Retiring political journalist says he has no complaints about sites running ‘cat videos’ if the income they generate supports serious journalism.

The retiring political journalist Laurie Oakes says journalists should not be “too snobby” about digital startups like BuzzFeed because cat videos are funding real journalism.

Accepting an honorary doctorate from the University of Sydney, Oakes sounded a positive note for journalism despite the proliferation of fake news and major job losses across the industry.

“I don’t know about you, but as journalism battles the digital storm I don’t think we should be too snobby,” said Oakes, who is retiring in a fortnight at the age of 74.

“I’m not going to complain if cat videos support serious journalistic aspirations. If brash startups and digital natives move in that direction I’m much more inclined to pop the champagne corks.”

One of six veteran journalists to be awarded an honorary degree in the Great Hall on Saturday night, Oakes said he walked into the sandstone university 56 years ago and began his journalistic career as editor of its student newspaper Honi Soit.

“I am immensely grateful to the University of Sydney for providing such bookends to my career,” he said.

The chancellor, Belinda Hutchinson, said Oakes, Geraldine Doogue, Sarah Ferguson, Michelle Grattan, Caroline Jones and Ray Martin were being honoured for their professional leadership and contribution to public life.

The Channel Nine political editor has been in the Canberra press gallery for almost 50 years but is an early adopter of new technology and has fully embraced digital journalism, including BuzzFeed.

“More people are paying for digital content than ever before, and it seems quality is a factor in persuading them to part with their hard-earned,” Oakes said.

“And most important, despite the cost-cutting and job-shedding and fragmentation of media organisations, a surprising amount of very good journalism, including investigative journalism and quality political reporting, is still being produced.

“Carl Bernstein of Watergate fame has an explanation for this. Whatever happens, he says, ‘the instinct of reporters is to report’.”

Oakes defended the inclusion of the BuzzFeed editor, Simon Crerar, on the Walkleys board and said Crerar had been unfairly singled out for not paying for newspapers.

“The editor of the Daily Telegraph, Chris Dore, was what Kath and Kim would have called ‘gropable’,” Oakes said. “He attacked the appointment on the ground that BuzzFeed runs trivial content such as ‘25 tweets about cats that will cleanse your soul’.”

Furthermore, he said, Crerar had admitted to not buying newspapers.

“Well, it’s true that BuzzFeed was initially all entertainment and built its initial success on things like cat videos that went viral. But when it was reaching 100 million people a month it moved into news as well, hiring Ben Smith from Politico to head the operation.”

Crerar has been attacked by the Australian newspaper several times and also on Twitter by Dore for admitting he doesn’t buy printed newspapers.

“As for the BuzzFeed boss not buying newspapers, increasingly that’s the real world,” Oakes said.

“People, especially young people, are consuming news on mobiles. Getting their attention requires new methods of presentation, new journalistic techniques. If new digital outlets like BuzzFeed can get journalism to a new, young, post-newspaper generation, then there is real hope for the future.”

Oakes, who is also finishing up his regular column for News Corp in a fortnight, told Guardian Australia he has always had all the newspapers home delivered but now he never reads them because reads all his news online.

He even reads novels on his iPhone now. “When I retire in two weeks I will stop buying newspapers altogether,” he said.

Laurie Oakes: is an Australian political print and radio/television journalist, author and media commentator. He has worked in the Canberra Press Gallery since 1966, covering the Parliament of Australia and federal elections.