ARTS are NEWSworthy!
The ARTS are NEWSworthy petition is calling for all TV channels, and particularly SBS and ABC news, to add a permanent and daily art and culture news updates at the end of all news broadcasts (similar to sports news). This would create a powerful boost to arts industries and will deliver a critical change in the role culture plays in our daily lives.
You can see ARTS are NEWSworthy petition here:
https://www.change.org/p/arts-are-newsworthy
Please sign and share with 5 friends! We are aiming for 20,000 signatures!
Please share on social media and use hashtag #artsarenewsworthy
Please make your artwork with words ARTS are NEWSworthy and share.
Please write to organisers of this campaign with your ideas and suggestions.
Three professional Melbourne-based artists are driving a grass roots campaign asking for the arts to be included in our daily news services.
“We seek substantial arts segments in the daily TV and radio news bulletins. Like sport, the arts are an inspiration to all! We want The Arts to be visible in a time that needs to see creativity more than ever.”
Nina Sanadze, Mia Salsjö and Tai Snaith
Australians are massive consumers of the arts, but why are our news outlets asleep at the wheel when it comes to reporting on culture?
“The creative arts make a major contribution to the Australian economy, employing 194,000 Australians and directly contributing $14.7 billion to Gross Domestic Product (GDP). In fact, the creative and performing arts employ four times as many people as coal mining, and as many as the finance industry.”
Australia Institute
Attracting more than 10,000 signatures within 2 weeks, ARTS are NEWSworthy is trending as a major topic in the arts community nationally.
Signatories to the Petition say:
“Especially in times like these, when every artist is seriously struggling to find an outlet for their work, this could be life-changing.”
Singer/songwriter Missy Higgins
“This would create a powerful boost to arts industries and will deliver a critical change in the role culture plays in our daily lives.”
Arts Journalist, Broadcaster and editor at Arts Hub, Richard Watts
What we are asking for…
1. We would like to see arts segments added to regular daily TV and radio news bulletins.
2. Similar in length and format to a sports segment, Arts news segment will ideally be presented before sports and weather, to make sure it has more views (particularly while the public is getting used to this feature).
3. The Arts news segment needs to represent a diverse range of arts industries such as literary arts, performing arts and visual arts. However, architecture, fashion, craft and design could also be included occasionally.
4. We would prefer it if pop music, film and commercial television news (like Netflix) were not covered in the proposed arts news segments. These are already powerful, self-promoting and commercially separate industries which are always in the spotlight.
5. It would be great to see art journalists or art critics being presenters for this segment (rather than big-name artists, comedians or actors.)
6. The arts news segment will ideally democratically cover large-scale events as well as small-scale and fringe events, and artist run initiatives. For example, book launches, exhibitions, opera, dance, theatre, music, comedy, community engaged arts, public art and performances, festivals, award announcements etc.
Why the arts:
• The arts provide hope, beauty, ideas, and an opportunity for community cohesion through shared experience.
• The arts celebrate human achievement and sophistication. A nation without arts lacks humanity and identity.
• Art promotes society’s mental health, general health and vibrancy. It is an essential part of life.
• British Medical Journal study in December 2021 concluded that people who visit museums, galleries, theatre and other cultural events live longer lives.
• It’s important to promote arts industries that are motivated by genuine passion and care, often without any financial gain or attention for the majority of practitioners.
• In these challenging times when many artists are feeling invisible and depressed, the time feels right to make a solid and unifying platform for the arts community in the mainstream.
• Live Performance Australia has released an Australia-wide report in 2018 showing that combined revenue as well as attendance of cultural events was greater than combined major sporting events.
• Creative arts a major industry, employing 194,000 Australians. Many ideas in commercial industries originate from creative arts.
• Arts and culture should be part of everyday life for everyone, not only for the elite. News coverage
will increase understanding, acceptance, appreciation and participation in the arts.
• Arts present different ways of interpreting the world and helps develop new understanding and empathy.
• Arts are at the forefront of tapping into the vital national and global common conversation, reflecting life, uncovering and documenting histories, as well as reflecting society’s trends and feelings, history.
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Media Coverage
More arts on the news? An ABC internal review once agreed.
Artguide article by Richard Watt, 21 September 2021.
News, sport, weather and… arts?
Artguide feature article by Steve Dow, 2 September 2021
ARTs are NEWSworthy Petition Attracts 7,000 Signatures, and Counting
Limelight (Music Art and Culture) article by Jo Litson, 2 September 2021
Australian Artists Demand TV Coverage
Arts Hub article by Celina Lei, 31 August 2021
Tai Snaith talks about Arts are Newsworthy with Milo Eastwood
PBS Radio Breakfast Spread, 8 September 2021
Mia Salsjö talks about Arts are Newsworthy with Richard Watt
RRR SmartArts Radio, 9 September 2021
Tai Snaith talks about Arts are Newsworthy with Willy Russo
2SER Breakfast Radio Breakfast Spread, 6 September 2021
Richard Watt talks about Arts are Newsworthy with Rafael Epstein
RN DRIVE Radio, 2 September 2021
Andrea Candiani talks about Arts are Newsworthy in Italian
SBS Italia Radio, 2 September 2021
Nina Sanadze talks with Irina Burmistrova about Arts are Newsworthy in Russian
Russian SBS Radio, 23 September 2021
The ARTS are NEWSworthy: This campaign is calling for more arts coverage in the media by Kate Streader
Beat, 1 September 2021
ARTS segment in the mainstream news… support this important petition!
Arts News Portal, 14 September 2021
Nina Sanadze talks with Angela Stretch on Arts Friday
(@25 min point)
Eastside FM, Sydney 24 September 2021
Tai Snaith talks with Daniel Browning on The Art Show
ABC radio, 27 October 2021
Nina Sanadze talks with Maddy Weeks on RMITV’s The Leak
Channel 31, 29 November 2021
Artwork @taisnaith
Artwork @taisnaith
Artwork @miacerasalsjo
Artwork @nina_sanadze
We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land on which we work, and live, the Boonwurung and Wurundjeri people of the Eastern Kulin nation as well as the whole nation. We pay our respects to their Elders, past, present and emerging.