Tag Archives: racism

Welcome to journalism-free journalism

Encouraged to embrace social media, are real journalists now paying too high a price for the convenience of “information everywhere all the time”? Serious professional journalists have long been urged to integrate social media into their work. It’s a great tool for digging into events and harvesting opinions that might otherwise be “mediated out” by gatekeepers who don’t want inconvenient truths exposed. But at what cost? Read More

Too little too late for SBS?

After years of neglecting the multicultural demands of its charter in a bid for ratings and revenues, there are signs SBS is trying to repair the rift with the movers and shakers in multicultural Australia. But is it all hot air and spin? And does the expertise still exist inside their Artarmon headquarters to achieve anything meaningful? Time will tell, but to-date it’s not looking good. … Read More

When humour is no laughing matter

Humour is a funny thing … and sometimes it’s not. Frequent high-profile blunders and controversial cases of misfired humour in the media have failed to remind us time-and-again how tricky humour – especially satire – can be. Now, ten years on from Channel Nine’s infamous “blackface incident”, have Australian broadcasters actually learned anything? … Read More

Who let the racist cats out of the bag?

Reactions to attacks on Indian students in Australia show how far our discussion on race has deteriorated, with ethnic lobby groups themselves among the guilty. Critics have long argued that while Australia is not a racist country there is a vein of racism running through society that must be constantly worked on. In this second of a two-part series we ask: Has neglect let the racist cats out of the bag? Read More

Can the ethnic lobby save Australia’s multicultural broadcaster?

The likely merger of the ABC and SBS was the elephant in the room during a senate estimates hearing in the Australian Federal Parliament. But is the threat of losing an independent multicultural broadcaster enough to galvanise renewed support from the ethnic lobby? In 1986 the threat brought thousands onto the streets in protest but can ethnic leaders rally their supporters today? Or is it too little too late? … Read More