Australian Journalists Association

The Australian Journalists Association (AJA) was an Australian trade union for journalists from 1910–1992.^[1][2]

In 1913 the Australian Journalists' Association merged with the Australian Writers' and Artists' Union.^[3] This union had been formed in 1910,^[4][5] launched on 9 September of that year in the Sydney Trades Hall by Harold Mercer^[6] (1882–1952), also known as Harold St Aubyn, a prolific writer who was involved in the creation of 28 new unions in total.^[7]

On 18 May 1992 it amalgamated with Actors' Equity and the Australian Theatrical and Amusement Employees' Association to create the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance.^[8] The AJA section is now known as MEAA Media.^[9]

New AJA

In 2022 a new Australian Journalists Association appeared, which was not part of the MEAA. It forged a sponsorship arrangement with the Kennedy Foundation to provide A$50,000 to acquire naming rights to the Kennedy Awards,^[10] the richest media awards program in Australia.^[11] However this organisation was dubbed a "fake union", with ties to TNT Radio (an internet radio outlet whose focus is fringe topics and conspiracy theories,^[12] including anti-vaccination misinformation), which had also provided A$50,000 to the Kennedy Awards.^[10]

This new AJA had appropriated the name, but was in fact created by Journalists First Inc., a small group of conservative political operatives based in Queensland. It was one of a group of Red Unions^[13] (labelled "fake unions", as they were set up with political motives to divide the union movement, attracting members by their anti-vaccine mandate stance^[14]). It was not run by journalists and had no standing in industrial tribunals. In May 2022 the Kennedy Foundation cut its ties with this AJA, in a move welcomed by the MEAA.^[13]

References

1. Sparrow, Geoffrey E; Sparrow, Geoff; Australian Journalists' Association (1960), Crusade for journalism : official history of the Australian Journalists Association, The Association, retrieved 26 January 2012
2. Lloyd, C. J. (Clement John) (1985), Profession - journalist : a history of the Australian Journalists' Association, Hale & Iremonger, ISBN 978-0-86806-227-3
3. "Mutch, Thomas Davies, 1885-1958". NSW Parliamentarians. State Library of New South Wales. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
4. Darian-Smith, K.; Waghorne, J. (2019). The First World War, the Universities and the Professions in Australia 1914-1939. Melbourne University Publishing. p. 416. ISBN 978-0-522-87290-3. Retrieved 12 August 2022.
5. "Australian Writers and Artists Union". The Dictionary of Sydney. Retrieved 12 August 2022.
6. "Australian Writers and Artists' Union". Daily Herald. Vol. 1, no. 191. South Australia. 14 October 1910. p. 8. Retrieved 13 August 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
7. "Harold Mercer". AustLit. 19 November 2013. Retrieved 13 August 2022.
8. "25 years and going strong". MEAA. Retrieved 6 September 2017.
9. "MEAA Media". MEAA. Retrieved 6 September 2017.
10. "Roundup: NBCUniversal content battle, Kennedy Awards controversy". Mediaweek. 22 May 2022. Retrieved 13 August 2022.
11. "The Kennedy Awards – Excellence in Journalism". The Kennedy Awards. 1 July 2021. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
12. Wilson, Cam (12 July 2022). "How TNT Radio became the home of Australian conspiracy-promoting politicians and personalities". Crikey. Retrieved 13 August 2022.
13. "Kennedy Awards make right decision to cut ties with fake union". MEAA. 27 May 2022. Retrieved 13 August 2022.
14. Bonyhady, Nick (30 September 2021). "Australia COVID: ACTU labels associations 'fake unions' using jab mandate for member recruitment". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 13 August 2022.