[csaa-forum] Publishing outside the academy

[Jon Stratton]

  Hi Jackie (and all), 
        Good to meet you on line.  Yes, I agree, there's plenty of work, but
no pay, doing seven minute grabs for ABC talk shows and the like.  Jackie's
been working my area of the country a bit recently (Perth) :).  I'm doing a
weekly cs spot on the local ABC afternoon show.  A few weeks ago I did a
piece for ABC Kalbarri and was inundated--yes, really--with local ABC
stations from the NSW north coast to Alice Springs wanting versions of the
same segment.  A couple of days ago I did one for the early morning prog on
ABC Hobart.  One reason I do all this is because, in among the general stuff
(eg 'why do people name inanimate objects?') I can get some good points in
about asylum seekers, racism and similar matters.  As both Kath and Jackie
signal, radio has an insatiable appetite for talent.  Seven minute grabs
mean that the producers are constantly looking for people to talk about
anything that they think their audience will be interested in--and that can
be what's in the day's news or something else entirely.  The thing to
remember, though, is that it's all about communication: no long words, no
quoting famous theorists; ideas presented simply and accessibly.  And it can
get 'interesting.'  One day a while back, after I'd done a piece on one of
the commercials, I found a quite abusive message on my work phone.  The
woman started by teling me that I wouldn't know if my bum was on fire.  Not
an expression I knew so my knowledge of Australian language was broadened!
:))  And the uni likes it, though Curtin doesn't share the way U of SA seems
to!  It also helps keep me sane when I'm drowning in Head of Dept work.
Kath mentioned oped pieces for newapapers.  Newspapers are also very often
on the look-out for people who can be quoted about some topic.  Once you're
known as somebody who can give a pithy response you get a lot of calls.
Again, no money but it doesn't take long and, politically, I reckon that
every little bit has got to help.

cheers, 
Jon (Stratton)  



-----Original Message-----
From: csaa-forum-bounces at darlin.cdu.edu.au
To: 'CSAA discussion list'
Sent: 11/08/04 11:51
Subject: RE: [csaa-forum] Publishing outside the academy

Re the role of broadcasting in developing the Cultural Studies debate
AND an
academic career/influence/sense of forward direction, whatever:

Even if the DEETYA recognition doesn't come through, broadcast comment
is worth
pursuing. 

If you do it, keep it prominent on your CV. 

I do roughly 5 radio pieces a week, across Australia but also
internationally
sometimes, and TV sometimes... Not because I'm the world expert, but
because
I'm on the talk producer's circuit... And my University loves it: gave
me the
Chancellor's Prize for Community Development (cash...!!) and has
estimated that
the number of times a radio presenter says in introducing me: "...from
the
University of..." is worth $300,000 a year in free publicity. So there
you are:
hit one straight back to the eco-rats - on their own terms! 

More: look at this week's radio ratings. ABC talk is pegging back the
commercials. The afternoon program on the ABC in Adelaide is only .5
behind the
leading commercial talk station in that slot - and NSW is also doing
very well
still. Suggestion: there is an appetite among listeners for the sorts of
analysis and commentary and question raising we can do, and ABC
producers are
beginning to use the new networks to involve us more and more. - But so
are the
commercials: it's harder to do, more risky, and takes a different
format, but
gets to big audiences, and different audiences. And in my state at
least,
almost all of the talk producers on the commercials are our own
graduates...
Use those connections!

Jackie Cook
(Comm and Journalism, Uni Of South Australia)

-----Original Message-----
From: Andrea Baker [mailto:andrea.baker at arts.monash.edu.au] 
Sent: Wednesday, 11 August 2004 1:02 PM
To: CSAA discussion list
Cc: CSAA discussion list
Subject: Re: [csaa-forum] Publishing outside the academy


Kath,

I am interested your comment that "Some radio features are counted by
DETYA as
publications".

I have produced some 15 freelance radio features for ABC Radio National
programs, a few for Radio Eye, Media Report, Health Report; Sports
Factor;
Background Briefing (our doco about ATSIC won an award for that
one!) etc. and about 5 ABC, RN's pieces over the course of being a
Journalism
academic for 5 years but none regarded as 'DETYA for publication'.

So I am a bit interested in your above comments...

regards,
Andrea
(Lecturer in Journalism, Monash) _______________________________________

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