Voices in the Wilderness: Images of Aboriginal People in the Australian Media (Contributions to the Study of Mass Media and Communications)

This Book Examines Race Relations In Australia Through Various Media Representations Over The Past 200 Years. The Early Colonial Press Perpetuated The Image Of Aboriginal People As Framed By Early Explorers, And Stereotypes And Assumptions Still Prevail. Print And Television News Accounts Of Several Key Events In Recent Australian History Are Compared And Reveal How Indigenous Sources Are Excluded From Stories About Their Affairs. Journalists Wield Extraordinary Power In Shaping The Images Of Cultures And People, So Indigenous People, Like Those In North America, Have Turned Away From Mainstream Media And Have Acquired Their Own Means Of Cultural Production Through Radio, Television And Multimedia. This Study Concludes With Suggestions For Addressing Media Practices To Reconcile Indigenous And Non-indigenous People. This Study Will Appeal To Students And Scholars Studying Mass Media, Particularly Journalism And Public Relations, Australian History, And Sociology.--jacket. Journalism, Images, And Indigenous Affairs -- The History Of Misrepresentation Thus Begins ... -- Celebration Of A Nation--the Bicentenary -- Voices In The Wilderness--the Cape York Spaceport -- Lost Opportunities--the Native Title Debate -- Reporting The Everyday--rationalizing Racism -- Managing The Media--ethics And Professionalism -- Reconciliation. Michael Meadows. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [225]-232) And Index. "This book examines race relations in Australia through various media representations over the past 200 years. The early colonial press perpetuated the image of aboriginal people as framed by early explorers, and stereotypes and assumptions still prevail. Print and television news accounts of several key events in recent Australian history are compared and reveal how indigenous sources are excluded from stories about their affairs. Journalists wield extraordinary power in shaping the images of cultures and people, so indigenous people, like those in North America, have turned away from mainstream media and have acquired their own means of cultural production through radio, television and multimedia. This study concludes with suggestions for addressing media practices to reconcile indigenous and non-indigenous people.". "This study will appeal to students and scholars studying mass media, particularly journalism and public relations, Australian history, and sociology."--BOOK JACKET. Contents......Page 6 Tables......Page 8 Preface......Page 10 Acronyms and Abbreviations......Page 12 1 Journalism, Images, and Indigenous Affairs......Page 16 2 The History of Misrepresentation Thus Begins . . .......Page 48 3 Celebration of a Nation—The Bicentenary......Page 82 4 Voices in the Wilderness—The Cape York Spaceport......Page 106 5 Lost Opportunities—The Native Title Debate......Page 130 6 Reporting the Everyday—Rationalizing Racism......Page 162 7 Managing the Media—Ethics and Professionalism......Page 178 8 Reconciliation......Page 210 Appendix 1......Page 228 Appendix 2......Page 234 Appendix 3......Page 236 Appendix 4......Page 238 Bibliography......Page 240 A......Page 248 B......Page 250 C......Page 251 F......Page 253 H......Page 254 J......Page 255 L......Page 256 M......Page 257 N......Page 258 P......Page 259 R......Page 260 S......Page 261 T......Page 262 W......Page 263 Z......Page 264 At the dawn of the third millennium, Australia has been embroiled in a debate over the meaning and importance of its identity as a nation. Spans 200 years of Australian mainstream media and examines how it misrepresents aboriginal peoples and affects race relations.