WAKING UP WITH FRIENDS

Abstract

This paper examines the Australian breakfast news program Sunrise. By drawing on interviews with both viewers and producers, as well as selected textual analysis, it examines the show, how it is “used” as a news source, and explores its role within the audience's morning routines. By viewing the show as a part of what Baym has termed the “Televisual Sphere”, it will argue against the common discourse that the program has simply followed a populist style in pursuit of higher ratings. Because of its success in communicating and connecting with viewers, it may be more constructive to consider Sunrise a very effective form of journalism which has been at the forefront of the recent trend towards increased levels of viewer input in television journalism.

Keywords:

• audiences
• breakfast television
• news
• Sunrise
• televisual sphere

Acknowledgements

The author would like to thank Jessica Rodgers for her assistance in editing this paper.

Notes

1. All audience research for this study involved semi-structured interviews with either individuals or groups (depending on household size) conducted with participants (N=13, seven males and six females) who were recruited via the “snowball” method (Schr⊘der et al., 2003, p. 162). Where interviews with audiences are presented without spacing apart, this indicates that they have occurred in sequence. Interviews with David Koch, Melissa Doyle and Adam Boland were conducted in person (in Sydney, Australia) by the author on 11 August 2006.

2. The show also has a “supporting cast” of regulars, specialising in everything from parenting and gadgets to cooking and films.

3. Not to be confused with its American namesake.

4. Naming a whiteboard the “ROSwall” is also a coded reference to former federal Minister for Sport Ros Kelly, who resigned her position after revealing that important decisions relating to the allocation of sports funding were decided while a team gathered around a whiteboard in her office.

5. Australian Television's equivalent of the Emmy Awards.

6. Such a joke may require some context. During the New South Wales election campaign, Opposition Leader Peter Debnam was mocked publicly for wearing tight-fitting swimming clothes during several publicity appearances at beach locations. Koch's latter joke about having seen them in a New Guinea river refers to the fact that they and Koch were a part of an expedition along the Kokoda Track (a World War II memorial site) which was documented in time for the ANZAC day service broadcast from there in 2006. At one point, Rudd and Hockey were filmed bathing in a river wearing only swimwear.