Dr Penny O'Donnell
Discipline of Media and Communications
Dr Penny O'Donnell joined the University of Sydney in 2008 as Senior Lecturer in International Media and Journalism. Penny’s current research investigates employment trends and job loss in journalism around the world. She is a Chief Investigator on the New Beats Project (www.newbeatsblog.com), a five-year collaborative industry-university study of the aftermath of job loss in journalism, funded by an Australian Research Council Linkage Project LP140100341 (2014-2016), and Discovery Project DP150102675 (2015-2017). Recent publications can be found in Journalism, Journalism Practice, Ethical Space: The International Journal of Communication Ethics, Australian Journalism Review, and African Communication Research.
- Journalism theory
- Professionalism
- International media practice and cultural politics
Consultation times: Wednesdays 12.30pm - 2.30pm and by appointment
Research degree completions:
- Birhanu Olana Dirbaba: 'Negotiating identities: The professional self-perception of Ethiopian journalists'
- Rachel Rowe: 'Radio that builds new worlds - Social movement media praxis as a way of interpreting processes of social change'
- International Communications Association
- Journalism Education Association of Australia
- Editorial Advisory Board – Global Media Journal (Australian Edition)
Selected publications
Publications
Edited Books
- Marjoribanks, T., Zion, L., O'Donnell, P., Sherwood, M. (2021). Journalists and Job Loss. Abingdon, UK: Routledge. [More Information]
Book Chapters
- Mrva-Montoya, A., O'Donnell, P. (2024). "A critical part of the MECO family": higher degree research students. In Agata Mrva-Montoya, Cheryl O'Byrne, and Pam Walker (Eds.), Inside Stories: 20 Years of Media and Communications at the University of Sydney, (pp. 183-194). Sydney: Sydney University Press. [More Information]
- Flew, T., Gray, J., O'Donnell, P., Tang, W. (2024). Old and New Leaders in Global Media Markets. In M Bjorn Rimscha, Tim Raats and Ulrike Rohn (Eds.), De Gruyter Handbook of Media Economics, (pp. 249-266). Berlin; Boston: De Gruyter. [More Information]
- Josephi, B., O'Donnell, P. (2024). Pivoting on Their Writerly Skills: How Australian Freelance Journalists Fared During the Pandemic. In Leon Barkho, Jairo Alfonso Lugo-Ocando and Sadia Jamil (Eds.), Handbook of Applied Journalism, (pp. 501-513). Cham: Springer. [More Information]
Journals
- Zion, L., Sherwood, M., O'Donnell, P., Marjoribanks, T., Ricketson, M., Dodd, A., Deuze, M., Buller, B. (2023). Media in the News: How Australia's Media Beat Covered Two Major Journalism Change Events. Journalism Practice, 17(2), 264-282. [More Information]
- Josephi, B., O'Donnell, P. (2022). The blurring line between freelance journalists and self-employed media workers. Journalism. [More Information]
- Zion, L., Marjoribanks, T., O'Donnell, P. (2022). Who is a journalist now? Recognising atypical journalism work in the digital media economy. Media International Australia, 192(1), 98-114. [More Information]
Edited Journals
- O'Donnell, P., Lloyd, J., Dreher, T. (2009). Listening – new ways of engaging with media and culture. Continuum 23(4). Continuum: A Journal of Media and Cultural Studies, 23(4).
Conferences
- O'Donnell, P. (2007). Journalism and Philosophy: Remembering Clem Lloyd. Australian Media Traditions 2007, Distance and Diversity: Reaching New Audiences, Bathurst, Australia: Charles Sturt University.
Textual Creative Works
- McKnight, D., O'Donnell, P. (2011). Print is at the root of good news. The Age, 18 August, online, Melbourne, Australia: John Fairfax Group.
Other Works
- McKnight, D., O'Donnell, P. (2011). Submission to the Independent Media Inquiry November 2011, Canberra, Australia: Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy.
Other
- O'Donnell, P., Zion, L., Ricketson, M., Dodd, A., Marjoribanks, T., Sherwood, M., Winarnita, M., Harper, R. (2018), Submission to the Select Committee on the Future of Work and Workers from the New Beats Project, Submission 140.
- Zion, L., Dodd, A., Marjoribanks, T., O'Donnell, P., Ricketson, M., Sherwood, M., Winarnita, M., Harper, R. (2017), New Beats Project Submission to the Senate Select Committee on the Future of Public Interest Journalism, Submission 37. [More Information]
- Dwyer, T., Martin, F., O'Donnell, P. (2017), Submission to the Select Committee on the Future of Public Interest Journalism, Submission 44. June 2017. [More Information]
Research Reports
- Zion, L., Sherwood, M., O'Donnell, P., Marjoribanks, T., Ricketson, M., Dodd, A., Winarnita, M. (2018). New Beats Report: Mass redundancies and career change in Australian journalism, (pp. 1 - 28). Melbourne, Australia: The New Beats Project.
- Breit, R., Romano, A., O'Donnell, P., McLellan, T. (2015). Journalism, Media and Communication Network, (pp. 1 - 22). Sydney, Australia: Australian Government Office for Learning and Teaching. [More Information]
- O'Donnell, P., McKnight, D., Este, J. (2012). Journalism at the Speed of Bytes: Australian Newspapers in the 21st Century, (pp. 4 - 43). Sydney, Australia: Walkley Foundation.
2024
- Mrva-Montoya, A., O'Donnell, P. (2024). "A critical part of the MECO family": higher degree research students. In Agata Mrva-Montoya, Cheryl O'Byrne, and Pam Walker (Eds.), Inside Stories: 20 Years of Media and Communications at the University of Sydney, (pp. 183-194). Sydney: Sydney University Press. [More Information]
- Flew, T., Gray, J., O'Donnell, P., Tang, W. (2024). Old and New Leaders in Global Media Markets. In M Bjorn Rimscha, Tim Raats and Ulrike Rohn (Eds.), De Gruyter Handbook of Media Economics, (pp. 249-266). Berlin; Boston: De Gruyter. [More Information]
- Josephi, B., O'Donnell, P. (2024). Pivoting on Their Writerly Skills: How Australian Freelance Journalists Fared During the Pandemic. In Leon Barkho, Jairo Alfonso Lugo-Ocando and Sadia Jamil (Eds.), Handbook of Applied Journalism, (pp. 501-513). Cham: Springer. [More Information]
2023
- Zion, L., Sherwood, M., O'Donnell, P., Marjoribanks, T., Ricketson, M., Dodd, A., Deuze, M., Buller, B. (2023). Media in the News: How Australia's Media Beat Covered Two Major Journalism Change Events. Journalism Practice, 17(2), 264-282. [More Information]
2022
- O'Donnell, P., Josephi, B. (2022). Freelance journalists in Australia at a time of industry contraction and COVID-19. In Timothy Marjoribanks, Lawrie Zion, Penny O'Donnell and Merryn Sherwood (Eds.), Journalists and Job Loss, (pp. 196-207). Abingdon, UK: Routledge. [More Information]
- O'Donnell, P. (2022). Job loss and unionism in Australian journalism. In Timothy Marjoribanks, Lawrie Zion, Penny O'Donnell and Merryn Sherwood (Eds.), Journalists and Job Loss, (pp. 66-78). Abingdon, UK: Routledge. [More Information]
- Hunter, A., O'Donnell, P., Cohen, N. (2022). Not 'just another job': journalism as public service. In Timothy Marjoribanks, Lawrie Zion, Penny O'Donnell and Merryn Sherwood (Eds.), Journalists and Job Loss, (pp. 119-129). Abingdon, UK: Routledge. [More Information]
2021
- Dodd, A., Ricketson, M., O'Donnell, P. (2021). Copy, copy, copy! Newsroom culture. In Andrew Dodd and Matthew Ricketson (Eds.), Upheaval: Disrupted lives in journalism, (pp. 49-64). Sydney, Australia: UNSW Press.
- Marjoribanks, T., Zion, L., O'Donnell, P., Sherwood, M. (2021). Journalists and Job Loss. Abingdon, UK: Routledge. [More Information]
- O'Donnell, P., Buller, B., Ricketson, M. (2021). Pickets and payouts: Unions in the newsroom. In Andrew Dodd and Matthew Ricketson (Eds.), Upheaval: Disrupted lives in journalism, (pp. 199-214). Sydney, Australia: UNSW Press.
2019
- Cohen, N., Hunter, A., O'Donnell, P. (2019). Bearing the Burden of Corporate Restructuring: Job Loss and Precarious Employment in Canadian Journalism. Journalism Practice, 13(7), 817-833. [More Information]
- O'Donnell, P., Zion, L. (2019). Precarity in Media Work. In Mark Deuze, Mirjam Prenger (Eds.), Making Media: Production, Practices, and Professions, (pp. 223-234). Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press. [More Information]
2018
- O'Donnell, P. (2018). Asking and answering the hard questions [Book Review]: Carlson, M. (2017). Journalistic authority: legitimating news in the digital era. New York: Columbia University Press. Australian Journalism Review, 40(2), 128-129.
- O'Donnell, P. (2018). Australian Journalists at Work. In Not known (Eds.), Critical Perspectives on Journalistic Beliefs and Actions: Global Experiences, (pp. 24-34). TBC. [More Information]
- Zion, L., Sherwood, M., O'Donnell, P., Marjoribanks, T., Ricketson, M., Dodd, A., Winarnita, M. (2018). New Beats Report: Mass redundancies and career change in Australian journalism, (pp. 1 - 28). Melbourne, Australia: The New Beats Project.
2017
- O'Donnell, P. (2017). Beyond Newsrooms: Younger Journalists talk about Job Loss and Re-employment in Australian Journalism. Australian Journalism Review, 39(2), 163-175. [More Information]
- McKnight, D., O'Donnell, P. (2017). Journalism and Intellectual Life: The Exemplary Case of Donald Horne. Australian Journalism Review, 39(1), 37-46. [More Information]
- O'Donnell, P. (2017). Journalism Education in Australia: Educating Journalists for Convergent, Cosmopolitan, and Uncertain News Environments. In Robyn S. Goodman, Elanie Steyn (Eds.), Global Journalism Education in the 21st Century: Challenges and Innovations, (pp. 17-40). Austin: The University of Texas at Austin.
2016
- Zion, L., Sherwood, M., O'Donnell, P., Dodd, A., Ricketson, M., Marjoribanks, T. (2016). 'It has a bleak future': The Effects of Job Loss on Regional and Rural Journalism in Australia. Australian Journalism Review, 38(2), 115-128. [More Information]
- Hanusch, F., Clifford, K., Davies, K., English, P., Fulton, J., Lindgren, M., O'Donnell, P., Price, J., Richards, I., Zion, L. (2016). For the Lifestyle and a Love of Creativity: Australian Students' Motivations for Studying Journalism. Media International Australia, 160(1), 101-113. [More Information]
- O'Donnell, P. (2016). Getting Social: The Rise of Youth Media in Australia. In Andrew Dodd, Helen Sykes (Eds.), Media Innovation and Disruption, (pp. 85-96). Albert Park, Australia: Future Leaders.
2015
- Hanusch, F., Clifford, K., Davies, K., English, P., Fulton, J., Lindgren, M., O'Donnell, P., Price, J., Richards, I., Zion, L. (2015). Australian journalism students' professional views and news consumption: results from a representative study. Australian Journalism Review, 37(1), 5-20. [More Information]
- O'Donnell, P., Van Heekeren, M. (2015). JERAA@40: towards a history of the professional association of Australian journalism academics. Australian Journalism Review, 37(2), 3-20. [More Information]
- Breit, R., Romano, A., O'Donnell, P., McLellan, T. (2015). Journalism, Media and Communication Network, (pp. 1 - 22). Sydney, Australia: Australian Government Office for Learning and Teaching. [More Information]
2013
- O'Donnell, P. (2013). Journalism and Justice. Ethical Space: The International Journal of Communication Ethics, 10(2/3), 25-33.
- Dirbaba, B., O'Donnell, P. (2013). The Double Talk of Manipulative Liberalism in Ethiopia: An Example of New Strategies of Media Repression. African Communication Research, 5(3), 283-312.
2012
- O'Donnell, P., McKnight, D., Este, J. (2012). Journalism at the Speed of Bytes: Australian Newspapers in the 21st Century, (pp. 4 - 43). Sydney, Australia: Walkley Foundation.
2011
- McKnight, D., O'Donnell, P. (2011). Submission to the Independent Media Inquiry November 2011, Canberra, Australia: Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy.
- McKnight, D., O'Donnell, P. (2011). Print is at the root of good news. The Age, 18 August, online, Melbourne, Australia: John Fairfax Group.
2009
- O'Donnell, P. (2009). Journalism, change and listening practices. Continuum: A Journal of Media and Cultural Studies, 23(4), 503-517. [More Information]
- O'Donnell, P., Lloyd, J., Dreher, T. (2009). Listening – new ways of engaging with media and culture. Continuum 23(4). Continuum: A Journal of Media and Cultural Studies, 23(4).
- O'Donnell, P., Lloyd, J., Dreher, T. (2009). Listening, pathbuilding and continuations: a research agenda for the analysis of listening. Continuum: A Journal of Media and Cultural Studies, 23(4), 423-439. [More Information]
2007
- O'Donnell, P. (2007). Journalism and Philosophy: Remembering Clem Lloyd. Australian Media Traditions 2007, Distance and Diversity: Reaching New Audiences, Bathurst, Australia: Charles Sturt University.
2006
- O'Donnell, P. (2006). Introduction: A colloquium on journalism and cultural diversity. Australian Studies in Journalism, 16(189), 193.
- O'Donnell, P. (2006). Journalism students and intergenerational change in journalism. Australian Journalism Review, 28(1), 23-42.
2003
- O'Donnell, P. (2003). Answering the critics: Another look at educational initiatives to improve reporting of Indigenous and cross-cultural issues. Australian Journalism Review, 25(2), 135-149.
- Spurgeon, C., O'Donnell, P. (2003). Mapping the Media: 'Learner-Centred' orientation to graduate employability'. Asia Pacific Media Educator, 14, 147-155.
2002
- O'Donnell, P., Dreher, T. (2002). Teaching students to challenge the war-as-justice rhetoric. Feminist Media Studies, 2(1), 147-149.
- O'Donnell, P. (2002). The odd couple?: Academic research and journalism education. Australian Studies in Journalism, 10/11, 58-83.
Selected Grants
2014
- New Beats: mass redundancies and career change in Australian journalism, Zion L, Marjoribanks T, Ricketson M, O'Donnell P, Dodd A, Bradley K, Dobbie M, Australian Research Council (ARC)/Discovery Projects (DP)
2013
- New Beats: mass redundancies, career changes and the future of Australian journalism, Zion L, Marjoribanks T, Ricketson M, O'Donnell P, Dodd A, Rayner M, Bradley K, Dobbie M, Australian Research Council (ARC)/Linkage Projects (LP)
In the media
09/07/2024 - featured in a journal article: Meuret, I. (2024). Interview with Penny O’Donnell: “From Latin America to Australia: Journalism as an Ethics of Listening”. Sur Le Journalisme, About Journalism, Sobre Jornalismo, 13(1), 196–213