On Friday, July 14, Media Diversity Australia hosted its inaugural industry roundtable in Sydney, bringing together Australia’s media leadership and Federal Communications Minister Michelle Rowland to commit to industry-wide improvement around diversity, equity and inclusion.
The meeting, which was held at SBS, brought together the CEOs, Managing Directors and other senior representatives from MDA member organisations AAP, the ABC, Private Media Group, News Corp Australia, Nine, SBS, Seven, Ten, The Daily Aus, The Conversation Group and The Guardian.
Some notable attendees include Nine’s CEO, Mike Sneesby, Ten’s Executive Vice President, Chief Content Officer & Head of Paramount, Beverley McGarvey, Seven’s Chief People and Culture Officer, Lucinda Gemmell, ABC’s Chief Content Officer, Chris Oliver-Taylor, SBS’s News Director Mandi Wicks and News Corp Australia’s Group Executive, Corporate Affairs, Campbell Reid.
The roundtable provided a platform for an honest and robust initial discussion around barriers to equity and inclusion and opportunities for industry collaboration. The group also started initial discussions around talent pipeline and debated the merits of uniform measurement and tracking of progress across all parts of the industry to ensure greater accountability as an industry.
Building on the roundtable’s momentum, MDA held the first follow-up, working group meeting in late 2023. Check out the press release here.
03 May
On World Press Freedom Day (May 3), we launched the Online Safety Of Diverse Journalists report, our Australian-first research which served as a critical step towards identifying, understanding, and addressing online abuse and harassment of diverse journalists and media workers. The report specifically examines the following marginalised cohorts: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, culturally and linguistically diverse, LGBTQIA+, and people living with a disability.
The research was jointly led by Griffith University and Macquarie University with support from Meta Australia, Google News Initiative, eSafety Commission and Twitter Australia. Findings were presented by lead academics Faith Valencia-Forrester (Griffith University) and Professor Bronwyn Carlson (Macquarie University) with speaker representatives from Media Diversity Australia, Meta Australia, Google News Initiative, eSafety Commission and Twitter Australia.
Key findings are summarised as follows:
Check out the infographic, press release and official report here.
‘Shots Fired’
Under Investigation with Liz Hayes, Channel Nine
2024
Media Diversity Australia Award
Liz Hayes, Gareth Harvey, Anushri Sood and Sonia Serrao from Under Investigation with Liz Hayes, Channel Nine, ‘Shots Fired’ have been named the winners of the 2024 Media Diversity Australia Award for their, ‘Shots Fired‘.
The Nine team’s win was announced in Sydney tonight alongside all the winners in the Walkley Foundation’s Mid-Year Celebration of Journalism.
The Media Diversity Australia Award administered by the Walkley Foundation honours journalists who are making an outstanding contribution through their reporting or coverage of diverse people or issues in Australia. This includes culturally and linguistically diverse communities (CALD) and people with disability (PWD).
It celebrates reporting that demonstrates notable courage in raising awareness of CALD and/or PWD experiences and perspectives, as well as innovation in the telling of these stories. It recognises the significance of media coverage in providing nuanced reporting which serves to alter perceptions and attitudes, challenge stereotypes and fight misinformation.
‘Shots Fired’ is the first full investigation into the killing of Kumanjayi Walker. Story producer Anushri Sood researched, directed and produced the story. Host/managing editor Liz Hayes and executive producer Gareth Harvey brought decades of storytelling experience and senior editor Sonia Serrao crafted it into a compelling visual narrative.
Media Diversity Australia CEO Mariam Veiszadeh said, “Anushri Sood and the team at Nine’s ‘Under Investigations’ should be very proud of this outstanding piece of journalism. The media’s powerful role in exposing injustice and by extension, challenging discriminatory systems is clearly exemplified in their work. Given this is the first time a commercial media network is the recipient of this award, it’s a testament that to the fact that stories like these resonates with audiences everywhere.”
Media Diversity Australia is excited to announce that applications for our 2024 Mentorship Program are now open! This program is dedicated to empowering both current and aspiring media professionals from diverse backgrounds by connecting them with experienced mentors from across the industry.
Spanning six months, our program offers invaluable opportunities for career growth through tailored mentorship, networking events, and carefully curated resources. We understand the importance of diversity and inclusivity in media, and our mentorship initiative is designed to equip participants with the skills and insights they need to succeed.
For individuals from culturally and racially marginalised communities, navigating the media industry can be particularly challenging, with obstacles such as underrepresentation and systemic barriers. Our mentorship program directly addresses these issues, providing a supportive environment where diverse voices are not only heard but empowered.
If you’re an aspiring, early, or mid-career journalist looking to enhance your skills in a culturally supportive environment, we encourage you to apply below.
‘Racism allegations lead to staff exodus’
7.30, ABC
2023
Media Diversity Australia Award
Congratulations to Hagar Cohen and Raveen Hunjan from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s 7:30 for winning the 2023 Media Diversity Australia Walkley Award for their impactful piece ‘Racism allegations lead to staff exodus’. Thank you to award sponsor the National Ethnic Broadcasters Multicultural Council.
Hagar and Raveen’s win was announced at the Walkley Foundation’s Mid-Year Celebration of Journalism event. The Media Diversity Australia Award administered by the Walkley Foundation honours journalists who are making an outstanding contribution through their reporting or coverage of diverse people or issues in Australia. This includes culturally diverse communities and people with disability.
7.30, ABC
2021
Media Diversity Australia Award
Jason Om is an award-winning reporter, writer and presenter with the ABC’s 7.30 program. He’s previously worked for ABC News Breakfast, the ABC News Channel, ABC Life and Lateline. His memoir, All Mixed Up, will be released in April 2022. Jason started his career as a cadet at SBS.
Alex McDonald is a producer with the ABC’s 7.30 program in Sydney. He was a member of the ABC’s National Reporting Team and investigated alleged sexual misconduct at the Australian Defence Force Academy, revealed evidence of allegedly corrupt deals between Nauruan officials and Australian businesses, and worked on a Walkley-nominated investigation into the misuse of funds and defrauding of Indigenous-run organisations. He has worked as a researcher at Four Corners and as a reporter in the ABC’s Sydney newsroom.
Ake Prihantari has been working at ABC Jakarta Bureau for 17 years. She enjoys being a producer and loves being involved in long-form news stories. Through her work with the ABC, she developed a passionate interest in Indonesian law, more so than when she was a law student. Recently she has just found out that climbing stairs and doing long walks are more therapeutic than writing complaint letters to big corporations – and that yoghurt soju is the best cocktail ever invented.
2020
Media Diversity Australia Award
From biker gangs to prison, Mahmood Fazal is an Afghan-Australian writer on a mission to amplify the voices we don’t hear. After abandoning his role as the sergeant-at-arms of the Mongols Motorcycle Club, Mahmood has devoted his life to bare-knuckle stories that challenge our views on crime, violence, imprisonment and radicalisation. He was awarded Journalist of the Year at the 2018 Publish Awards and shortlisted for Best Documentary at the Australian Podcast Awards. Mahmood is currently writing a memoir, due to be published by Harper Collins in 2021. His writing appears in VICE, The Monthly, i-D and The Saturday Paper.
Read an interview with Mahmood.
Rebecca Metcalf is a filmmaker and journalist, currently a shooter-producer at The Feed on SBS. She has also produced for VICE and Audible and has worked as a print news reporter/editor. No Gangsters in Paradise is her first audio documentary. Rebecca aims to make work that allows for nuance and experiments with form.
“You Can’t Ask That — Deaf, African Australians and Intersex”
ABC and ABC iview
2019
Media Diversity Australia Award
This is an exciting opportunity to start your publishing career with one of Australia’s leading book publishers.
Media Diversity Australia is calling for expressions of interest from anyone who has relevant industry experience, from bookselling to journalism, or who has relevant tertiary qualifications in Publishing, Communications, English, or Creative Writing. This is an exciting opportunity for a talented, enthusiastic, and highly organised individual to join Hachette Australia’s award-winning publishing team as a Publishing Assistant.
If you have excellent verbal and written communication skills, are organised and have meticulous attention to detail, are proficient in MS Office, embrace social media platforms and are aware of trends, and have a genuine love and enthusiasm for books and desire to learn about the market, this role is for you!
If this sounds like you, please apply now.
Applicants can apply by clicking here