Australian journalists are optimistic about the future of the media industry in 2022, despite ongoing global issues, according to new research released today by Telum Media.
This is just one of the findings from the inaugural Telum Asia Pacific Journalism Survey 2022, which polled 1,133 journalists across the region, with more than 200 responses in Australia.
The results suggest Aussie journalists are focused on job security in 2022, with 59 per cent of respondents planning to stay in their current role or move within the media industry. More than half of journalists surveyed said they’d received a salary increase in the last 12 months.
As the spread of misinformation online continues, an overwhelming number of respondents appeared to have a strong sense of purpose in their work, with more than 70 per cent reporting the rise of social media and digital platforms had either elevated or reinforced the need for quality journalism.
Telum’s managing director, Asia Pacific, Tim Williamson said despite some apprehension about the media industry’s future, Australian journalists largely appear to be looking forward.
“It is clear from this year’s Telum Asia Pacific Journalism Survey that journalism is as important, if not more so, than it has ever been,” he said.
“Journalists in Australia seem to have a clear sense of purpose and cautious optimism about the industry they love.”
While 33 per cent of Aussie journalists were the most likely to be concerned about job security in 2022, more than half would still recommend a career in journalism. In fact, 42.5 per cent of Aussie journalists remained optimistic or cautiously optimistic about the media industry’s outlook for 2022.
Monica Attard, co-director at the University of Technology Sydney’s centre for media transition said this optimism was a good sign.
“The fact is that in 2021, we have seen an enormous number of opportunities open for graduates of journalism, and whilst the jobs might not look the same as they did ‘back in the day’, they are, by and large, producing journalism or journalism-adjacent outcomes,” she said.
The Telum Asia Pacific Journalism Survey 2022 was conducted from November 2021 to January 2021 and includes findings from Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.
You can view the full report here.