Indigenous People in the Media

There is sometimes argument on who actually controls the media, with that I mean the force behind the whole set-up of a particular radio station, or the brains behind a print publication. Most likely, you would find people of multiple academic backgrounds and even from different ethnic backgrounds for that matter that are manning the cameras, writing the scripts, servicing the equipment and so on.

However multicultural the commercial media industry might seem to be, it is most likely that you would find difficulty in finding someone from the indigenous population being involved in any facet of the media whatsoever. A radio media report entitles “Indigenous Jobs, Commercial Media” which was presented by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) on 13 November 2008 focused on the rationale behind the lacking number of indigenous Australians in the booming industry.

Former ABC broadcaster Wayne Coolwell believes that the indigenous people themselves are partly to blame since a lot of them are still overwhelmed by the broadcast media, which makes them unable to relate and bridge a gap between the media and their community. He added that they are daunted by the commercial media, so much so that many of them do not even bother of applying a job within the industry.

Coolwell, however, is trying to do his part by putting together an employment scheme for indigenous people who are seeking to have a career in the commercial media, and he has so far successfully managed to get two people as faces of the mainstream media!

Moving over from the down under, it is even more apparent that we are facing the same issue here in Malaysia, and it is due to that fact that the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) organized a workshop in e-Inclusion and Media for Indigenous Peoples from 6-8 December 2007 in Bario, Sarawak.

The UNDP hopes to expose the indigenous community in Borneo to excel in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to interest them in being apart of the media, which is why ICT and media-related exhibitors and presenters have been flown in from all over the world to take part in the event.

Even the Centre for Independent Journalism have decided to bring this matter to the forefront, by having a Media Training Workshop in Kuching, Sarawak on 22-25 October 2008. It is feared that our indigenous population might lose out on development and globalization if no initiative is taken, as highlighted by this article.

Reference

Antony Funnell. (2008). Indigenous jobs, commercial media. Available: http://www.abc.net.au/rn/mediareport/stories/2008/2413228.htm. Last accessed 11 November 2008.

(2007). NDP Organizes Workshop on e-Inclusion and Media for Indigenous Peoples at the e-Bario Knowledge Fair, 6-8 December 2007. Available: http://www.apdip.net/news/indigenouspeoples. Last accessed 11 November 2008.

Jesse Fiddler. (2007). Malaysia E-Bario / UNDP workshop report from K-Net rep's perspective. Available: http://media.knet.ca/node/3238. Last accessed 11 November 2008.

Apsara Murale. (2008). Media training for indigenous groups in Sarawak. Available: http://www.cijmalaysia.org/content/view/394/. Last accessed 11 November 2008.

Terrence Gomez. (2008). Why indigenous people of the world are losing out. Available: http://aliran.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=744:why-indigenous-people-of-the-world-are-losing-out-&catid=55:2008&Itemid=40. Last accessed 11 November 2008.