The Media, Cultural Diversity and Identity

How can we ensure that our mass media speaks in a way that is meaningful to all Australians and gives everyone a 'fair go' when it comes to sharing their ideas? This paper will discuss some of the factors that lead to minority communities being under-represented or misrepresented in news and current affairs, even by well intentioned and well trained journalists and media workers. Although the discussion focusses on journalism, the issues are relevant to other forms of fiction and non-fiction media. The possible benefits of 'public journalism' and attempts to 'mainstream' ethnic sources will be discussed