Kennedy Awards for Journalism called out for zero arts support

There’s a big problem with coverage of the arts in this country. Despite the attendance of music concerts being one of the major contributors to tourism in Sydney and Melbourne, there is a clear discrepancy in the print and online real estate given to arts vs. sports journalism.

Most would claim that this is an editorial decision that is so ingrained in the journalism psyche that it’s not worth saving - but there is one place where change could definitely happen. Journalism awards.

This year, the NRMA Kennedy Awards for Journalism are handing out gongs for 34 separate categories, but not a single one is going to arts coverage or journalism. Highly profiled awards such as the Coca-cola Young Journalist of the year and the (confusingly-named) Harry Potter Award for Outstanding Television News Reporting are being given out in lieu of any recognition for the arts community.

Senior Music writer for Fairfax Media, Bernard Zuel, sees a massive problem with this, tweeting:

Apparently it's the last week to enter @kennedyawards, unless you cover arts as that's not proper journalism according to them. Cheers guys.

— Bernard Zuel (@BernardZuel) June 26, 2017

@kennedyawards will you do it or shall I tell Michaela Boland, Anwen Crawford, John Shand, Harriet Cunningham their work isn't journalism?

— Bernard Zuel (@BernardZuel) June 26, 2017

This heat comes at a time when author and notable former TV-journalist Tracey Spicer called the Kennedy Foundation out for not recognising any women in the naming of their awards.

Was thinking about going to the Kennedy Awards for journalism until I saw this list. Are there no women reporters to remember...? @WIM_Aus pic.twitter.com/z3fAj2GkaA

— Tracey Spicer (@TraceySpicer) June 14, 2017

Looks like there’s no prizes for lack of diversity, Kennedy Awards.

TIO has reached out to Kennedy Foundation General Manager Steve Warnock for comment.