2026年澳大利亚媒体格局报告

Australian MediaLandscape Report Executive summary 04 About the report06 Snapshot of the media industry08 Snapshot of key findings10 Section 1:Work and employment of journalists Current work and employment15 Industry movement20 Pay22 27 Section 2:Challenges for journalistsand threats to journalism Personal challenges28 Threats to public interest journalism30 Section 3:AI and the media Journalists’ use of generative AI/Large Language Models38 Concern about impacts of generativeAI/Large Language Models on the media44 Impact of generative AI/Large LanguageModels on journalists’ employment48 Section 4:Journalists’ sources and social media52 Journalists’ story sources53Press releases55AI, PR and trust57Social media63Changes to journalists’ preferred platforms in 202569 72 Alternative publishing platforms73An optimistic outlook78 About Medianet The 2026 Australian MediaLandscape Report highlightsa profound transformationwithin the industry, marked bya turn in technology adoptionand a shifting economicreality for journalists. in a row, cited by 45% ofjournalists, while the mostcommon salary bracket hasslipped to $60,000–$79,999. Executivesummary When it comes to howjournalists source information,a shift is underway. Notonly did press releasesovertake industry andprofessional contacts asthe top story source forthe first time, but socialmedia usage has declined.For PR professionals, therelationship with the mediais now defined by a demandfor personalisation; 60% ofjournalists say evidence thata source understands theirinterests is the top factor forbuilding trust. They also seethe PR profession as a bridgebetween them and valuablespokespeople and othergatekeepers of information.For most, PR professionals are For the first time, generativeAI has become a mainstreamtool, with 54% of journalistsnow using it in their work—asignificant jump from 37%only a year prior. However,this adoption coincideswith deep anxiety, as 93%of respondents expressedconcern over the impact ofgenerative AI on the integrityof journalism and 22% report(up from 16% the previousyear) that they or someonethey know lost work in 2025due to AI adoption in theworkplace. Money remainsthe most pervasive personalchallenge for the fourth year important to their success.Journalists, however, remainhighly sceptical of AI in thisspace, with 78% statingthat receiving AI-generatedpitches decreases their trustin PR content, while 48% claimthey can “almost always”detect machine-written copy. Instagram and WhatsApphave surged professional use. Respondents’ outlookon the future is sharplydivided. While 53% maintainsome level of optimism,citing “green shoots” inindependent and hyperlocalmedia, 47% are not optimisticat all. Detractors describea “dumpster fire” of jobinsecurity, media ownershipconcentration, and a “raceto the bottom” driven bytraffic-chasing models.Ultimately, the report depictsan industry at a tipping point,where the rise of AI-drivensearch and summaries isviewed as the greatest threatto public interest journalism,forcing a necessary butpainful evolution in how newsis produced and consumed. The digital landscape isfragmenting as journalistsseek autonomy outsidetraditional newsrooms. Nearlyhalf of all respondents arenow running or consideringalternative platforms likeSubstack or podcasts,primarily driven by a desirefor creative freedom. Thismove towards independencemirrors a broader exodus fromtraditional social media, asprofessional usage of Twitter/Xplummeted to 36% in 2025—down from 73% in 2019—whileMeta-owned platforms like Welcome to the Medianet2026 Australian MediaLandscape report. Thisreport is based on a surveyconducted in January 2026 toprovide insights into the workand preferences of Australianjournalists and respond tosome of the challenges theyare facing in the industry. Survey participants wereinvited to enter a draw towin a monetary gift card.Responses were analysedconfidentially, and allidentifying information aboutrespondents was removed tomaintain anonymity. Aboutthereport Of the 803 respondents,69% worked in digitaljournalism, 53% worked inprint, 18% worked in radio,12% worked in TV and 13%worked in podcasting. Respondents were invited toparticipate via professionalemail addresses stored inMedianet’s media contactsdatabase. A total of 803journalists participated in theanonymous survey, providingcomprehensive insightsinto technological shifts inmedia content, journalists’preferences and challenges,and the broader medialandscape over the past12 months. The information presentedin this report includesquantitative results,qualitative insights andquotes from respondents.Quotes were selected toreflect common themesshared among many of theresponses. They do notnecessarily represent theviews of Medianet. Acknowledgement of Country: We acknowledge the Wurundjeri and Boonwurrung people as theTraditional Owners of the land on which this report was written. Werecognise their continuing connection to lands