Last updated on February 19th, 2024 at 06:22 am
Sunderland, Alan, 2022, The ten rules of reporting: Journalism for the Community, Simon and Schuster, Cammeray
Alan Sunderland has a long history as a journalist notably for the ABC and SBS broadcasters. With the disappearance of so many traditional print newspapers across Australia, owing to the rise of the Internet and Social Media, Sunderland is concerned that we may not have sufficient critical voices defending public interest. As a young journalist 40 years ago, he joined a noble profession which reported on community matters to keep us informed of decisions happening in our councils, law courts as well as in the community in general. In recent times, notably in rural and regional Australia, communities exist in ‘media deserts’ where virtually no public interest reporting occurs. Sunderland produced ‘The Ten Rules of Reporting’, as a guide to the non-profit web platforms which have started to spring up to fill the void left behind by traditional print newspapers. The book spells out in 160 pages basic rules of public interest journalism, which is founded in ethics, morality and legal principles. Sunderland also adds a large sprinkling of practical advice which can only come from a lifetime of serving and protecting the public interest. For anyone who is not a trained journalist and is currently in the business of setting up a community web-based newspaper or thinking about it, this is essential reading.
The Ten Rules
- Be accurate
- Provide context
- Find the public interest
- Know your community
- Be impartial
- Deliver diverse perspectives
- Be independent
- Avoid harm
- Respect others
- Be accountable
Further reading
- ABC 2017, Interviewing
- Sunderland, A 2019, On the ABC and public interest journalism
- Sunderland, A 2019, Forty years in public broadcasting — what has and hasn’t changed
- Sunderland, A 2023, Recent writings on journalism…
- Telum 2022, Telum Talks To… Alan Sunderland, Author for The Ten Rules of Reporting
Where to find
The South Australian public library system holds multiple copies. Although not within Alexandrina libraries, it is available as an inter Council library loan.
Where to buy
This book is a publication of Simon and Schuster, see The Ten Rules of Reporting | Alan Sunderland 2022 for information about purchasing at bookstore locations or via online book sellers.