Lecture will detail the future of business journalism in NZ

Lecture will detail the future of business journalism in New Zealand

Journalist and Sunday Star Times columnist Rod Oram is presenting this year’s Bruce Jesson lecture at the University of Auckland tomorrow.

The annual lecture is named in honour of journalist, author, unionist and former Auckland Regional Councillor Bruce Jesson.

In his lecture “Follow the money” the future of business journalism, Rod will discuss how the feeble state of business journalism in New Zealand and around the world is a subset of journalism’s general decline.

“To try to survive financially, many media organisations are increasingly blurring the distinction between journalism and advertising, devaluing both in the process. Yet, there has never been a more important time for business journalism,” Rod says.

“Profound change is sweeping through business and economics and the societies they help shape. Journalists should be trying to explain what’s happening – the good and the ill – for the benefit of participants and public alike.”

The lecture will outline six changes that have affected business journalism and how a country the size of New Zealand has difficulty in responding to them.

“The smaller a market is, the greater the difficulty to respond. Thus, in a very small country like ours business journalism is even more constrained and compromised.”

Rod will outline the new agenda for business journalism and how the themes of money, people and relationships can form a new business journalism model for New Zealand.

Rod was born in the United Kingdom. He spent over 20 years as an international financial journalist in Europe and North America, and travelled extensively in those continents and in Asia. He immigrated to New Zealand in 1997. In 2004 Rod was a triple award-winner at the Qantas Media Awards; as business columnist of the year, business feature writer of the year and winner of the NZTE travel scholarship for his writing on innovation in New Zealand.

Bruce Jesson grew up in Christchurch and earned a law degree at Canterbury University, but was never admitted to the Bar because he refused to swear allegiance to the British queen. He was the author of The Fletcher Challenge: Wealth and Power in New Zealand (1980), Behind the Mirror Glass: The Growth of Wealth and Power in New Zealand in the Eighties (1987) and Only Their Purpose is Mad: The Money Men Take over New Zealand (1999).

The 2015 Bruce Jesson Lecture is at the Maidment Theatre, 8 Alfred Street, City Campus on Wednesday 14 October at 6pm, doors open at 5.30pm.

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