Indigenous Representation in Australia: Role of Media in Reconciliation

Introduction

Australia and its government have long been providing substantial importance and value

to the indigenous people who have been in place for many years already. In fact, even in the

context of journalism and media arts, the country shows sensitivity to the welfare of the

indigenous communities from time to time through the formation of protocols. Such protocols

serve as a collective guideline for the journalists, and the media companies that they need to

comply with every time indigenous people are going to have engagements with them. They are

ways on how to interact with such people and ensure that there is mutual respect being developed

over time (Australia Council for the Arts 2007). In this sense, as the media embodies a great

responsibility in the representation of indigenous people in Australia, this paper seeks to

determine its significance. From there, issues of such representation will be explored, including

the role of media in the reconciliation of the indigenous people in the country.

The Significance of the Media to Indigenous People

The media and its functions to the society are viewed to be expansive in scope. This

means that what the media delivers to its audience, including news reports, films, and any other

materials, does have the capacity to influence people from time to time. Many have depended so

much on the availability of the media to acquire relevant and critical information about issues in

the locality and even around the world. Undoubtedly, the media and its programs have

collectively become a fundamental part of the lives of many people (Paul, Singh, and John 2013;

Kelleher 2001). Also, the media is now considered to be very powerful in influencing how

people would think and react to various issues. What it conveys or communicates to the public

may impact on the development of public judgment, which may be in favour of its context or
not. Hence, the media is seen to the have the strong capacity to affect people worldwide and even

change their minds over time (Happer and Philo 2013; James 2007).

In relation, the media has also shown its significance to the indigenous people in

Australia in various ways. Through its capacity to deliver relevant information to the public, the

media can raise awareness in the country about indigenous people and what kind of life they

have over the years. In addition to this, such awareness is also able to develop appreciation and

preservation of the culture that indigenous people have. Most importantly, the information that

reaches the public may also encourage other people to extend different means of help and

support to the indigenous people. Hence, allowing the general public to learn more about them

and develop a sense of social interaction with them (Thomas 2014). In this regard, the media has

also developed a role in the representation of indigenous people in Australia. This means that

they are expected to represent such group of people to the world and to make sure that their value

is being safeguarded, as well as their welfare and interests (Duthie, King, and Mays 2013; Islam

and Fitzgerald 2016).

Issues of Indigenous Representation in Australia

Negative Media Portrayals

One of the essential issues of the representation for the indigenous people in Australia is

about the negative media portrayals. This issue is commonly centering in the context of health

that such group of people have over the years. The media has widely developed negative

portrayals on the current health conditions of the indigenous people in the country, particularly in

the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. In many of the news reports and other media material

being produced for public knowledge, the media often associated indigenous people with lower

life expectancy. In fact, with the fact that most indigenous groups in Australia come from a
diverse population, they are being characterised by the media to have a lower degree of health

outcomes. Hence, poor environment and the availability of high-risks in diseases are often

associated with them. Eventually, this has been described by some people to be an outcome of

unfair practices and ineffective political activities (Stoneham, Goodman, and Daube 2014).

Media Content that Entices Racism

Those media companies that seek to cover news, films and other activities that make of

the indigenous people and their cultural activities are mostly going to remote places to succeed.

In this sense, they try to observe what the daily activities of the people are and how they try to

interact with the other people. From there, the media can raise relevant information which it

could transcribe a story that may be interesting to its audience. The media does have the capacity

to communicate what its findings and information are to a wider number of people when

programs are already being published from time to time (Meadows 2009). However, through this

traditional activity, the media has developed a sense of program content that seems to entice

racism from the other people toward the indigenous groups. This becomes possible because the

media allows more people around the world to know what the activities of the indigenous people

include their physical attributes and characteristics. With this, if the media is unable to deliver

programs that highlight the significance of such groups of people, the emergence of racism is

highly possible (Rice et al. 2016; Paradies 2005).

Role of Media in Reconciliation of the Representation of Indigenous People

Effective Communication, Consultation and Approval from the Community

To promote reconciliation of the representation of the indigenous people in Australia to

the general public, the media is expected to follow certain protocols that are created by the

country’s government. One of which is the protocol of communication, consultation and

approval of the community itself. Accordingly, before implementing projects that engage

indigenous people, the media will have to be approved first by the committee that manages the

indigenous people, and from there, certain restrictions will be provided (Australia Council for the

Arts 2007). In this sense, this is viewed as an essential way to avoid conflicts of interests that the

media have with the indigenous people. Hence, the media can conform to the idea that they need

to be a good representation of such groups of people.

Factual Interpretation and Authenticity of the Representation

Another effective way for the media to establish an effective reconciliation in its

representation for the indigenous people in Australia is conforming to the protocol of factual

interpretation and authenticity of the media content. In this regard, this means that the materials

that the media is going to deliver to its audience will have to draw out the significance of the

indigenous people. They have to make sure that its delivery will not promote negative thoughts

and judgments to such people in due time. Aside from this, the media need to secure the integrity

of the culture of the indigenous people from time to time (Australia Council for the Arts 2007).

As such, if the culture and the interests of the indigenous people are not harmed, there is an

evident act of reconciliation from the media itself.

Conclusion

Indigenous people are being secured and valued in Australia through government-led

initiatives. However, with the compelling impacts and influence that the media has towards the

public, the representation of such group of people may be at stake. Certain issues may appear,

such as the formation of media projects that may develop a negative impression from the public.

Hence, if the media is unable to deliver an effective representation of the indigenous people,

certain issues such as racism and other negative thoughts towards the culture of such people may
take place. With this, it can be concluded that the media will have to conform to certain protocols

about their coverage and interaction with the indigenous people in Australia. Essentially, this is

to secure the interests and welfare of such people from time to time.
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