Video: DAIRY FARMING IN AUSTRALIA IS BOUNCING BACK
Dairy farming in Australia is bouncing back
One of the dominant news stories of 2016 in Australia was that of downturn that the dairy industry was experiencing.
Some farmers were hit harder than others – with some having to sell their herds and find a new career. For those that were able to survive 2016, there is a sense that business is on the way up.
2017 has seen a rise in milk prices and with that a new-found optimism that the industry will find its collective feet once again.
With Fonterra recently announcing an increase in its farmgate milk price – the amount paid to farmers – this has a tremendously positive ripple effect for farmers as other milk companies battle to entice potential suppliers.
Gippsland dairy farmer Kerrie Smith has seen the ups and downs over the course of her 20 years on the land and believes the future is bright for dairy farming in Australia.
“I’ve been dairy farming for about 20 years and in that time there’s been quite a few highs and lows.” Smith explains.
“We’ve just been through a low – but I think things should improve and long term things are looking quite okay.”
The importance of China to the Australian dairy industry cannot be understated. Fellow Gippsland dairy farmer, Graham Wilson highlights this point.
“Our best markets are Asia.” Wilson said. “Especially with now signing this free trade agreement with China, the future does look a lot better.”
Wilson has seen it all in his 45 years of dairy farming – and the 2016 downturn wasn’t the worst he has had to endure.
“It was quite bad but it was not the worst one.” Wilson said.
“The worst being 1975 – England, who used to buy a lot of our produce – joined the European Union so they didn’t need any of our produce. Things really fell away.”
Although the downturn of 2016 was brutal for some farmers, Smith explains the importance of dairy farming to the Australian economy.
“I think [the dairy industry is] very important.” Smith said.
“It provides a lot of jobs – not just the on-farm jobs with owners and the people that they employ – but a lot of milk gets exported to Asia, which helps Australia a lot. There are also a lot of jobs created with the processing of the milk into products.”
With the dairy industry fighting back into a strong position, Australia is the better for it.
The smartphone has unlocked a myriad of possibilities for journalists
By Hayley Wildes
The smartphone is simply an invaluable tool for all journalists today. Not only is it used for vital communication, it is also used by multi-platform journalists to record, edit and produce amazing content for the news-hungry public.
With news being all around us, and with social media being so accessible, journalists need to be able to publish articles, videos or photos at any moment throughout the day. The smartphone allows this to be possible.
Social media has changed journalism dramatically.
There are countless apps available for both Apple and Android smartphones, and the flexibility these give to journalists all over the world is incredible.
For example, you can be reporting on an event on the other side of the world and instead of having a large film crew by your side, an iPhone will suffice. From there you can capture videos, photos, voice recordings and then edit it, all on the iPhone. Then it can be sent to your editors on the other side of the world for distribution.
Not only has the smartphone changed unlocked a brave new world for journalists, it has done the same for the public.
Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, among other social media avenues, have allowed the public 24-hour access to news, views and everything in between.
The NBA has taken full advantage of social media – 22.4 million followers on Instagram reiterates its importance to maintaining the visibility of the league around the world.
Don’t be fooled by technology, the story still counts
By Hayley Wildes
The way news is being digested by the general public may have changed dramatically in the last decade, but the key to being a respected journalist remains the same; knowing what makes a good story.
On top of knowing what makes a good story, journalists also need to be able to find, delve deep into, articulate, and respect the story they are writing.
Newer methods of telling stories such as; podcasts, social media, digital videos and virtual reality all make news more exciting.
This means more people are consuming the news, a positive for journalists, but it also means there is more competition, resulting in journalists needing to be able to operate in different environments and use different mediums.
The way in which images and video are changing the news landscape is of particular importance. The innovation of 360 degree videos have forever changed the visual medium of news reporting.
News reporters can have 360 degree images and videos online for viewers to bask in.
As shown in the video below, the footage is tremendous.
This new way of telling the news is incredibly powerful and shines light on the full situation of the report – more angles, images and points of view – which helps to create and maintain a strong story.
However, it is still up to the journalist/reporter to translate the footage into a meaningful and strong story.
Yes, technology is creating new ways to showcase stories, but ultimately, the story is king – it must be interesting.
The multi-platform media environment requires journalist’s to uphold ethics and ideals
By Hayley Wildes
With so many channels for people to view and digest their news through, coupled with the competitive nature of journalism and the race to be first to report news, fake news as it has come to be known is a real problem.
This has a lot to do with ethics and the fact the fact that many ‘journalists’ out there are more worried about making a name for themselves and not report what is 100% true or fact-checked.
As Mark Phillips writes, journalists, not the general public’s thirst for news at every second of the day, are the major problem.
Phillips, in reference to the problem of fake news, doesn’t sugar-coat the situation:
“Sadly, much of that damage is self-inflicted following decades of institutional arrogance, minimal adherence to ethical standards and a loose relationship to the truth.”
Fake news came to the forefront of the media’s attention when a storm was created by Donald Trump, but in reality it has been a problem for long before Trump called out major news organisation, CNN.
In the rush to publish a story first, the truth is often not the most important facet of the story. Pressures from above (editors, management, and competitors), are making journalists lives harder, but once again, journalists as a whole have bought this on themselves due to lack of morals and respect for their profession.
This can be changed though. The absolute saturation of news is making good news reporting rarer and rarer, which places a higher demand and want for quality. Journalism is not dead, good journalists just need to step forth.
Skills required by journalism graduates
By Hayley Wildes
In this day and age, writing and journalism has truly become a global business. With the internet and all things encompassing the world wide web, particularly including social media, the news never stops and reporting of that news is needed 24-hours a day.
When searching for graduates to join our team, we seek very particular skills and attributes in those applicants – ones that will hold them in good stead to become an important member of the global news cycle.
- A strong social media footprint and understanding of its importance.
Trump stands by wiretapping accusations, Spicer says, despite Intel Committee’s statement they’ve seen no evidence. https://t.co/leRj32lcbU
— CNN Breaking News (@cnnbrk) March 16, 2017
News organisations utilise social media every single day, as do their writers and bloggers.
2. An understanding of the platforms (print, TV, radio and online), and how to best utilise each in order to engage and entertain viewers.
No longer can writers coming into the field of journalism be only capable of working with one platform.
3. Experience in the field.
There is nothing like getting out there and gaining experience firsthand.
4. As discussed in ‘How to: have a digital ‘edge’ as a new journalist’, Rachel Bartlett highlights the importance of having technical specialism.
Whether that be in a particular editing program, working with data, coding skills or any other area related to multi-platform journalism, having a speciality will be seen as a huge plus to employers.
5. Acting and reporting ethically.
The video below explains what it means to be a journalist in an era when social media and being the first to report the news is king.
Multi-Platform Journalism 