WK 9: Race and Gender - Indigenous Media

Indigenous Media Representation. Image.

The proliferation of Indigenous athletes in the Australian media when they win is an intriguing concept which highlights their isolation when they do not win, or raise issues connected to their Indigeneity. The 1994 condemnation of Cathy Freeman for celebrating with both and Indigenous and Australian flag, then just six years later being applauded for Indigeneity at the Sydney Olympics is a prime example of the fickle nature of how the media covers Indigenous people. It is highly unlikely that the media and Australia simply grew-up or matured in their recognition of Indigenous pride in just six years.
Interview with Stan Grant discussing the development of Australia's Indigenous people. 
The treatment of Adam Goodes in recent years highlights the ‘struggle’ Indigenous people still have ‘to be heard and accurately represented in the Australia media’ (Meadows, 2013, . 20). As ‘media are out main source of information about issues beyond our everyday experiences’ (Meadows, 2013, p. 20), such underrepresentation or misrepresentation, is highly important for someone looking to enter the media industry. Personally, as a person who holds Indigenous affairs in high prominence amongst Australian society, the responsibility to accurately and carefully construct well-informed stories about indigenous people has now entered a new scale of importance to me.

Institutionalized racism made evident in the reporting of the 2004 Palm Island actions provides for a snapshot of the ‘commonsense’ interpretation and representation of Indigenous news. Meadows (2013) suggests that the Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australia’s universes only intersect at times of conflict and crisis, which tends to support the framing theory and need for a ‘commonsense’ response. In recent years, certain events, where Indigenous athletes have spoken out or Indigenous culture has been celebrated through celebrations, has provided a unique paradox of how Australian society perhaps is still yet to reflect certain positions major sporting organisations are professing.   

In an intriguing insight, Walter (2012) finds that ‘representation of Indigenous people in environmental news media is more fair, accurate and equitable than in general news, but it still constructs Indigenous identities that are fraught with inaccuracies, stereotypes and oppressive discourse’ (Walter, 2012, p. 48). She describes institutionalized racism, through stereotyping, as the core reason for misrepresentation and believes the ‘agenda-setting process’ is causing ‘illegitimate news values’ to be maintained.

References

Meadows, M. Reporting Indigenous Affairs. In S. Tanner, & N. Richardson (Eds.), Journalism Research and Investigation in a Digital World. (pp. 254-268). South Melbourne, VIC: Oxford University Press.


Walter, S. (2012). Is green the new black? The representation of Indigenous Australians in the news media covering environmental affairs. Retrieved from http://www.kooriweb.org/foley/resources/media/thesis-the-representation-of-indigenous-australians-in-news-media-covering-environmental-affairs-sophia-walter.pdf



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