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Minority reports: TV news fails on ethnic diversity

Tushar Apte

by Tushar Apte

08 Sep 05:40am

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Filed under: Culture, Ethnic Diversity, Immigration, Media, Society, Television, Tv

65 comments

If alien life tuned into Australian news and TV broadcasts, they may wonder why immigration is an issue for any Australian political leader. They would certainly wonder where all these immigrants are, such is the gap in Australian television between the nation we live in day by day and the Australia broadcast on our allegedly diverse TV channels.

Not to single them out, but ... the Nine News Sydney team

TV news audiences are steadily falling and audiences are moving towards online news providers. Against this trend it seems our news networks’ idea of competition (regarding selection of news presenters) is to retreat into a view of Australia as it was circa 1980. Amongst the 25 National News anchors across the 5 major networks, SBS accounts for 4 out of 6 prominent multicultural presenters, the others being ABC’s Jeremy Fernandez and Juanita Philips.

The three commercial free-to-air networks – Seven, Nine and Ten – account for almost 70% of the national news viewers, according to Throng Media. While there are a few reporters (including Nine’s Tracy Vo) on the front line, most living in major cities would largely agree that the face of Australian news doesn’t map the diversity we encounter at our offices, cafés and restaurants, parks and cultural events.

Before being accused of any sort of reverse-profiling, it’s important to note the (fair) argument that news should be about the stories themselves rather than the ‘talent’. However, the marketing emphasis our major networks place on the image of their presenters (integrity, honesty, ‘hard hitting questions’ etc) makes the distinction between the news and the ‘faces’ that report it inseparable. They become less objective reporters and more colour commentators – we’re told to trust in their reports of our society’s daily happenings.

Back in the real world, there are examples of mainstream audiences embracing our multicultural identity.  There’s the recent success of Ahn and Khoa Do (a former Young Australian of the Year) and Indian-Canadian comic Russell Peters, whose most recent Sydney show pulled the biggest Australian crowd of all-time for a comedy show.  Fear not Packer, Stokes and Falloon, Australians are ready to truly move onto colour television.

The realm of TV comedies and dramas don’t seem to have changed much since the early days of A Country Practice and Cop Shop (not to take anything away from these shows). All Saints, a darling of the Bogie (sic) awards, was quite possibly the whitest hospital in Western suburban Sydney, although I do recall seeing one Australian-Indian doctor and one orderly of Chinese background, both with about 3 lines of dialogue between them.

Having said this, recent shows including Underbelly and Masterchef have disrupted the status quo with a broader mix of cultures and personalities, but (paradoxically) this only serves to highlight the difference between reality (or ‘true’ stories) and the Australia of fictional programming.

Although industry pundits complain that local audiences favour American TV, nobody is really asking ‘well, why wouldn’t they?’ Successful shows such as Big Bang Theory, ER and 30 Rock actively promote and even discuss – shock! – their nations’ ethnic populations. Arguably, these characters are largely cultural stereotypes (e.g. the Indian IT geek, the Chinese take-away guy, middle-eastern cabbie) but it still much better than avoiding their existence.

Where immigrants are mentioned it’s more often than not at a distance (in ‘lighthouse terms’), as if we watch these strange peoples from a metaphorical observation deck. If it’s not cultural festivals or Maeve O’Meara exploring Asian cuisine it’s just not worth producing.

The other extreme occurs in tabloids where we witness alarmist headlines such as the Herald Sun’s ‘Australia’s Asian Migrant Intake Soars’ where the ‘us and them’ distinction practically jumps from the page, over-simplifying the complex issue of immigration.

I wouldn’t go so far as to posit wild conspiracy theories of why our media world is so glaringly homogeneous, nor is this gap between the Australia we live in and the one screened in HD necessarily an example of overt racism. It is more likely that decision makers in the industry are still insulated in their well-appointed cottages in the good suburbs, and perhaps implicitly represent the only Australia they know.

I think it’s time for our news organisations and TV producers to go back to the drawing board and this time and buy some coloured markers. Trust me, it’s refreshing, more fun and I’m sure it’s one reason why we like seeing Waleed Aly on Q&A so much.

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65 comments

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    • Kyle says:

      06:31am | 08/09/10

      Why are so many Australian media outlets so caught up with the ‘Great White Guilt’ of trying to make an issue out of being born white?  Do other countries suffer the same problem?  Does Indonesia wring it’s collective hands that they aren’t recognising white people enough?  Doe Saudi Arabia attempt to apportion blame to it’s citizens for not promoting the cause of white population further?

      What is it with the continual attempt to portray white people in such a bad light?  It’s racist!  (Yet we are supposed to accept the racism white people suffer from other races.)

      I don’t get it.  So explain it to me.

      Reply

    • fairsfair says:

      09:33am | 08/09/10

      We inflict on ourselves reverse racism due to the so called “guilt” the Politically Correct cruisaders whip up. We dwell on the past - which we were no part of. Its like a fat kid making fun of himself first - before the other kids do - then claiming he was bullied. Fact of the matter is, if a fat kid makes jokes about his size, it tells his friends it is ok to do so - and they do it too. So is nurtured the victim mentality that a lot of Australians have (for whatever reason). Then they get to an age where they want someone to blame.

      I agree with your sentiments but I did notice a new ad on telly the other day that made me shake my head. The Qld Govt has realeased a new cartoon advertising scheme directed at educating children on when and how to call ‘000’. In the ad that centres around the police - a white family is confronted by a home invader - who is black. In the other ads the only other person of ethnicity (asian) is an ambo. I think this is wrong. Children associate with visuals and this sends a bad message to kids - Sesame street enforces it with “one of these things just doesn’t belong here”. However - had all the people in the ad been white - it would have formed part of this article no doubt. I do think we are all being a bit precious.

      White people victimise themselves.

    • Ruben says:

      09:46am | 08/09/10

      Immigrants have been coming here a long time and their kids now are no longer wanting to work in blue collar sectors. They are educated as all Australians and are noticing that there are no role models on TV. There should be a far greater proportionate number of multicultural faces in all areas of our society- if you can truly claim Australia is multicultural.

    • Peter says:

      10:40am | 08/09/10

      @ Kyle, there is a sense they (non whites) are being shut out. Channel 10, 9 , 7 and ABC obviously engage in discriminatory employment practices..

    • Huey says:

      12:31pm | 08/09/10

      Boo hoo to you Kyle… you as a white man feels uncomfortable in your own town because of a few ethnic people running around at the shops and the bus stop.

      Can we please stop the BS right now!

      I am sick to death of anglo-saxon Australians trying to understand what its like to be ethnic, give it up, you will never have it as hard as an Indigenous, Indian, Polynesian or Asian person, so please stop with the crap about how you suffer from “reverse-racism”. 

      While your grandparents were enjoying their freedoms, heinous crimes were being committed against Indigenous people but wait…. they should get over it right?

      People like you annoy the hell out of me, as you would have no idea what it feels like to be judged and discriminated against because of the colour of your skin.  You only think you know because for that brief moment of discomfort you feel as the line behind you at the bank is full of ethnic people is a lifetime of discomfort for ethnic people living in a white society!

    • AdamC says:

      01:13pm | 08/09/10

      Huey, your little rant is an absolutely exceptional reason to reduce immigration into this country. And you also demonstrate why the ‘If you don’t like it here, go back’ response to comments like yours has a lot more validity than anyone likes to give it credit for.

      If we in Australia are all so horribly awful and racist, why are you still here?

    • fairsfair says:

      01:38pm | 08/09/10

      Huey - ethnicity is not the only reason that people are discriminated against. Due to the superficial world that we live in there are many and most of us can relate to what it feels like to be discriminated against because of a physical characteristic.

      I acknowledge horrible things happened in the past but I also state that I had nothing to do with it - nor would I accept it taking place today. Yes, people do need to get over it because if we are ever going to get past the ethnicity barrier we need to look to the future - not dwell on the past.

      Reverse racism does exist and I am also a supporter of equity over equality. Some people need more assistance to achieve, irrespective of their ethnicity. Whites however now neglect ourselves to a degree, in an attempt to somehow make up for the wrongdoings of our ancestors. No handout or service will make up for it.

      Does it really matter who reads the news and ‘stars’ in neighbours? As a rational human being I know that if I work hard I can be who I want to be. That was taught to me by my parents and did not come from the people I watched television.

    • doctrinal says:

      01:40pm | 08/09/10

      I would find an all-white hospital in the Western Sydney Suburb location unrealistic in today’s society.  For people like you who condone this sort of dream world fantasy, what are you afraid of in viewing minorities on your television?  Viewing minority people hurts your eyes?  Should we be like the Saudi’s who only have mostly Saudi’s (presumably) in their society.  Should we show society as it is, or should we resort to fear and only show one race on TV?

    • Kevin says:

      01:55pm | 08/09/10

      @Kyle: there is no point comparing Australia, a country recognised for its highly successful immigration programme, with your named countries - you’re just lowering the standards for comparison.  If you want to compare, I dare you compare the policies of Canada and Singapore with integrated and comprehnesive immigration and integration policies.  Compare only with the high achievers.

      @Huey, as an Australian of asian descent I’m disgusted by your comment.  Even if you do not agree with Kyle’s opinion on this piece, to me his comment demonstrates his lack of understanding to issues facing ethnic Australians that this piece is commenting on, and your rant will only further polarise his position, rather than helping him to understand.

      @Tushar: Thank you for your objective analysis.  My observation is that on probability many ethic Australians are not watching commercial network news anyway.  Perhaps it is the racial composition question that you’ve raised, but also perhaps the news coverage of SBS and ABC are typically broader and more international than the others.  In this free market, if the commercial networks want to loose these audiences, then they can keep doing what they are doing and viewers will vote with their feet (or fingers on remotes).

    • James1 says:

      02:05pm | 08/09/10

      Huey,

      While those heinous things were done, the perpetrators were doing similar heinous things to my Irish ancestors.  Do we then qualify as being as downtrodden as you?  Or do we not count because we are white as well?

      PS, the Irish got over it.

    • Ripa says:

      06:34am | 08/09/10

      Give me a break, Come down to our local bank, or council and see how reverse racial it has become, not a single white person, this is happening all over the place. Shops up and down our street have signs only in foreign languages.
      You are pretty naive if you think other cultures are more open or accepting of immigrants than Australians.  Western society grants more people more freedoms and opportunity than anywhere else on the planet. Perhaps you should travel abroad and spread this message so other countries can have a more diverse range of people in their media and tv.

      Reply

    • Mike says:

      04:28pm | 09/09/10

      I agree. I think Asians for instance that typically gravitate more toward finance and the hard sciences. I did a first-year journalism subject at uni and in a lecture theatre full with more than 300 people, I’d say 5, max 10 people were Asian. In engineering, though, totally different story. Visit banks, hospitals, finance and IT firms etc, and the picture changes completely.

    • dale says:

      07:24am | 08/09/10

      Im sick of the “Im a minority so i get to choose for everyone” thinking in australia. The minority always gets pandered too because if they dont its racist.

      Im over all the PC crap. I cant call a fish a fish anymore.

      For the record from the little i saw of all saints they had one of the main Dr’s an asian female and in no world could master chef be called a real representation of anything.

      Reply

    • ibast says:

      08:45am | 08/09/10

      Did you know that over half Australians have non-Anlgo backgrounds these days?  So you would have to concluded that having Anglo news readers is in fact pandering to the minority.

    • Ruben says:

      09:42am | 08/09/10

      Wait 20 years and you’ll be a minority. Let’s see what your kids say.

    • Bob H says:

      09:45am | 08/09/10

      @ibast - do you know 100% of Australians should be Australian and race should never enter any discussion.  Newsreaders have many backgrounds, using generalisations makes for very shallow argument.

    • phil says:

      12:56pm | 08/09/10

      Pretty average isnt it, too much PC crap people too worried about upsetting someone over trivial things.

      It seems its a matter of come to Australia, complain about what you dont like until someone is forced to pander to what you want!
      There has to be a line drawn or this is going to get stupid.
      You cant have everything changed to suit minority groups and then still have it all your own way in your local communities as thats what seems to be going on.

      Im surprised that this article doesnt also throw in that there are no openly gay TV news reporters… i mean everyone has loved getting on that bandwagon of late havent they!

    • Biteme says:

      07:49am | 08/09/10

      I gotta say, Jeremy Fernandez is my favorite TV personality. He is clear, concise, and shows a vibrate attitude. He needs to be head hunted by the by commercial stations. But it is so true these elite people who sprout multiculturalism never put them up front, in the news, “home and away” or Sea Patrol, ACA or any others. The hypocrisy is astounding.  And I thought that $250 Million Rudd gave to his old mate Wayne Goss Free to Air Lobby group was for Australian content. Well where is this Australian content and why is it not representative of the Australian people? I want my money back channel 9, 7 and 10!

      Reply

    • bella starkey says:

      09:28am | 08/09/10

      i like his little gap tooth. He looks like my hair dresser.

    • CVR says:

      08:30am | 08/09/10

      Am shocked at the defensiveness of the commentors. It’s barely a debateable topic. Commercial networks (and most advertisers) completely ignore Australia’s ethic diversity - full stop. I suspect it’s because it just doesn’t sell/rate as well.

      What’s of more concern to me is when people’s reactions are along the lines of ‘we’re no worse than anyone else’ and ‘they don’t even have english in my suburb’. I think it’s really reflective of what an incredibly long way we have to go before this is going to change. I would have loved to have grown up and seen more people like me represented in the media, but plainly we are just too young a country at this point (if these a couple of these comments are anything to go by).

      Reply

    • AFR says:

      09:26am | 08/09/10

      It would seems a lot of shows have a token Aboriginal (usually that Pederson guy) and an Islander (Jay Lagaia), and that’s about it. On H&A or Neighbours sometime ago, I happened to see an episode there their was a token Chinese exchange student, and she was the bad girl, there to turn people against each other and steal all the boyfriends or something (at least she wasn’t running the local laudromat I suppose)....

    • shane says:

      08:38am | 08/09/10

      I don’t care what shape, size, species, race, color, gender the news reader is. I’m more concerned about the fact that the commercial networks news is of such low quality, and so blatently sensationalist that it does more harm then good.

      Go to the ABC or SBS, and if you do watch the commercial network news, then do so with your bull**** filter firmly in place. Its kind of a game at my house now if 9 or 7 is on. Lets turn on the network news and see how glaringly insipid they are today.

      I know, I know, we know how to have fun at my house….

      Reply

    • Shep says:

      08:51am | 08/09/10

      Woo Hoo!

      Party at Shane’s place, you bring the fairy bread, I got the red cordial!

    • shane says:

      09:22am | 08/09/10

      Shep. Sounds good. Just make sure that you use wholemeal bread. Not sure about the red cordial though, I don’t want to end up overtired at bedtime after red cordial induced hyperactivity. ;P

    • True Blue says:

      08:42am | 08/09/10

      I try not to watch or listen to Waleed Ali who ingratiates himself so sugarly.  And as for diversity?  It is watering down the old Australia and seems true blues have to make allowences for the multiculturists instead of newcomers assimiliating into this once great country.  Try watching TV in Saudi Arabia or Iran.

      Reply

    • Fred says:

      11:00am | 08/09/10

      I hate the argument of bringing up Saudi Arabia and Iran - that’s the whole point, we’re meant to be MORE tolerant than countries like that.

    • James1 says:

      02:07pm | 08/09/10

      Agreed Fred.  The less we are like Iran and Saudi Arabia, the better.

    • Lars says:

      09:26am | 08/09/10

      It’s laughable how so many of the above commenters are defensive when the piece clearly states that no ‘reverse-profiling’ is intended….

      Reply

    • Wade says:

      04:43pm | 08/09/10

      Perhaps you need to read the article again.  Particularly the part the comes after…‘However…’

    • N says:

      09:27am | 08/09/10

      Its simple really; best man (or woman) for the job, Tushar. It seems that ethnic minorities feel due to their status they should be given an extra couple of points based on their race at job interview time. If you want to change it be prepared to compete on an even playing field.

      Reply

    • Ruben says:

      09:53am | 08/09/10

      Yeah possibly like John Howard wasn’t the best man for the ICC job ey?

    • N says:

      12:37pm | 08/09/10

      Unquestionably; though comparing national media outlets to an international organisation is drawing the bow a little far.

    • AdamC says:

      09:30am | 08/09/10

      This piece isn’t so much inaccurate as it is trivial. Especially in the commercial TV arena, I can’t see why profit-driven networks would maintain some kind of whites-only policy in defiance of audience tastes. Maybe people just like their news delivered by middle-aged white men and on-the-cusp-of-middle-age white women.

      Also, point of fact. My Malaysian Chinese boyfriend dragged me along to a Russell Peters show a couple of years back. It would barely be an exageration to assert I was the only caucasian in the audience of several thousand. (I was also seemingly the only one over 25. And the only one who didn’t find the fairly predictable stereotype-based jokes especially funny.)

      Reply

    • Andy says:

      09:32am | 08/09/10

      The narrow-minded defence of ‘watch TV in Saudi Arabia’ is typical of the ludicrous single-swipe defences that usually come from the ‘go home if you complain about anything in the country you immigrated to’ camp.
      The issues in those countries usually stem from corrupt and inhumane governments, not necessarily the values of the people themselves. If we believe in Australia as a free country then we deride ourselves if we stoop to such simplistic arguements.

      Reply

    • Adam Diver says:

      04:37pm | 08/09/10

      Playing the man, then destroying your own argument in one comment. Well done.

      1. “free country” then let the news channels choose whoever the hell they want.

      2. Prime time news is the biggest ticket item for the commercial channels. They are not obligated to pander to minorities wanting fairer representation. If its commercially better to have minorities as news presenters then I am sure they would be using them already. Television reflects its viewerships, not leads it.

      3. Although I have fallen into the same trap myself to make my above arguments, the first, and most racist comment, comes in the article title. “fails on ethinc diversity”. If we are to make a point of difference on the ethnicity of the newsreader, we immediately make the distinction that ethnics, or minorities are different. And if we make that point of difference then we are making decisions based purely on race, both positive and negative.

      Look at this from another side. 100% of newsreaders are australian. The author makes the distinction and the issue. You play the victim card, or the proportional representation which further alienates your own proposition.

      You want more ethnicities represented in media? Stop being racist and determining people by thier ethnicity, oh wait, only stupid rednecks can be racist.

      While we are on it why do we have indigenous achievement awards, black entertainment awards etc etc. Is it because we think these people can not win the big awards, that they need a leg up, or a helping hand because of some kind of impairment they recieve because of thier race? There is more than one way to be racist but apparently the left don’t seem to notice.

    • MatLon says:

      09:54am | 08/09/10

      YES!

      And we need heaps more coverage of Janice Petersen from SBS…what a fox, and what other news presenter gets away with telling jokes about bogans on prime time news. XD

      Some of the comments here are hilarious:

      True White “It is watering down the old Australia and seems true blues have to make allowences for the multiculturists instead of newcomers assimiliating into this once great country.”

      lolwat? Spell checker not working today, maaate?

      Reply

    • AFR says:

      12:10pm | 08/09/10

      More Karen Tso I say.

      I think Karen’s father is Chinese, and mother is Anglo/Australian? If that’s the case, she is definately a “minority”, and therefore, more air time is warranted!

    • bella starkey says:

      12:32pm | 08/09/10

      this is true AFR, her parents own a lovely resturant in brisbane called Augustines.

      Mind you Karen Tso left aus for the mega bucks at CNBC Asia

    • Kate says:

      10:18am | 08/09/10

      Love this post. As a whitey who has been in media for eons I have often railed on this very topic. I got so excited one day at the hair dressers when the Koren owner told me her Australian-born UTS graduate daughter was going into TV journalism. Next time I saw her the daughter had opted for something better paying than journalism - bummer. Not that TV anchors do badly but journo wages - particularly for those starting out - are pretty awful.
      In print things are not great either - there is Matt Sun of MX, the fabulous Florence Chong and also Teresa Ooi of The Australian, Kevin Cheung of Popular Science Australia mag - not sure about the SMH or the myriad of other magazines out there. Maybe well educated people from Asian backgrounds are not attracted to media? However, I do agree we need more ethnic diversity amongst those telling the stories of the day as well as in our every day stories on TV and in film. GrI wouldn’t look to the US as an example though. I am still happily shocked when I see two black leads in the one ensemble drama.

      Reply

    • Steph says:

      10:33am | 08/09/10

      I know that Helen Kapalos & George Donikian of Melbourne’s Channel 10 news room feel the same as you Tushar. Why not more ethnic faces reading our news?

      Reply

    • Zaf says:

      10:43am | 08/09/10

      The market dictates.  So if/when there is a commercial advantage in having more non-Anglo faces on commercial television channels, you’ll start to see them. 

      As for H&A or Neighbours - please!  These are shows made by and for bogans, we should show some respect for what they want and how they want to do it.  (Ditto wrt Kyle Sandilands’ offerings.) THAT is multiculturalism at its best - it’s a two way street.

      Migrants (and others, okay) will continue to enjoy things like Fat Pizza - and once (if) there are more Fat Pizza types in Australia than Kyle Sandilands types, then voila - the commerical networks will start to cater to them.  Australia is a very diverse country, but the fact is that, outside some parts of the major cities, it is still a lot whiter than the US, or Britain, or Canada.

      Reply

    • Pete says:

      01:46pm | 09/09/10

      “So if/when there is a commercial advantage in having more non-Anglo faces on commercial television channels…” 

      There should be no commercial disadvantage at having some hot Asian woman read us the news instead of what we have now.  If indeed there is, then the problem is us, the market, not the networks.

    • neil says:

      10:53am | 08/09/10

      TV networks only employ three stereotypes for on air news in the following order:

      Hot chicks
      Good looking guys
      Authoritive male figures

      I’ll admit the only reason I watch 10 news is to perve on Helen Kapolos, even the ABC has succumbed to the publics expectations, with the exception of news 24 that has to use ABC radio presenters as well. Hence we can see where the term “you have a good face for radio” comes from.

      Reply

    • Pete says:

      11:10am | 08/09/10

      I had never really noticed it before, but the lack of ethnic faces on the commercial news broadcasts became obvious to me after returning from two years in California.  Channel 9 (NSW at least) is particularly bad and if all their appointments are “merit based” I’d like to a see a CV, and one that doesn’t list “hair colour”.  I thought the Channel 9 reporters during election night coverage were atrocious.

      Speaking of Channel 9, I don’t understand how “Packed to the Rafters” can be so popular.  The “ethnic” family live in a house with columns and statues surrounded by concrete.  I mean, come on!  It’s 2010.  Surely that stereotype died with Acropolis Now.  Why can’t they be “ethnic” without being total “wogs”.  My house looks nothing like that, and neither does my parents.

      Reply

    • Huey says:

      12:38pm | 08/09/10

      Or the lack of “black” people on any television series.

    • Phil says:

      04:46pm | 08/09/10

      Packed to the Rafters is on 7.

    • John L says:

      11:13am | 08/09/10

      ...and the problem is?......

      Reply

    • Madeleine says:

      11:28am | 08/09/10

      The majority of these comments are appalling, although, unfortunately, unsurprising. It is very disheartening to see all these racist comments on an article that merely acknowledges the fact that news presenters of TV do not accurately reflect Australia’s ethnic diversity.

      If all that matters is the quality of the news presenters then why are white people overrepresented? To argue that white people are inherently better news presenters or that people of colour do not what jobs the area is absurd.

      The fact of the matter is that the media is mostly white to pander towards the belief that much of the white audience won’t be able to connect with/relate to a person of colour. And judging by these comments, they seem to be right (e.g. “There are still, for the time being, more of us Australians here than foreigners and we’d like to see Australians on our news shows”, (People of colour can’t be Australians?), Well it’s been nice having you as a guest in our house for a while and for sure you could have stayed forever. (Non-white Australians are guests in Australia)) Whether those people are trolling or not, these views are not uncommon.

      Thanks for writing this article Tushar Apte, but a fear it’s mostly falling on deaf ears.

      Reply

    • totally not racist people says:

      07:53pm | 08/09/10

      Please tell me how you think the majority of these comments are racist? Before doing so please look up the true meaning of the word. The issue that most people have (which starts at the first post) is that is acceptable for Tushar to write an article about how opressed ethnic groups are here in Australia - but it is racist for white man to defend himself in any way or have a social discussion on the reasons in which this situation seems to have come about.

      It is a joke.

      The contined segregation of Aborigines as Traditional Owners, Original inhabitants, white people guests in Australia etc etc perpetuates the problem (and I note it is mostly done by white people themselves). I agree that cultural heritage should be recognised, but we are all part of modern society - we are all Australian.

      White man wandered up to northern europe from Africa - are the English guests in Britain? Italians in Italy? How far do you really want to take this back?

      Do you think my ancestors enjoyed being forced to immigrate to a barron land that they knew nothing about because they were starving in Ireland? Did they come to this country and mope and blame the English? No, they and those like them worked hard, made this country something that a lot of people want to become a part of and you expect me to feel guilty for that? It is the same for the Italians, the Greeks the Chinese, the Eastern Europeans and many other ethnicities. My ancestors were forced to leave for the *sshole of the earth and just dealt with it. 

      Why can’t people just accept how the cards fall, make the best of it and if they want to institute change - give it a go. Don’t stand around with the poor me mentality and as soon as I don’t get a job I go for (because I am not qualified to do so) I’ll call all you whites racist. Or if I am fat, it is because of that. Oh wait on - I don’t have blonde hair like those women in the photo - That must be it.

    • howy says:

      11:50am | 08/09/10

      Australia is a multicultural country, but it’s worth remembering that multiculturalism and ethnic diversity have never been successfully implemented anywhwere in the World at any time, so small issues like this are bound to pop up from time to time.

      Remember that multiculturalism is an experiment and judging from history it has zero chance of succeeding without tyrannical government intervention. But it’s nice to give it a go.

      Reply

    • Sigh says:

      11:53am | 08/09/10

      Maybe non-white people don’t WANT to work for Ch 7, 9 and 10 because its tacky, sensationalist, condescending crap. If I cared about different colours on my TV I’d watch the screen test.

      Reply

    • Mediaman says:

      12:25pm | 08/09/10

      Check it out. This is a program designed to help Indigenous kids get into the media. Of course Qantas pulled funding after two years.

      Reply

    • Mick O'Brien says:

      12:48pm | 08/09/10

      Political Correctness raises the bar again. If your good enough for the job, you will get it.

      “Political correctness is a doctrine, fostered by a delusional, illogical minority, and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a piece of shit by the clean end. “

      Build a bridge mate, get over it.

      Reply

    • Pete says:

      01:13pm | 08/09/10

      While some people do need to build a bridge, others just need to jump the curb - and they can’t even manage that.  The cross-section on the commercial networks is nothing like the cross-section of people even within the cubicles around me right now.  Fact.

      What we really need to know is the cross-section of people going through journalism and communications courses and compare that with what we see on TV.  Even my “anglo as anglo” girlfriend noticed the monoculture of faces on TV news in Australia when compared to the west coast USA (and the US has its own complicated race issues).

    • Jeremy says:

      01:35pm | 08/09/10

      Good point Pete, this isn’t a case of PC, and I think it’s probably Mick thats the delusional one. It seems to me alot of commenters have missed the point that this piece isn’t advocating a takeover of media by a particular race, but just to show a broad mix rather than the overwhelmingly homogenous one currently on offer.

      Having worked in media research, I can tell you as a fact that people feel more included and engaged when they see a similar face on the screen - so what’s wrong with getting as many people included and engaged as possible? This should actually be in the interest of our major networks with our growing populations.

    • doctrinal says:

      02:59pm | 08/09/10

      Or rather Mick, if your race suits the commercial news station, then you’ll get the job.  This is the current bridge in place to employment.

    • Liz says:

      01:50pm | 08/09/10

      Channel Ten in Perth has a lead anchor who is a Woman, Indigenous and gay. Not trying to derail the argument, it is just nice to know in what is perceived as such a backwards state we actually have something a little progressive!

      Reply

    • Rob says:

      01:53pm | 08/09/10

      Probably those of ethnic backgrounds are far too ethical to want to be a TV journalist

      Reply

    • Drew(Darlinghurst) says:

      06:14pm | 08/09/10

      Commercial News has nothing to do with News its about “Entertainment” and selling Advertising space. Sad But True.

      ABC & SBS have a charter which celebrates diversity

      Black, White, Gay ,Straight, Indigenous non -Indigenous.

      I could NEVER watch   7 , 9 or 10 News… Just like I could NEVER read a Tabloid Newspaper.

      Well that’s my 2 cents worth.
      raspberry

      Reply

    • hot tub political machine says:

      06:17pm | 08/09/10

      What shocks me is that in a well educated society like ours people remain asinine enough to watch the “infotainment” that we call the television news.

      Reply

    • Sadie Day says:

      06:30pm | 08/09/10

      Becoming a Talking Head is a great career move,everyone loves or loathes you, everyone knows who you are,better than you, you get to argue with idiots and you always win, because you are better at it.

      Reply

    • AwhineyPom says:

      07:39pm | 08/09/10

      howy - watch the bbc for a day. there is so much colour on there you’d think you are on a round the world ticket in 24 hours. there is something to learn here!

      i dont really understand the ignorance of some of these comments. The tv & its news is a medium to appeal to a market either to sell advertising space or for social inclusion.  All areas of the market should be addressed by this medium and this is what the article is talking about. 

      So get off your complaining arses and go for a curry already.

      Reply

    • mickey says:

      08:18pm | 08/09/10

      a) oh my god i could listen to waleed aly all friggin day because his voice is so….lulling and calm and soothing…I just kind of go into a stupor of bliss (too personal?)

      b) i was extremely shocked by Tracy Vo’s reports on the news, the only reason I remembered her name was because she was the first non-white reporter I’d seen on commercial tv. Ever. (I’m not saying there hasn’t been, I’ve just never seen them)

      but what annoys me more is that it’s always the older gentleman, who is trustworthy and dignified (I’m looking at you Andrew Lofthouse) and then the hot, young woman who…is hot…and does all the chick stories on the desk. It annoys me.

      Reply

    • Daniel says:

      10:25pm | 08/09/10

      Tush,You better start watching ABC like the res of us do if were interested in proper reporting of news.

      Reply

    • Sammy J says:

      10:49am | 09/09/10

      I wouldn’t worry about it too much, Tushar. The fact is that Indians and Chinese will become the dominant ethnic groups in Australia in as little as 20 years time. Then you will be hard pressed finding any Europeans on TV at all. Europeans are a dying race so let them have their brief moment in the sun before they are completely bred out.

      Reply
 
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