The Journalists Award covers most employees in the published media industry.

The Journalist Award doesn’t cover:

• some senior editorial employees with managerial or executive functions, including editors, editors in chief and chiefs of staff of metropolitan daily newspapers.
• employees with significant editorial, artistic or managerial control earning an annual salary greater than the level 11 rate of pay.

Published media industry employees not covered by the Journalists Award might be:

• covered by the Miscellaneous Award, or
• award free.

This depends upon the employee's duties and qualifications.

Miscellaneous Award

The Miscellaneous Award can cover a published media industry employee if:

• there’s no employee classification in the Journalists Award
• they're not a managerial employee
• they're not a professional employee.

An employee may be considered a professional employee if their role requires a degree qualification, for example, a bachelor’s degree in journalism.

The Miscellaneous Award doesn't cover managerial employees and professional employees.

Award free employees

Published media industry employees who aren't covered by the Journalists Award or the Miscellaneous Award are award free.

Award free employees are entitled to the national minimum wage and the National Employment Standards.