Improving the coverage of Indigenous issues: closing the gap

Broadcasters and journalism educators from Australia, Canada, the US and New Zealand are gathering today at the University of Queensland to share experiences and create positive change in the reporting of Indigenous issues in the media.

The Indigenous Voice Closing the Gap Forum is being held as part of World Press Freedom Day from May 1- May 3 at the University of Queensland, St Lucia campus, Brisbane.

The forum is the first of its kind bringing together a group of key players in Indigenous media and journalism education to discuss practices and protocols in reporting on Indigenous issues, how these policies are currently being put into practice and ways to train new journalists to report on Indigenous issues.

The Indigenous Voice Forum organiser, Heather Stewart, says, “The fact educators, Indigenous community representatives and Media executives have travelled from around the world to this event is an indication they are committed to making a difference. It is a fitting time to bring together people from around the world concerned with how Indigenous stories are reported and look at some current initiatives that aim to better prepare journalists to report on these issues”.

Participants include Paul Cutler, Director of News and Current Affairs SBS, Heaton Dyer, Executive Director, Programming, Strategy and Innovation at CBC News, Canada, Te Anga Nathan Kaiwhakahaere Matua Kawepurongo, General Manager News and Current Affairs Maori Television, representatives from Indigenous media outlets, journalists including the ABC’s, Susan Moylan-Coombs, Michelle Lovegrove, SBS and Angela Bates, NITV and journalism educators from the University of Queensland, the Batchelor Institute, Curtin University, Griffith University, Murdoch University, the University of Montana, US and the University of Toronto, Canada.

The Indigenous Voice forum will culminate in participants developing five recommendations to improve the coverage of Indigenous issues for the Brisbane Declaration.

Media Contact Zoe Hancock: 0409 663 690
For further information about the Indigenous Voice Project and the Closing the Gap Forum contact Project Leader Heather Stewart heather.stewart@uq.edu.au Mobile: 0418 830 938

To register for the World Press Freedom Day Conference:
http://www.unesco-ci.org/cgi-bin/events/registration/page.cgi?g=World_Press_Freedom_Day_2010%2Findex.html;d=1

Valued Sponsors
Griffith University
Queensland University of Technology