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Background: New Australia Media

New Australia Media aims to give a voice to those in our community who are missing - and sometimes misrepresented - in the mainstream media.
A not-for-profit association, New Australia Media aims to make the mainstream media more multicultural and the multicultural media more mainstream. Two projects are underway to achieve that aim: a website featuring news from the 45 percent of the population who were either born overseas or have one parent born overseas, plus a Multicultural Media Association to act as an umbrella group for in-language publications.
The website, hosted by the State Library of Victoria, features stories from multicultural Australia written mainly by young people from new and emerging communities. Journalist mentors volunteered their time to work one-on-one with these young people. Some of the young people were newly arrived in Australia, and most of the contributors had never written a story before.
The Multicultural Media Association (MMA) will run media conferences, seminars, journalism training courses and handling-the-media workshops. An award night to recognise excellence in the in-language media sector, is planned for 2009.
The MMA will:
  • create a hub to produce publications for new and emerging communities that currently are not well served by the media
  • connect like-minded organisations in the media, education, business, arts and other fields, helping them to share information, resources and experiences
  • develop an online multicultural news service with quality stories available for republication – for community and multicultural media outlets
New Australia Media held its first journalism training day at the State Library of Victoria on 22/9/2008. Almost 40 young people from countries including Ethiopia, Eritrea, Sudan, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, Liberia, Congo, East Timor, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, India, Vietnam, Thailand and Burma came along. They were joined at lunch by 30 journalism mentors – an inspiring turn-out that included education, court, law reporters, a foreign editor and respected retired journalists. Online publications were also well represented, as were journalists working in communications.
It is hoped these training days will become a regular event. While it’s exciting to think some of these young people might one day work as journalists, the workshops are working to help these young people:
  • become community champions, putting thoughts into words and speaking-out on behalf of their communities
  • improve the quality of information available to communities – both new and established
  • share and connect with people from other communities, promoting understanding and social cohesion
  • correct misconceptions and the misrepresentations of communities in the mainstream media
While New Australia Media is a groundbreaking venture in Australia, the idea is not new. New America Media has been operating in California for many years, representing 600 ethnic media publishers and providing an online ethnic news service.
  • like New America Media, its Australian partner aims to strengthen the multicultural media sector - bringing it out of the shadows, creating pride in communities and recognition for their contribution to Australian society
  • provide a one-stop-shop in terms of access to multicultural publications
  • create a cultural shift by encouraging publishers to work collaboratively, so that established publications can help newcomers with professional development and information exchange
  • create successful business opportunities, including a multicultural polling company
New Australia Media is run by professionals who understand the industry, with volunteer editorial and advisory committees to set goals and determine guidelines. Salaries will be kept to a minimum and accommodation is kindly being offered in central Melbourne by Donkey Wheel, so operating costs are minimal. 
New Australia Media has received financial support from Donkey Wheel and the Victorian Multicultural Commission. It has partnerships with a wide range of organisations, including the Melbourne Press Club, the Media and Entertainment Arts Alliance, the Centre for Multicultural Youth, AMES, the Ethnic Youth Council, Youth Central, The Victorian Immigrant and Refugee Women’s Coalition, the African Think Tank, Arabic Social Services, the National Ethnic Multicultural Broadcasters Council.

Adult Migrant Education Service

African Think Tank

Australian Multicultural Foundation

Centre for Multicultural Youth

Community Newspaper Association

Donkey Wheel

Infoxchange

Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance

Melbourne Press Club

National Ethnic Multicultural Broadcasting Council

State Library of Victoria

Victorian Arabic Social Services

Victorian Multicultural Commission      

Youth Central       

Australian Centre for Multicultural Youth African Think Tank Australian Multicultural Foundation Centre for Multicultural YouthCommunity Newspaper Association Victoria Infoexchange Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance  Melbourne Press Club National Ethnic Multicultural Broadcasting Council State Library of Victoria Victorian Multicultural Commission Youth Central Platform Youth Theatre Donkey Wheel

 

  • By Anonymous at 29 Oct 2008 - 8:37am