Dr Louise North
Senior Lecturer
| Phone: | +61 3 990 26347 or +61 3 512 26347 |
| Fax: | +61 3 990 26359 or +61 3 512 26359 |
| Office: | 1E 222, Gippsland Campus |
| Email: | louise.north@monash.edu |
Biography
Dr Louise North has written extensively on gender and newsroom culture and has taught in the disciplines of Sociology, Gender Studies, Journalism and Media Studies. Her work has appeared in international and national scholarly journals. Her first book, The Gendered Newsroom, published in 2009 by US publisher Hampton Press has received international recognition from some of the world’s most respected scholars in the field of journalism and feminist media studies.
Louise has worked as a print journalist for 19 years on regional, suburban and metropolitan newspapers in South Australian, New South Wales, Queensland and Tasmania. She has also worked for the Australian Associated Press (AAP). Her last industry post in 2007 was as Regional Editor for the News Ltd suburban stable Messenger Newspapers in Adelaide.
Louise’s PhD, “The Gendered Newsroom: Embodied Subjectivity and Changing World of Media”, received a University of Tasmania Dean’s Commendation Award in 2007.
She also received a Dean’s Commendation for Excellence in Teaching (Journalism Ethics, 2010), and a Dean’s Commendation for Excellence in Teaching (Newsroom Theory and Practice, 2010).
In 2011, Louise devised and co-ordinated the first unit ever to address gender and race issues in an undergraduate journalism degree in Australia. ATS2895/3895 Gender, Race and Journalism responds to calls from both UNESCO and the Australian Government for universities to teach issues of race and gender in journalism education (see the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody, 1991 , recommendation 207b; and the 2007 UNESCO Model Curricula for Journalism Education). Monash's BA(Journalism) is therefore the only university in Australian to directly respond to these vital requirements in journalism education.
In 2011 Louise was awarded a Faculty Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning, for advancing diversity and equity education in Journalism through the development of curricula that responds to changing educational needs as called for by UNESCO and a Royal Commission.
Current research projects
Women in the Australian news media
Louise will begin a new research project in 2012 investigating the experiences of female journalists in the Australian news media. The project, the first of its kind in 16 years, will include women who work in metropolitan, suburban, regional and rural news media.
Gender and media – global research
In 2009 and 2010 Louise is a Regional Research Co-ordinator (Australia, New Zealand and Fiji) for the international media study, Global Report on the Status of Women in the News Media. The project is supported by the US-based organisation International Women’s Media Foundation.
Publications
Books
2009: The Gendered Newsroom: How journalists experience the changing world of media, Cresskill, NJ, Hampton Press
Edited volumes
- 2010: Media International Australia, (with Jason Bainbridge) “The Victorian Bushfires and Extreme Weather Events: Media Coverage, Crisis and Communication,” no.137
Book chapters
- Forthcoming: North, Louise, “Australia: A case of systemic inequity for women journalists,” in The Palgrave International Handbook on Women and Journalism, ed. Carolyn M Byerly, Palgrave, London
- Forthcoming: North, Louise, “Women and leadership in the Australian news media,” Women and Leadership in a Century of Australian Democracy eds. Judith Smart and Shurlee Swain
- Forthcoming: North, Louise, “Breaking barriers: Women leaders in the Australian print news media,” in Women and Leadership in a Century of Australian Democracy eds. Judith Smart and Shurlee Swain
Refereed journal articles
- Under review: North, Louise, “A profile of female journalists in the Australian news media,” Australian Journalism Review
- Forthcoming: North, Louise, “Women’s struggle for top jobs in the news media,” in Seizing the Initiative: Australian Women Leaders in Politics, Workplaces and Communities, eds. Rosemary Francis and Patricia Grimshaw, eScholarship Research Centre, University of Melbourne
- Forthcoming, North, Louise, "A story of absence and exclusion: Female sports reporters and media coverage of women’s sport”, in JOMEC Journal of Journalism, Media and Cultural Studies
- Forthcoming: North, Louise, “Michelle Grattan”, in A Companion to the Australian media, ed. B Griffin-Foley, North Melbourne, Australian Scholarly Publishing
- 2010: North, Louise, “The gender 'problem' in Australia journalism education”, Australian Journalism Review, no 32(2), pp. 103-115
- 2010: North, Louise and Bainbridge, Jason, "Editor's Introduction", The Victorian Bushfires and Other Extreme Weather Events: Case Studies in Crisis, Culture and Communication, in Media International Australia, no. 137, pp.67-70
- 2010: North, Louise and Dearman, Philip, "The rhetoric of ‘community’: ABC Local Radio's coverage of the 2009 Victorian bushfires", Media International Australia, no 137, pp.80-89
- 2009: “Gendered experiences of industry change and the effects of neoliberalism,” Journalism Studies, vol.10 (4): 506-521
- 2009: "Blokey Newsroom Culture", Media International Australia, no. 132: 5-15
- 2009: "Rejecting the ‘F’- Word: How Feminism and Feminists are Understood in the Newsroom", Journalism: Theory, Practice & Criticism, vol. 10(6), 739-757
- 2007: " ‘Just a Little Bit of Cheeky Ribaldry’?: Newsroom Discourses of Sexually Harassing Behaviour", Feminist Media Studies, vol. 7(1): 81-96
- 2004: "Naked Women, Feminism and Newsroom Culture", Australian Journal of Communication, vol.31(2):53-68
Review articles
- 2009: Prasad, Kiran (ed.), Women Globalisation and Mass Media, The Women Press, in Journal of International Communication, vol 15(2): 142-144
- 2009: Meikle, Graham. Interpreting News, Hampshire, Palgrave Macmillan, in Media International Australia, no.133, p.165
- 2008: Creedon, P J and J Cramer. Women in Mass Communication (3rded), Thousand Oaks, Sage, in Media International Australia, iss.127, pp.188-9
Keynote addresses
- North, Louise, 2010, "Women and the Media: ideas for a more equitable future", keynote address at the Victorian Premier's Women's Summit, Melbourne, August 19
- North, Louise, 2001. "Myths, Morals and Makeovers: How the print media portrays abortion", keynote address at the Abortion Providers Federation of Australasia Conference, Adelaide, November 3-4
Conferences
- 2012: Tenth International Humanities Conference: “Women in the Australian News Media: Changes and Challenges”, Montreal, Canada, June 14-17
- 2011: " Women and media: obstacles to sucess", Women, Leadership & Democracy in Australia conference, Canberra Dec 1-2
- 2010: 'Gender and journalism education in Australia", International Association for Media and Communication Research (IAMCR) conference, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal, July 18-22
- 2010: 'Globalising women and media research", roundtable invitation, International Communcation Association (ICA) conference, Suntec, Singapore, June 22-26
- 2009: 'Blokes, ‘Biffo’ and Newsroom Culture', Australian and New Zealand Communication Association (ANZCA) conference, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Qld, July 8-10.
- 2009: "Media reprsentations of women and girls" with Catharine Lumby and John Hartley. Australian and New Zealand Communication Association (ANZCA) conference, Brisbane, QLD., Jul 8-10
- 2005: ‘Just a Little Bit of Cheeky Ribaldry’?: Newsroom Discourses of Sexually Harassing Behaviour", Australian and New Zealand Communication Association (ANZCA) conference, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand, July 4-7
- 2005: Global Industry Change and its Implications in the Newsroom: A Gendered Analysis, Labour and Gender Studies seminar series, University of Adelaide, October 8
- 2004: "Naked Women, Feminism and Newsroom Culture,” Removing the Boundaries, University of Tasmania, Hobart, August 6
- 2004: “Naked Women, Feminism and Newsroom Culture,” Australian and New Zealand Communication Association (ANZCA) conference, University of Sydney, July 7-9
* (winner of the Grant Noble Prize for best postgraduate paper) - 2003: “Naked Women, Feminism and Subjectivities in the Newsroom,” 9th Australasian Philosophy Postgraduate Conference, University of Tasmania, Hobart, October
- 2001: “Myths, Morals and Makeovers: How the Print Media Portrays Abortion,” Abortion Providers Federation of Australasia biennial conference, Novotel Hotel, Adelaide, November 3-4
- 2000: “How the Media Positions Women,” Tasmanian Government Lobbying and Media Skills Workshop, Hobart, November 9-11.
Teaching
- ATS2895 / ATS3895 Gender, Race and Journalism
- ATS2896 / ATS3896 Photojournalism
- ATS2658 / ATS3658 Journalism Ethics
Expert media commentary
- 2012: 2SER Sydney, “Women in the Australian news media –survey results and the future,” Fourth Estate program, March 9, 9am
- 2012: 3CR Melb, “Women in the Australian new media survey discussion”, March 6, breakfast with Rhiana Whitson, 7.35am – 7.45am
- 2012: ABC Radio Gippsland, “ABC Local Radio Award for Emerging Journalists”, with Celine Feonander 10.25am
- 2012: Crikey.com, “Talkback radio: the one medium where feminism dare not enter the waves”, March 8, with Amber Jamieson
- 2012:The Australian, “Coming clean on sex pests in the newsroom,” February 27, p.26
- 2012: “More than 1000 to take part in survey on women's newsroom experience”, The Australian, January 30, and (Media section) p. 26 “Survey on women’s newsroom experience”
- 2011: “Women in journalism”, 3CR Radio, Melbourne, Women on the Line, Nov 7
- 2011: "Challenges for women in Australian journalism", with Liz Dean 3CR Melbourne, September 22
- 2010: “Women in TV news”, 2SER Radio, Sydney, Fourth Estate program, March 12
- 2010: “Class Out”, Latrobe Valley Express Feb 8, 2010
- 2009: “Privacy and the public right to know”, Radio, Panorama on Syn, August 21
- 2009: “Media women: they still battle”, Fraser Coast Chronicle, July 4, p.19
- 2009: “Women in the media”, 2SER Radio, Sydney, Fourth Estate program, May 29
- 2009: “Book reveals female journalists' survival strategies” The Australian (media section) May 18, p.35
- 2009: Gender in the newsroom, ABC Gippsland April 22 (panel with 2 others, 30 minute spot)
- 2009: “Monash lecturer’s groundbreaking book” Latrobe Valley Express, April 16, p. 6
- 2009: WINTV Victoria: “Media shut out of bushfire Royal Commission”, March 12, lead story
Postgraduate supervision
Louise is a qualified RHD supervisor and enjoys encouraging higher research degree students to develop their ideas and research, and establish a publication record. Her areas of expertise include:
Grants
- 2009/10: International Women's Media Foundation (US) $7000, Regional Research Co-ordinator (Oceana – Australia, NZ and Fiji) for the “Global Report on the Status of Women in the News Media”.