85 years of journalism celebrated by UQ

The impact of digital journalism, recognition of an international freedom-of-expression advocate, and the ‘grilling’ of the Queensland Premier by journalism students are highlights of celebrations marking the 85th anniversary of the first tertiary education journalism award in Australia.

For 85 years, The University of Queensland’s School of Journalism and Communication has been graduating journalism and media leaders for Queensland, Australia and internationally, making it the longest established journalism school in Australia and one of the oldest in the world.

Delivering Australia’s longest established Journalism studies program, the school is marking the milestone with a program of events including a one day seminar on the "Future of Journalism" on September 22.

Head of School Professor Jan Servaes said acclaimed television journalist, host of the ABC’s 7.30 Report, and UQ Adjunct Professor Kerry O’Brien would help facilitate the day-long program of special events to mark the anniversary.

Professor Servaes said the seminar was open to journalism practitioners and educators and the anniversary provided the industry and the consuming public with a rare opportunity to consider the future of journalism.

“The news media and the communications technology are very different to when journalism studies commenced at UQ in 1921 but the basics of good journalism that serves the community through accurate and fair reportage has not changed," Professor Servaes said.

"Whether journalists are satisfactorily delivering that service is another question. As a perpetual quality audit of journalism, I think we need to constantly ask ourselves the question `What is journalism for?`”

He said these were some of the issues to be discussed at a one day seminar at the Marriot Hotel in Brisbane on Friday September 22. Premier Peter Beattie has accepted an invitation to open the seminar and be questioned by journalism students.

Highlights of the 22 September seminar include:
• Industry panel discussion on the impact on online journalism
• Industry panel discussion on visual journalism
• Alumni dinner
• The presentation of the inaugural Communication for Social Change Award to Thai human rights and communications advocate Ms Supinya Klangnarong
• Media conference featuring UQ student journalists and Peter Beattie.
• Exhibition of the history of Australian journalism Historic Newspapers and Headlines at the Brisbane Commissariat building in William Street.

For further information, contact Journalist-in-Residence John Austin on 07 3365 7329 or Head of School Professor Jan Servaes on 07 3365 6115.