Keith Jackson, AM, FRSA, FAIM, (born 7 January 1945) is a British-born Australian journalist, blogger and retired media executive, known for his long relationship with Papua New Guinea, where he worked as a young man. He was foundation manager of two Australian radio stations (2ARM-FM Armidale and 2SER-FM Sydney), introduced educational broadcasting into the Maldives Republic, was the first head of corporate relations in the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and established a national public relations and issue management company.
Early life and education Jackson was born in Macclesfield, Cheshire, the eldest of two sons and a daughter born to Joan (née Simpson) (1920–1976) and Stanley Jackson OAM.Australian Honours, Medal of the Order of Australia. https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/1136826 (1913–2012), schoolteacher, author, environmentalist and marathon cyclist.Sydney Morning Herald, 3 May 2012. Stanley Jackson - Wheel power overcame grief by Dominic Bossi. https://www.smh.com.au/national/wheel-power-overcame-grief-20120502-1xz74.html Jackson’s paternal great-grandfather, Robert (Bob) Jackson,See multiple references in Hampson, J.N. was a celebrated manager of the Besses o’ th’ Barn brass band, of Whitefield, Greater Manchester in the United Kingdom. Stanley Jackson migrated with his family from Liverpool, England, arriving in Sydney, Australia, in November 1949.MV Georgic arrived in Sydney from Liverpool with 2,000 migrants, docking at 11 Pyrmont at 6.25am, 11 November 1949. Sydney Morning Herald, Shipping, 11 November 1949, p7 and 12 November 1949, p6 The family moved to Nowra, New South Wales, where Jackson was educated in public schools.
From childhood, Jackson aspired to become a journalist, and at Nowra High School (1957–1961) was student editor of the school magazine, Shoalhaven, won the public speaking contest in three consecutive years and was a member of its debating team. He reported on junior basketball for the Nowra News“It could be said Mr Jackson’s career began with the Nowra News for which he wrote a regular weekly basketball column.” Arnold, A. (7 June 2004) Shoalhaven congratulates Keith Jackson AM, South Coast Register p7 and also represented the school at football (soccer) and basketball.
Teaching After passing the NSW Leaving Certificate in 1961, Jackson accepted a place at the Australian School of Pacific Administration (ASOPA), which trained teachers to serve in the then Australian Territory of Papua and New Guinea (Papua New Guinea). Completing the course in late 1963, he was posted to Papua New Guinea as an Education Officer.
While in Papua New Guinea, Jackson undertook short term teaching and administrative assignments in Wewak and Goroka and in early 1964 was transferred to the one-teacher Kundiawa A School in Chimbu Province. He taught students aged from six to eleven whose expatriate parents were entitled to have them educated by teachers trained to Australian requirements. In early 1966, he was appointed head teacher of the 160 student Gagl Primary T School in a tribal area 15 kilometers north of Kundiawa. After teaching for three years, during which he also wrote prolifically as a freelance journalist, he obtained his NSW Teachers’ Certificate. He later studied economics and political science part-time at the newly established University of Papua New Guinea, graduating in 1975 with a Bachelor of Arts. Further correspondence study in 2003-05 through the University of New England, NSW, earned him a Graduate Diploma in Management.
Early journalism and broadcasting
Beginnings At ASOPA (1962–63), Jackson and student teacher colleagues established the literary magazine VortexBodman, H.MacD. (ed)(1962-63). Vortex, Australian School of Pacific Administration. W.E. Crossman, Printer, Mosman, and Jackson wrote many scripts and acted in the revue, The Natives Are Restless, staged at Mosman Town Hall in 1963. Within months of Jackson arriving in Papua New Guinea, he and teaching colleague Murray V. Bladwell (1941-2019) established the fortnightly Kundiawa News (1964–66), a stencil-based publication circulating 300 copies. The only complete set of 50 issues is held by the National Library of Australia.Kundiawa News. 1964 – 1966. Kundiawa, Papua New Guinea. Held by National Library of Australia(ID 388681)
During this period Jackson freelanced as a reporter for the Port Moresby branch of the Australian Broadcasting Commission (ABC) and was later contracted by the ABC to write educational radio scripts. These capabilities were noticed by the Department of Education which, in late 1966, transferred him to Port Moresby as editor of the School Paper and other publications. During this period he continued to freelance for the ABC as a writer, actor and producer and contributed to early issues of the controversial satirical magazine Black and White.Black & White, a monthly magazine, edited by Henri Lachajczak and printed by Southsea Publishing Company, Port Moresby. It published 27 issues 1966 - 1969 before being effectively closed by legislation preventing publication of matter construed as “threatening, provocative or offensive to people of other races or tribes.”
Australian Broadcasting Commission (ABC) Late in 1967 Jackson was recruited by the ABC to its permanent staff of educational broadcast producers in Papua New Guinea, receiving further training at the ABC Training School at Kings Cross in Sydney. Through 1968 and 1969 he produced some 250 radio broadcasts on current affairs, social studies and English language, mainly for primary school students.Jackson, K. (ed) (1967). School Broadcasts Handbook, Australian Broadcasting Commission, Papua New Guinea He also reported on athletics for the Papua New Guinea Post-Courier, including covering the sport at the second South Pacific Games in Port Moresby in 1969.Jackson, K., ‘Neomi Edged Out in Photo: Our athletes add two silver but no gold yet’, page 1, Papua New Guinea Post-Courier, 16 August 1969
Radio Rabaul In 1970 Jackson successfully applied for a management role in the radio service operated by the Papua New Guinea Department of Information and Extension Services. His first assignment was to Rabaul in New Britain as assistant manager and news director of Radio Rabaul. It was a turbulent time in the region, where land alienation issues had triggered a protracted and sometimes violentUnknown (21 July 1970). Troops on standby. The Canberra Times, Canberra. p 1 uprising by the Mataungan Association, a proto-independence movement. As a government radio station, Radio Rabaul was perceived by much of the population as an instrument of colonial propaganda and became a target of hostility. In the performance of newsgathering and other duties, at times Jackson came under threat. He later wrote that the political ferment taught him much about communicating in situations of civil strife.“Keith Jackson, who was later called in to restore the prestige of Radio Bougainville, made the point that propaganda has to be used carefully to avoid having a negative effect.” Mackay, I.K. p64
Radio Bougainville In November 1970 Jackson was deployed to Kieta in Bougainville to manage Radio Bougainville. He said the only direction he received from Port Moresby headquarters before going to Bougainville was to “straighten out the station”. He took over from the first Papua New Guinean station manager, Samuel (Sam) PiniauJackson, K. (22 February 2007). Vale Sam Piniau, PNG Attitude. (1940–2007), who was being groomed to become Chairman of the soon to be established National Broadcasting Commission. Jackson and Piniau formed a close friendship, sharing a perception of how radio broadcasting should develop in the soon to be independent country.
In Bougainville, a secession movement was active after the island had been profoundly disrupted by land acquisition for a huge copper and gold mine and the recruitment of non-local labour. The government-owned Radio Bougainville was seen by the Indigenous people as pro-mining and anti-secession and they responded aggressively to this positioning. Jackson moderated the station’s strident coverage to better align it with community expectations.
UNESCO Yogyakarta In April 1973, Jackson accepted a six-month consultancy with UNESCO to bring into service an educational radio broadcasting project in central Java, Indonesia, and he and his family moved to Yogyakarta. Reviewing his work in October 1973 Jackson wrote that his appointment was intended to provide a ‘big push’ to the project, which was now operational, but many problems remained.Jackson, K. (1 September 1973) Final Report on Consultancy, Unesco, Paris (Contract 504055) Throughout this period, he continued to freelance for Australian publications including Pacific Islands Monthly, Nation and Nation Review.
National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) Jackson declined an offer to remain with UNESCO and returned to Papua New Guinea in November 1973 on the eve of the creation of the National Broadcasting Commission, which amalgamated ABC and government services under the chairmanship of Sam Piniau. Jackson was appointed to the stop-gap role of Head of Research. Of this period, Ian Mackay wrote, “….as a result of their work the NBC will be better informed on what is required of broadcasting in a multilingual developing country.”Mackay, I.K. (November 1974) Broadcasting Responsibilities in Multilingual Papua New Guinea. EBU Review, 25, 6, pp 46-49. ERIC No. EJ107689
As 1974 unfolded, Piniau struggled to better align the NBC to meet the serious operational and financial challenges it faced as Papua New Guinea independence loomed. He assigned Jackson to direct a new policy and planning group, the Secretariat.Clarke, A. (1976) Who’s Who in Commonwealth Broadcasting, Commonwealth Broadcasting Association, London. p7 Over the next two years, the unit completed the NBC’s first Five Year Plan,“The intention of NBC development during the next five to ten years, writes Keith Jackson, is to attain maximum impact from a shrewd deployment of limited available resources.” Mackay p128 introduced radio advertising, secured aid from international organisations, established links with overseas broadcasting bodies,Richstad, J. (ed). (December 1975), ABU secretariat established. Pacific Islands Communication Newsletter vol 5 no 4. p14. developed a strong audience research component and launched the magazine, Transmitter.Jackson, K. (ed), (June 1974-March 1977?). Transmitter, The NBC’s internal communicator. National Broadcasting Commission of Papua New Guinea, Port Moresby The Secretariat also published papers covering issues such as broadcasting autonomy,Jackson, K. (1 July 1976) Can broadcasting be autonomous? Discussion Paper 9, National Broadcasting Commission, Port Moresby an operating structure for broadcasting in Papua New Guinea,Jackson, K. (August 1975). An interim operating concept for the National Broadcasting Commission of Papua New Guinea, Port Moresby the relationship between the political system and broadcasting,Jackson, K. (June 1975) Maus Bilong Gavman – Political aspects of Administration broadcasting in Papua New Guinea, 1961-71. University of Papua New Guinea commercial broadcastingCharley, P.N. and Jackson, K. (May 1976). We the People: The great commercial broadcasting debate, National Broadcasting Commission of PNG, Port Moresby and listener access to the airwaves.Jackson, K. (July 1975). Radio and development – the importance of listener access, Administration for Development, University of Papua New Guinea, Port Moresby