Seventy-nine percent of Australian journalists were concerned about the impact that generative AI could have on the overall integrity or quality of journalism in 2023, Medianet’s latest Media Landscape Report finds.
Based on a survey of more than 800 Australian journalists, the report revealed that while most journalists (74 per cent) had not yet personally used generative AI in their work and 19 per cent were not aware of how AI is being used in their newsrooms, 67 per cent of respondents believed that generative AI could potentially replace aspects of their jobs. Further, twelve percent of respondents claimed to know someone who has lost work or lost work themselves due to the uptake of generative AI in 2023.
Medianet managing director, Amrita Sidhu, said that the heightened fear from journalists could stem from the lack of awareness about how AI is being used in newsrooms and its potential impact on journalistic integrity.
“The introduction of generative AI has sparked concerns among journalists, but it’s essential to bridge the gap between concerns and real-world impact,” Sidhu said.
“While the figure is quite small, it is concerning that some journalists had already lost work despite the relatively low uptake of AI in the media so far.”
The report also shows findings on journalists’ average salaries, once again highlighting gender pay gaps in the media industry.
From the findings, journalists have not been immune to cost-of-living challenges. ‘Money’ was identified as the greatest challenge of 43 per cent of respondents in 2023, while 67 per cent felt they were underpaid. Conversely, female journalists earning over $100,000 increased by seven per cent from the previous year.In a year where the platform formerly known as Twitter received significant publicity following the company’s acquisition by Elon Musk and subsequent rebrand to X, there was a significant drop in professional Twitter/X usage in 2023.
The platform dropped from being the second most used social media platform for journalists in 2022 to being the fourth most-used platform, after Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. Fifty-eight percent of respondents said they used Twitter/X in 2023 down from 69 per cent in 2022. Ten percent identified having either recently deleted their account or stopped using it in 2023. A quarter of respondents (26 per cent) said they still had an account but rarely used Twitter/X for professional purposes in 2023.
Journalists disclosed their main motivations to report on stories, with 80 per cent stating their primary motivation is to inform the public accurately and fairly.
“This comprehensive report underscores the industry’s commitment to principled reporting, the need for public understanding, and the continued importance of accurate and impartial journalism,” Sidhu said.
