Henry Ergas, Helen McCabe and James Chessell on the panel at the Centre for Media Transition.
2 July 2018
Henry Ergas, economist and newspaper columnist with the Australian, rises to protect the vital role played by public interest journalism (PIJ) in promoting the quality of public life. He knows it is important but, in a report commissioned by Google, says it is unclear whether we have too much of it, too little or the amount is just right.
But, noting the arrival of new online news providers, he argues that the amount of PIJ is not directly linked to the survival or otherwise of the traditional news media. If a PIJ shortage were to arrive, it would be more than likely be in regional parts of the country. After launching his report, a distinguished panel of Helen McCabe, digital director of Nine.com.au, and the group executive editor of Fairfax Media, James Chessell, debated the issue before an audience of over 150 people. The Centre for Media Transition’s Peter Fray played moderator for this lively discussion, which was followed by an audience Q&A.
Listen to Peter Fray's interview with Henry Ergas for the Fourth Estate podcast series.