Does Australia’s media lack diversity?
Australia’s television news media acutely lacks cultural and linguistic diversity (CALD), according to new research by four Australian universities in partnership with Media Diversity Australia (MDA).
The Who Gets To Tell Australian Stories? report provides the first comprehensive picture of who tells, frames and produces stories in Australian television news and current affairs.
It spotlights the experiences and representation of culturally diverse television news and current affairs staff.
It is also the first forensic examination of how our media treats cultural diversity at the workplace level.
An estimated 58 per cent of Australians have an Anglo-Celtic background, 21 per cent have a non-European background, 18 per cent have a European background and three per cent have an Indigenous background.
“Based on three data sets and a series of interviews, we identified a distinctive gap in representation between those reporting Australia’s news and current affairs and the broader Australian population,” chief investigator Professor Catharine Lumby from Macquarie University said about the three year study.
“It is abundantly clear that Australian television news and current affairs media doesn’t reflect its audience and this has a flow on effect as to which stories are covered and how they are framed and told,” MDA director and senior journalist Antoinette Lattouf said.
“We continue to see all white panels who are there to comment on issues impacting our very multicultural nation — on both commercial TV and the ABC. Unless we see change in both the composition of leadership teams and talent on screen — our media will remain disconnected from audiences whose engagement is already waning,” MDA chair Isabel Lo said.
The research also included in-depth interviews with editorial leaders from all free-to-air television networks.
“In these interviews, most recognised that their outlet failed to reflect their audience, but there remains some ambivalence towards having formal diversity and inclusion policies,” Prof. Lumby said.
The study also looked to media markets in the United States and United Kingdom and found that Australian television news media is a laggard on both the representation of diversity and organisational responses to the issue.
It noted missed opportunities locally to capitalise on the commercial benefits of a more diverse media.
“There’s no doubt the traditional business model of free-to-air television is struggling. That’s due to a range of factors. But in an online and streaming media environment where the competition for viewers is more intense than ever having more diverse staff means a greater capacity to speak to and grab the attention of diverse audiences. It makes good business sense,” Prof. Lumby said.
Do you think Australia’s news media has a diversity problem? What should be done to fix this situation?
Hi Sophie when you're having a word with Mother Mary, ask her on my behalf to have more ladies on the screen. They do a great job and are easy on the eye. what can be better than beauty and brains!
As for Australian television news and current affairs media not reflecting its audience, it must be noted the reporters do not choose the stories to tell, the producers do that and they keep to what's relevant at the time,
I presume you are speaking of NITV. Tell me KSS, how many white Australians are interested in tuning in to this channel. Be realistic!
National Indigenous Television (NITV) is a channel made by, for and about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. It is fitting the presenters are Aboriginal...can a white person see the world through their eyes? Do they know enough about the culture? Do they suffer the same injustices as Aboriginal people? Are the in touch with our first people?
The answer is NO. Then how can they give any credible reporting!
Main stream media is failing because of content - too biased and too limited on addressing the issues. They are too focussed upon being PC & ignoring skills. Sad.