers in the 70s and 80s: from the boot camp of cadetship to the thrill of the first by-line, the adrenaline rush of chasing a major lead and the stress of working towards an inexorable deadline, the memorable moments and equally unforgettable errors. The picture of the newsroom that emerges through their composite voices (augmented in my imagination by images from popular fiction) is one of semi-controlled chaos, reporters and subs shouting at one another through a fug of cigarette smoke, testosterone, adrenaline and alcohol. By bringing people as varied as the audiences they served together for a single purpose – getting the paper to the presses right on schedule, the newsroom was, in its own way, a family. A “boot camp out of which life long bonds and friendships were born” and a place where, with the right mentorship and training a school leaver could find their way into a profession supposedly for life.”
The combination of deadlines, rivalries and the strict hierarchy running from editor to reporter, sub to copy-kid was also the perfect breeding ground for bullying and abuse, and Upheaval doesn’t shy away from the negative aspects of newsroom culture. The central section deals with the less savoury aspects of the profession, from the difficulty of maintaining a healthy work/life balance and the dangers of burn-out or PTSD (especially among foreign correspondents) to the misogynistic nature of the profession. All of the female contributors have stories of sexual discrimination or harassment, some extremely disturbing. Although much improved as more women enter the field, progress is slow and incomplete and inappropriate workplace behaviour is now augmented by toxic online abuse.
The final chapters cover the rise of digital technology and the repeated waves of redundancy that have swept through traditional publications since 2008, detailing their effect on journalists as individuals and the media as a whole. Despite the considerable toll their profession has taken on their personal and family lives, it is clear that those interviewed loved what they did, and for many, their work became inseparable from their identity. For many, the feelings of betrayal were exacerbated by the way their redundancy was handled: dismissed with little notice or acknowledgement for their years of service. Some have found new positions, reinvented themselves as freelancers, or segued into politics or PR. All, however, still believe in the importance of journalism “to scrutinise those in power and support democracy…[tell] stories of heroic endeavours and everyday lives“, and Upheaval‘s editors are cautiously optimistic about the opportunities for new, more diverse and inclusive organisations to replace ‘legacy’ newsrooms.
Although focussed on Australia, several contributors – David Marr, Flip Prior, Phil Kafcaloudes – are familiar names and the experiences they describe are readily extrapolated to New Zealand. Both as a work of historical record and a testament to the importance of quality journalism in a world drowning in ‘alternative facts’, Upheaval is a valuable document of record.
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