ABC chair Ita Buttrose urges women in media to cope with whatever challenges they are faced with in their careers

Ita Buttrose has urged women in the media industry to ensure they can cope with the challenges they face in their jobs and to never give up.

ABC chair Ita Buttrose delivering a keynote address at the Women in Media national conference in Sydney. Photo credit: Emma Brasier/Women in Media.

ABC chair Ita Buttrose has urged women in media to get on with their jobs and cope with the challenges they are faced with in the workplace.

Delivering a keynote address at the Women in Media national conference in Sydney on Friday, Ms Buttrose spoke of her career in journalism including working at News Corporation in the 1980s, when she was made the first female editor of a major metropolitan newspaper.

She told the audience that at the time, “I have made the decision to push myself out of my comfort zone, I have said I likened it to playing in the jungle”.

“Once you’ve made that decision you have to cop whatever the jungle dishes out or shouldn’t enter the jungle in the first place.

“It was often hard, I didn’t expect it not to be.”

Ms Buttrose was the editor-in-chief of The Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph in 1981, and she held the position until 1984.

The 81-year-old told the conference she was concerned by recent research showing one in three women were considering leaving the media industry.

“I want to urge you not to give up on careers that you’ve fought so hard to obtain,” she said. “Sure it’s tough, but on what reason would you want to give up, regroup, replan and focus on what you’ve got, don’t give up, concentrate on changing perceptions.

“Don’t be afraid to push yourself forward, recognise how good you are. You won’t always be made to feel welcome but that doesn’t mean you should give up.”

Ms Buttrose also warned that the media shouldn’t inflict the industry on people just to meet diversity targets despite it remaining a key focus of the public broadcaster.

“I don’t think we can inflict our industry on people just because we want to be culturally diverse or gender diverse,” she said at Friday’s event.

“At the ABC we are very conscious of it and we strive very hard to meet our targets, if we are struggling we concentrate our efforts.

“We have people with disability and we have people who are gay and transgender people, you name it, we employ them and it doesn’t matter to me where they come from or what their sexuality is, all that matters is what they bring to the job.

“You have got to bring the passion to the job but we do all have to be conscious of it.

“I think we have to realise that if we want to reflect Australia we have to reflect the society in which we live and some organisations don’t and I think that’s unacceptable”.

Earlier this year the ABC released its 2023-2026 Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging Plan, and the five key pillars include having a diverse workforce, inclusion in practice, inclusive content, products and services, connection with Indigenous and diverse communities and accountability and transparency.

Ms Buttrose, who is a patron of Women in Media, revealed last month that she will not seek reappointment as ABC chair when her five-year term ends on March 6.

The 81-year-old informed the ABC of her decision at their August board meeting and the federal government will begin a new selection process ahead of her departure.

“I shall miss the ABC, it’s been an honour to chair Australia’s most important media and cultural institution,” she said at the event.

“I make no apologies for my continued passion and independence of the ABC, our capacity to deliver excellence in public broadcasting depends upon that independence.

“I want Australians to understand how precious and precarious that independence is, the ABC is a very special institution because it has always belonged to and been shaped by our listeners and viewers.”

Ms Buttrose told the audience she is recovering from back surgery and she urged women in the media to be “brave”.

She said their age “shouldn’t be a deterrent” for receiving promotions in the industry.

“I think so many women start their own business because they just think, ‘oh, it’s too hard’,” Ms Buttrose said.

“I think we could do more collectively to come up with solutions to these problems.

“In terms of ageing, I’m sure older men find it equally difficult to get a job, age is a barrier to many people but it’s so ridiculous in today’s world because we have such a shortage of workers.

“Just because you’re older you don’t suddenly lose your brain power.

“Older workers are perfectly competent, you just have to give them a go.”

The event’s MC, Channel 10 presenter Sandra Sully, asked Ms Buttrose what her next move will be once she finishes at the ABC.

“Let me put it this way, I’ve had three interesting phone calls, and two book publishers want to talk to me,” she said.