Bianca Sullivan
Journalist, Quest Community Newspapers
Written by Bronwyn Lyall on 2008-10-10
What do you see happening in the next five years in the newspaper/journalism industry?
I believe a lot more publications will start to push their online sectors of their business. There will always be newspapers but many people will go to the internet instead of buying the paper each day. Already there are publications solely on the internet rather than in print. Brisbanetimes.com.au for example. The Courier Mail has a large online audience and even my company Quest Newspapers is really pushing their audience to go online.
What are the biggest challenges you and your organisation face as a member of the Brisbane media community?
There is a lot bureaucracy. If you want to do a story on the government, army or any large companies they will always come back dodging questions and stalling journalists. This in turn gives the companies a bad name as we have to continually write they were unable to provide a comment or refused comment. It also reflects on journalists because we then don’t have a balance story. It becomes quite frustrating and companies are their worst own enemy when it comes to these situations.
What are the most important/valuable skills that graduates can bring to your industry?
Confidence and enthusiasm. A lot of graduates won’t have much experience but if they are willing to get in and get the job done, they often stay in the industry. You have to be chatty – it’s who you know, not what you know. You have to be confident and get out there and do your best work. You also have to be comfortable about being the middle man, going between your client and journalists. So you just have to be comfortable within yourself and your abilities and really just get out there.
How would you rate the performance of Brisbane-based media organisations in comparison to other national and international media hubs?
Brisbane’s media industry is very small compared to Melbourne and Sydney. However we are even smaller internationally. In print there really is only one metropolitan paper and AAP who often contributes to that paper. There are only a couple of popular radio stations and one large group of community newspapers governed by News limited. In saying this, Brisbane’s performance may not rate highly in comparison to papers like The Herald in Sydney as an example. But in Queensland and Brisbane The Courier Mail is well known. However, in recent studies, The Courier Mail was one of the worst trusted metro publications nationally.
How has new media such as the Internet and mobile communications revolutionised your workplace?
Every journalist now has a mobile so we can be contacted around the clock. The internet is also the primary tool for research. This is a massive change to how journalism used to be. It is a lot easier to be a journalist these days. We can call each other up and fill them in on an urgent story as its happening or let them know if something is coming up almost instantly. Email is a massive revelation as it has enabled us to so easily communicate with a variety of people. Although our inbox is full everyday with people pitching stories and things like that so knowing what is good and whether a story should be picked up is a skill that is definitely acquired through experience on the job.
How long have you been in the journalism/newspaper industry?
I have worked in the industry for two and a half years. There isn’t much opportunity to move into places within the Brisbane media industry because the field is so small but it is one of the best jobs I’ve ever had.
Do you see yourself perusing this career in the future or are you thinking about changing to another profession, and why?
I would say I will stay with journalism. It is a fantastic job and I enjoy my work. It has a fair bit of freedom attached to it and I enjoy working to the deadlines each week. There are other industries such as public relations that a lot of journalists change into after a little while in journalism but this is mainly due to the financial aspect. The skills that I have gained in this job are really useful in my job and in every day life.