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Impacts of Representation in Australian Media

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Introduction

Representation plays a great role as a powerful way of building perceptions in the society

and impacting identities of individuals. It anxiously covers portrayal of the people in different

dimensions and in different media and formats depicting their lives, their beliefs and their

contribution. Perhaps the crux of representation is mainly so as to affirm the rights to exist and

be seen in society of marginalized groups of people. It brings out cultural acceptance, generates

culture sensitization, and fosters culture sensitivity hence fostering togetherness and unity in the

society. On the other hand, negative representation leads to negative stereotyping hence

strengthening of prejudices and exclusion of some sections of the society. Media representations

which are negative create significant impacts which include isolation, prejudice and

marginalization. When depicted through the lens of suspicion and fear of such communities the

latter are portrayed in a negative way and are thus discriminated against in society, thus widening

the social rift and rendering them incapable of full integration into societies.

Thus, the thesis statement is to identify positive representation as a significantly

influential factor in achieving a sense of belonging and belonging since it acknowledges the

individual and groups’ identity and experience. On the other hand, negative representation brings

to fore other aspects that are equally damaging in the same regard of stereotyping and

marginalizing groups of people. In this essay the further analysis of the representation concept

and its significance and impacts will be investigated and discussed with the support of the

academic sources, personal experience and the Australian materials.

Understanding Representation in Australia

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In Australia, how different communities are represented in the media has a great impact

on their sense belonging and taking part in the societal activities. Studies carried by the

University of Canberra help to explain this crucial link. The report featured an elderly population

of multilingual Australians, and within it, there was a correlation identified. There was a

connection that showed that people whose perception of fair representation within the news are

more likely to feel like they belong within Australian society. For instance, 41% of participants

who reported adequate representation claimed to feel “at home’ in Australia relative to a 21% of

those who claimed that their representation was insufficient. (Park, Lee, & McGuinness, 2023).

Furthermore, the work establishes that those perceptions of news representation indicate trust in

media; multilingual audience who feel portrayed fairly have high trust in news as opposed to

similarly to those who do not feel represented adequately. To be more precise, by far the largest

portion of multilingual audiences who believe that their cultural community is fairly covered by

the news (76 %) claim that they trust the news. This trust level reduces to just 40% if they do not

feel they are included” (Park, Lee, & McGuinness, 2023).

These points highlight the significance of representation from the perspective of the

multicultural groups. This paper will therefore attempt to establish the significance that comes

with representation by highlighting how individuals feel they belong in society and are therefore

active once they see themselves represented in the media. On the other hand, underrepresentation

can create a sense of marginalization, contributed towards low credibility of media institutions,

and limited engagement in social activities. Thus, the state of representation in news media holds

a significant impact on the overall dynamics of Australian society in terms of social equality and

integration.

Experiences of Misrepresentation in Australian Media

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Through this blog post, James Richmond gives an insightful context regarding the plight

of vulnerable groups in Australia together with the effects of misinformation on their mental

health. He highlights the devastating psychological effects of negative media stereotyping on

such population groups, especially the young refugees. To illustrate, he described an experience

whereby, when working with a youth organization in Western Sydney, many refugees feared and

did not trust the media since their communities were portrayed as criminals and all sorts of

nuisances. According to Richmond, “Many teenagers had been troubled by the way their

communities had been generalized, blamed for crime, and publicly labeled as ‘a problem’

(Richmond, 2023).

Richmond further explains the experience of the South Sudanese community regarding

such misrepresentation and its impact in the long run. He adds that while news reporting has

gradually improved over a decade, negative stereotyping has instilled fear in many members of

the community to stop engaging with the media and participate in any form of public discourse.

This shows how continuous negative portrayal impacts societal trust and keeps several

communities on the periphery of society. According to Richmond (2023), it can be viewed that

the damage done by the negative news reporting had somehow left an emotional impact to many

of the people residing in Australia.

Furthermore, Richmond addresses other issues arising from media stereotyping and

prejudice noting that it alters perceptions throughout the society. Richmond, examining media

representation as an influential element that ‘co-constructs’ or ‘builds’ the majorities’ notions of

minorities, argues that distorting portrayals fuel fragmentation and hinder social integration in a

society (Richmond, 2023). Still, the effects of negative media portrayal are severe because they

keep feeding feelings of Otherness and result in a continuous loop of exclusion.

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It shows how negative portrayal affects people by outlining the argument from Richmond

as well as first-person narratives. In his poignant note, he says, “film-makers are in a unique

position to provide a voice for the people while entertaining the audience and we have to look at

ways on how to ensure that such stories bring positive change on the targeted societies”

(Richmond, 2023).

Importance of Representation

This paper argues that media representation is an essential means of reducing

marginalization and othering in society. Research conducted at the University of Canberra as

well as James Richmond’s blog provide testimony to this. According to the University of

Canberra report, multicultural communities feel more included whenever they see balanced

representation in news media. A report mentions that “While fairly represented in the news,

individuals are likely to feel an affinity with the Australian society” (Park, Lee, & McGuinness,

2023). Such a feeling is not a mere emotion of attachment; it leads to increased active

participation of each person in the society and increased trust in media.

By explaining the effects of negative representation, Richmond’s blog contributes to this.

Misrepresentation and stereotyping result in psychological effects on the minority with

symptoms similar to those experienced by refugees from their home countries. Richmond has

highlighted how refugee youth can be isolated by negative depiction, which has impact on

integration and inclusion into society (Richmond, 2023). This exclusion contributes to social

segregation and retains bias and prejudice, which showcases the ramifications of detrimental

media portrayal.
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Such phenomena as the sexual objectification of women, the trivialization of motherhood

or the marital rape can also be explained with the help of academic theories such as symbolic

annihilation. Symbolic annihilation on the other hand is where particular groups are excluded or

rendered insignificant in media, thus they become non-significant in society. When the media

does not depict different categories of people fairly, it means that they have no place in the

limelight and are inconsequential. This exclusion entails drastic societal implications and

contributes to creating a zone of conceptualization and hatred.

On the other hand, inclusive representation affirms the narratives of marginalized

populations, calming rather than igniting hostility and prejudice. It helps to eradicate the myths

and prejudice and, in fact, assists in making society more equal. In this way media can contribute

greatly to the creation of a world, where any cultural differences are seen as riches and not as a

reason to fight.

Impacts of Good Representation

Substantial changes and improvement in self-esteem and cross-cultural attitudes can be

contributed to accurate portrayals and representations in the Australian media. On the positive

side, portrayals that come close to mirroring the real world can combat stereotyping and reduce

social isolation. For example, ‘Go Back to Where You Came From’ makes the refugees appear

humane thus changing the stereotypical view of the audience by making them empathetic

(Richmond, 2023).

These trends are corroborated by the findings of the current academic literature, which

highlights the influence of the media in changing social perceptions and dispositions. It was

noted in the University of Canberra report by Kuhar (2023) that balanced representation in the
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news leads to increased social engagement and hence, media credibility among multicultural

populations. If people are themselves portrayed in a positive light in the media they use, they are

likely to feel accepted as equals in society. Such representation can have a positive effect on self-

esteem and also increase involvement in public affairs.

In addition, positive attitudes and portrayals in media can be used to raise people’s

awareness and leave a positive impact on their prejudice, creating a more inclusive society.

Seeing the daily experiences of people with disabilities or members of ethnic minorities depicted

in films and TV programs goes a long way in eradicating negative stereotyping and fostering

constructive attitudes regarding the groups (Rosqvist et al., 2023).

Theoretical concepts like encodings and decoding as proposed by Stuart Hall, shows how

media can shape the public agenda. Critic Hall notes that messages from media are not passively

consumed but are rather decoded in different manner based on the cultural and social context.

When it comes to representation in the media there can be no doubt that positive images can help

improve the public attitude toward such individuals and make them rethink about stereotyped

views. Furthermore, the idea of “symbolic representation” mentioned by Nancy Fraser

strengthens the requirement of recognition and respect in media representations. According to

Fraser, fair representation is important in political justice where everyone’s identity or group is

acknowledged and valued in the public domain. Positive portrayals in media help to make the

world a fairer and more equal place.

Impacts of Bad Representation

Negative representations in Australian media can sometimes bring unhealthy messages

about certain community members correspondingly, perpetuating prejudice. If media outlets

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produce material that is stereotypical of certain groups, then not only do those groups get

portrayed in such a light, but the prejudice in which those groups are portrayed in is perpetuated.

For instance, Lam and Mansouri (2023) analyses how the process of identity misrecognition and

marginalization, specifically Muslim youth in Australia, impacts fragmentation of identities.

Socialization processes including negative mediation influence the acculturation of deviant

beliefs making people doubt their value. Moreover, since people can easily be given misleading

information due to the biasness of the reportage, then there are tendencies of worsening the

social vices such as discrimination of the minority groups in the society. As an example, crime-

related themes or ethnic groups may provide prejudice and create anxiety, which results from

stereotyping and exclusion (Richmond, 2023). However, these portrayals are far from presenting

the true picture of the varied experiences within such groups and have further led to the

deterioration of the public’s trust in media organizations.

Furthermore, prejudiced portrayals in the media are destructive as they have severe

psychological implications for those in the targeted group. As noted in Lam and Mansouri

(2023), non-recognition or negative representation increases the sense of alienation and

marginalization among the Muslim youths in Australia. When people find a part of themselves

reflected in a negative way or as stereotype there arises a feeling of being dominated or having

no right to be in control of their affairs. Negative representation in the Australian media has

effects beyond the mere distortions of information with certain negative consequences on mental

health and social acceptance of unpopular groups. Media practitioners need to make sure that in

as much as they cover topics that matter, they do it in a responsible manner, and the

representation of those they consider as ‘the other, ‘is fair and accurate. This means that if media
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sources present different perspectives instead of just portraying one side of the story, it can go a

long way in making the society more tolerant as everyone will feel that they are valued.

Achieving Authentic Representation in Australia

Real diversity and accuracy in media representation in Australia means more than just

changing the black and white stereotype, but becoming more diverse and less stereotypical in

portraying the other people. One approach that could be pursued is to report the coverage with an

emphasis on the people who can be defined as underrepresented. This is because through

portraying the true to life experiences, the media can alter perceptions of the viewer and make

one embrace fellow human beings. For example, the television series “Black Comedy” literally

jokes about but depicts Indigenous Australian people as they should be in front of the screen

(Daly, 2019). The show that deals with social causes and uses comedy furthermore touches on

Indigenous representation and self-acceptance. The same way, movies such as “Top End

Wedding” depict the Aboriginal Australian people truthfully portraying them as strong people

despite their struggles (Murray, 2019). The examples above show just how media can shift the

narrative away from more narrow portrayals and present the communities that were previously

left in the margins in a more complex way.

This essay also acknowledges that mass media scholars have written volumes on the

theory of populism while at the same time stressing the need to act as a watchdog to ensure that

the ethical, social and cultural responsibility of telling people’s stories is not compromised. To

promote responsible storytelling, Kuhar (2023) defines the process of holding communities of

interest as the goal, that is, to make sure the whole narrative is inclusive of those represented.

This, apart from enhancing trust and respect, saves from creating negative premises and

stigmatization of one’s counterpart or team. Furthermore, Bryan (2019) notes that one
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propagandized idea, called “radical empathy,” uses media practitioners to experience the lives of

other people and makes them attempt to comprehend these lives. Only, the series and films

categorized themselves as indie or low budget can do justice to the portrayal of such

communities as the struggles of minority populations feel real when viewers see such narratives

closer to their own experience.

Conclusion

Referring to my positionality and personal biography, I recognize the privilege that I have

with my business and work background contributing to the concerning idea of representation in

Australian media. This means I stay as an ally, an advocate when the minorities undergo

prejudice and discriminations since I never experienced the ordeals of discrimination in

representation of the minorities. As demonstrated over the course of this essay, representation has

countless great and damaging effects on the media in Australia. In the research report from the

University of Canberra that expounded on fair representation and societal trust, to individual

narratives like Mustafa’s story, it was evident that media acted as one of the greatest

determinants to societal perception and even attitude.

Positive representation contributes to the portrayal of minorities’ belonging and inclusion,

forcing the viewers to eliminate prejudice and accept people with disabilities. On a wrong side it

continues to provoke prejudices with detrimental effects towards minorities, further excluding

already disadvantaged groups and diminishing a public’s confidence in media organizations.

Looking at the future, it is clear that there is a specific tendency in Australian media which

requires more attention to the multicultural community. Such a revelation highlights the impact

that media practitioners can make when they embrace communities and participation of that
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inform the rightful telling of a nation’s story. More than ever, it is important that the Australian

media represents the diverse population of Australians and cheers everybody within.
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References

Claysmith, G. (n.d.). Representation of minorities in the media and in cinema. Retrieved from

https://gclaysmith.com/representation-of-minorities-in-the-media-and-in-cinema/

Dyer, R. (2023). The matter of images: Essays on representation. Routledge.

Kuhar, R. (n.d.). Representation of minorities in Australian media. Open Research Library.

https://openresearchlibrary.org/viewer/cea380f8-1942-41ef-91a9-82f6192c0a7e

Park, S., Lee, J. Y., & McGuinness, K. (2023). Fair representation in news makes multicultural

Australians feel more at home: new research. The Conversation.

https://theconversation.com/fair-representation-in-news-makes-multicultural-australians-

feel-more-at-home-new-research-202063

Richmond, J. (2023). Representation of minorities in the media and in cinema [Blog post].

https://www.jamesrichmond.com.au/blog/Representation