4172.0 - Arts and Culture in Australia: A Statistical Overview, 2014  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 10/07/2014  Final
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LITERATURE AND PRINT MEDIA

Literature is the product of the creative minds of authors, whether this be writing books or articles for publication in newspapers and magazines.

The Australian Culture and Leisure Classifications, 2008 (Second Edition) (cat. no. 4902.0) defines the literature and print media industry as those businesses and organisations whose main activity is creative writing and/or the printing, publishing and selling of literature products.

The classification includes the following activities in this category:
  • primary literature creation (writing material for publication or performance)
  • newspaper publishing and printing
  • periodical publishing
  • book publishing
  • other printing (e.g. sheet music)
  • literature wholesaling and retailing.

Until 2003-04 data relating to organisations engaged in the publishing and selling of books was collected via the ABS surveys of Book Publishers and Book Retailers. Historical data from these surveys can be found in Book Publishers, Australia, 2003-04 (cat. no. 1363.0) and Book Retailers, Australia, 2003-04 (cat. no. 1371.0) available on the ABS website.

This section provides an overview of the remaining data currently available.

FUNDING BY GOVERNMENT

According to the 2012-13 Cultural Funding by Government survey the estimate of Australian Government funded expenditure on Literature and print media was $33.5m, while the estimate of state and territory government funded expenditure was $12.2m. Additional information about the expenditure by governments on cultural and heritage activities is available in the data cube for Cultural Funding by Government, Australia, 2012-13 (cat. no. 4183.0) on the ABS website.

CULTURAL FUNDING BY GOVERNMENT, Literature and print media, 2012-13

2012-13
$m
Australian Government(a)
33.5
State and territory government
12.2
Total
45.7
(a) The Australian Government refers to the federal government. It does not refer to the aggregate of state and territory governments, nor does it include local government.
Source: Cultural Funding by Government, Australia, 2012-13 (cat. no. 4183.0)


EMPLOYMENT
The 2011 Census of Population and Housing collected employment data relating to the job in which a person worked the most hours during the week prior to Census night. A total of 30,343 persons were employed in the Printing industry and 24,405 persons were employed in the Newspaper and Book Retailing industry. A further 23,472 persons were employed in the Newspaper Publishing industry.

In the Newspaper Publishing industry, the most common cultural occupation was Print Journalist (3,775 persons), followed by Newspaper or Periodical Editor (1,766 persons). In the Printing industry, the most common cultural occupation was Printing Machinist (2,756 persons). Additional data on employment in cultural industries and occupations is available in the data cube for Employment in Culture, Australia, 2011 (cat. no. 6273.0).

PERSONS EMPLOYED IN THE LITERATURE AND PRINT MEDIA INDUSTRY(a)(b), By occupation, 2011

Printing
Book and
Magazine
Wholesaling
Newspaper
and Book
Retailing
Newspaper Publishing
Magazine and
Other Periodical Publishing
Book Publishing
Internet
Publishing and Broadcasting
no.
no.
no.
no.
no.
no.
no.
Cultural occupations
Author
-
11
35
8
14
252
9
Book or Script Editor
-
66
13
30
124
548
95
Classified Advertising Clerk
8
-
9
310
11
-
-
Copywriter
9
-
3
25
10
7
6
Newspaper or Periodical Editor
24
15
14
1 766
1 016
75
118
Print Journalist
20
-
15
3 775
681
18
40
Proof Reader
17
-
-
45
14
17
-
Radio Journalist
-
-
-
13
-
-
-
Technical Writer
-
3
-
3
11
48
12
Television Journalist
-
-
-
21
-
-
3
Screen Printer
700
-
-
-
3
3
-
Graphic Pre-press Trades Worker
1 121
4
6
470
86
63
5
Printing Machinist
2 756
6
10
1 077
116
111
-
Small Offset Printer
186
-
-
-
-
-
-
Printer's Assistant
1 145
3
4
377
48
56
-
Printing Table Worker
838
3
7
97
27
92
-
Print Finisher
1 192
8
8
28
38
255
-
Other Cultural occupations
6 203
119
130
2 915
1 463
626
387
Total Cultural occupations
14 219
238
254
10 960
3 662
2 171
675
Other occupations
15 839
2 586
24 061
12 312
4 300
3 864
1 559
All occupations(c)
30 343
2 854
24 405
23 472
8 018
6 091
2 272
- nil or rounded to zero (including null cells)
(a) Cells in this table have been randomly adjusted to avoid the release of confidential data.
(b) In their main job in the week prior to Census Night.
(c) Includes not stated and inadequately described.
Source: Employment in Culture, Australia, 2011 (cat. no. 6273.0)


Whilst the Census focuses on a person's main job, the survey of Participation in Selected Cultural Activities provides details about participants in selected cultural activities including performing arts, singing or playing a musical instrument, dancing, writing, visual art activities and craft activities. According to the 2010-11 iteration of this survey, 738,000 persons participated in Writing any fiction or non-fiction, such as stories, poetry or scripts. A total of 54,700 persons (7%) had some paid participation, including 31,300 persons (4%) who were paid a wage or salary for their participation. Additional data is available in Table 14 of the data cube attached to Participation in Selected Cultural Activities, Australia, 2010-11 (cat. no. 4921.0) on the ABS website.

Useful links

Cultural Funding by Government, Australia, 2012-13 (cat. no. 4183.0)
Employment in Culture, Australia, 2011 (cat no. 6273.0)
Participation in Selected Cultural Activities, Australia, 2010-11 (cat no. 4921.0)

Please note that Book Publishers, Australia (cat. no. 1363.0) and Book Retailers, Australia (cat. no. 1371.0) have been discontinued. Click here for historical data on book publisher income and expenditure. For bookshops summary of operations click here.