There’s a fine line between race and racism when dissecting the Australian mainstream media and its reportage of Indigenous Affairs.

Over the last decade, conservative columnists and reporters in conservative legacy media have generated public debate over the validity of the Racial Discrimination Act. At the same time, Indigenous communities have accused the same media of covert and overt racism in reporting. TV presenter, journalist, and Whadjuk Noongar woman Narelda Jacobs explores coverage of the death in custody of Kumanjayi Walker and the resulting trial. While Professor Heidi Norman from UTS discusses the coverage of the Cindy Prior case, which became subject to a nationwide debate around racial discrimination.

Warning: The following episode discusses the reportage of Aboriginal Deaths in Custody so if this is likely to raise anything for you, please give 13 YARN (13- 92-76), the national 24/7 Indigenous crisis line a call.

Blak Bias is a collaboration between IndigenousX.com.au, the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), and 2SER Radio. It has been made possible with the support of the Judith Neilson Institute for Journalism and Ideas (JNI).

Co-hosts: Rhianna Patrick and Madeline Hayman-Reber. Produced, edited, and mixed by Marlene Even at 2SER Radio.

More information:

Racialised opinion pieces in Australian mainstream media 2019-2020 - A snapshot- https://bit.ly/3BnXVYe

Are Aboriginal people a threat to the modern nation?: A study of newsprint coverage of a racial discrimination complaint - https://bit.ly/3vmviXh

The Australian’s coverage of Zachary Rolfe verdict condemned as ‘national disgrace’, Guardian Australia, March 2022 -https://bit.ly/3PUO3sE

Tile artwork:

“Buldyan” (Grandfather), 2018 by Shannon Foster

Commissioned for the Centre for the Advancement of Indigenous Knowledges at UTS.

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Fourth Estate

Fourth Estate