Alternative news services on non-commercial youth radio

in Australia

Rosanna Ryan

Why?

• My identity as a recent journalism graduate and worker in the sector

• Massive contradiction between practices taught at university and practices used at 4ZZZ

• Apparent contradiction between what we try to achieve (policy) and what we do achieve (programming)

• Widespread reflection after 30 years of having community radio and ABC youth radio

Research questions

• How do journalists in the non-commercial youth radio sector produce news for their target audiences?

• How are these practices justified in terms of station policy and objectives?

The field of enquiry

• Youth subcultures– as deviant? as way of resisting subordination? as just part of a

fragmented identity?– claim of misrepresentation in the mainstream media

• Non-commercial youth radio– 30 year history of community and ABC youth radio in Australia– quarantined (to some extent) from commercial pressures and

serving a “different” kind of audience• Alternative news

– public journalism– citizens’ media– radical media– are these ideals always carried through?

Research sites

• Stations that identify themselves as serving either a “youth” or “alternative” community, in 3 major population centres of Australia

• Brisbane: 4ZZZ• Melbourne: 3CR, SYN, RRR• Sydney: 2SER, FBi• National: Triple J• Also Jim Beatson, Program Services

Manager at the CBAA

Methodologies

• Case studies• Ethnography

– Interviewing– Participant observation (and reflective practice)

– Documentary evidence

• News analysis– Sources, issues and style

Results

4ZZZ FM (Brisbane)Paul Shields, Giordana Caputo, Victor Sobral

Results

2SER FM (Sydney)Mark Robinson, Erica Vowles

Results

RRR (Melbourne)Mick James

Analysis

• Great diversity in the sector, though a whole-of-sector identity still exists

• History and institutional characteristics play a huge role in determining policy

• Lots of autonomy given to journalists and news departments

• Therefore an excellent environment to experiment

• Needs further research on audiences (both academic and market research) to guide experimentation with practices

What I’ve learnt

• There is an important place for this kind of journalism in the Australian mediascape

• Exposure to various different models beyond mainstream journalism, that will also useful outside of the youth/alternative radio sector

• Greatly improved my practice this year• Research project gave me opportunity to

make contacts on a national level with like-minded people

Questions?