Reflection on Differences in Media

Question: Discuss about theReflection on Differences in Media. Answer: Introduction: Australia is a land of cultural diversity. The Australian identity is a product of its geography and history. The continent saw a predominance of European colonialism in the past. Hence one would find a multitude of culture in Australia (Hughey 2013). In the modern technological world, television plays a vital role in the process of multiculturalism. Today, humans live in a world which is largely dependent on media. It is the media which plays a pivotal part in manifesting cultural differences. In the present scenario, television channels exhibit the sense of identity, development of ideology, and cultural understanding of an individual and the society as a whole. In the world of globalization, one would find the cultural barriers breaking. Despite being one of the fastest growing economies in the world, I found cultural differences. People develop their notion of society on their understanding and consumption of popular culture. Popular media here plays a significant part in conveying such messages. This spread of culture may prove to be both advantageous and disadvantageous. While television may act as a vehicle for the development of national culture and politics, it may also subvert and challenge them (Moran et al. 2014). Though the portrayal of actors from different cultural backgrounds has improved over the past few years, representation of cultural differences in commercial television channels persist. For instance, I found an indigent representation of Aboriginals. In fact, Aboriginal actors are hardly seen in television channels. They are not given sustaining roles (Griffiths 2013). The cultural differences in commercial channels are represented through food, clothing, language, rule, and laws. If one watches an Australian drama or a comedy series, one may come across the differences. For instance, a program set in Sydney or Melbourne appears to have a setting of a different universe altogether. The scenes look unreal. One cannot identify with the actual place. There is a constant lack of diversity. It seems that a mass migration never happened in the past. Various ethnic foods like Pad That, Kebabs, and dumplings feature in television. But one can only find the whites having them. The Aboriginal Australian is never portrayed. Moreover, there is a shallow portrayal of the original mainstream Australia. Set in Melbourne, one of the most culturally diversified city in the world, the popular ABC miniseries, The Beautiful Lie, has no non-white characters (ABC Television, 2016). All the characters were white. The TV shows Here Come the Habibs, and The Family Law are the greatest examples of the awkward portrayal of diversity and race by media. The director of the show, The Family Law claims that that the series is about race. But when I looked deeply, I found that the slapstick humor is derived from the hilarious situations in which the characters find themselves. The humor and tension in the show do not come from the ethnicity of the characters (Programs, 2016). Dominant discourse is defined as the written, spoken, and behavioral expectations that are shared within a cultural group. In fact, discourse is a way of talking about a subject. It comprises meanings that are understood by people of a particular culture. A language is a powerful tool which can empower as well as disempower differences. The television programs highlight the privileges that one can get due to the whiteness of ones skin. This is indicative of the dominance that the whites have over the indigenous Australians in the society. It is essential to decentre whiteness and recognize ontological and epistemological assumptions that are invisible and deeply embedded. It is often seen that the Australian society is portrayed in the Anglo way (Hughey 2013). It is imperative to cast actors correctly to ameliorate cultural differences. Laws such as the Broadcasting Act can contribute a lot in constructing and fostering a sense of national identity. The perception of individuals in s ociety changes through television programs. In fact, they play a pivotal role in shaping and defining the culture of a country or society. Hence, it is of utmost importance to portray the culture and identity of an ethnic group or race in a proper way. Television castings have greater and wider implications on the people in society. Television, in fact, acts as an agent of successful socialization. Thus, television programs create a sense and an understanding of dominant ideologies, national and cultural identity, and knowledge of the particular culture. Television acts as a vehicle to transmit knowledge at different levels. It is a great contributor to the development of national and political identity through current affairs, news. Through infotainment, drama, and documentary, television creates a cultural identity and thus hold the power to eliminate differences (Van Dijck and Poel 2015). Cultural diversity is helpful in creating social coherence. The television broadcasting sector of Australia must strive towards presenting the actual Aboriginal culture of Australia. A lack of opportunity for ethnically diverse Australian groups would create angst and dissatisfaction among the people. Inclusiveness of cultural diversity would promote the voices which were previously not heard. Cultural diversity means giving value to the alternative voices. The egalitarian spirit of portraying diverse culture must make its way to the television screen (Dixson 2015). Then only can it percolate into the society. Inclusiveness must find its way to the mainstream channels. State-funded broadcasters like the ABC and the SBS must broadcast more shows like the Legally Brown and Black Comedy. Legally Brown is a show based on a sketch comedy by Nazeem Hussain. It focuses on the perception that whites have of the people of color (YouTube, 2016). On the other hand, Black Comedy is a show develo ped and performed by Indigenous Australians. Both the shows are widely different from what is shown to audiences on prime time television screens by commercial networks (ABC Television, 2016). The other is given a voice in these niche programs. The Australians are unaccustomed to hear such voices with so much of assertiveness. This makes the shows confronting. Media platforms must support such views and present them before the Australian audience more regularly and more efficiently. Moreover, they must be aired at prime time so that the shows can reach a wider audience and create a greater impact. Such television programs are a great opportunity for the indigenous Australians who are otherwise not given any chance to show their creative skills and enhance their talent. I feel that the strategy of cultural inclusiveness would support the voices and needs of people from myriad cultures. It would give value to the unique contribution that the Aborigines make in society. Awareness, compromise, and negotiations must be inculcated to add to the value of the indigenous Australians. The society must support people from diverse cultures. This would help in a better understanding of social, academic, and administrative culture. Mostly, it is essential to regard cross-cultural and multicultural interaction for it is an opportunity for everyone to learn. The interaction between the whites and the colored people would enhance communication in society as well. It would reduce and close the gap in society and further help the Aborigines to live life with a better experience. Giving voice to the other' and centralizing them in the society would reduce the unemployment rates thereby improving their mental and physical health conditions. The colored Australians woul d be able to educate their children and thus create better employment opportunities for the generations yet to come (Ng and Metz 2015). The media is a crucial vehicle that can make a positive impact on the people in society. It can contribute a lot to fight against ethnic and racial discrimination, and against intolerance as media can foster within people a culture of understanding between different cultural, religious, and ethnic groups. Television channels and media are a medium to implement the freedom of expression. Television channels like SBS and NITV can conduct chat shows. Reporting facts and incidents appropriately and sensitively would contribute a lot to reduce tension between groups and communities of different ethnic and racial groups. Documentaries on channels like SBS must be broadcast. For instance, the documentary Immigration Nation talks about various immigration stories of people. Showrunners thus play a significant role in creating diversity. This would, in turn, promote cultural diversity as such media outlets would develop communication, address differences, increase choices, and provide an oppo rtunity to express multicultural dialogues. Individuals and representatives must be given the opportunity to voice their ideas, culture, and knowledge in their language (Dixson 2015). Television programs must provide subtitles for ethnic programs so that everyone can enjoy and get a scope for appreciation. It would also lead to the development of the Australian society. The government must make special provisions to present multicultural minority programs. Moreover, it is the responsibility of the government to ensure a fair presentation of a group or race. Programs must reflect the countrys cultural diversity instead of portraying just a section of society. Channels must conduct independent reviews of the practices in media. Strategies and policies must be developed to cope up with the existing issues. A deeper understanding of multiculturalism would surely help people to accept the cultural diversity that exists within the nation. References ABC Television. 2016.Black Comedy. [online] Available at https://www.abc.net.au/tv/programs/black-comedy/ [Accessed 7 Sep. 2016]. ABC Television. 2016.The Beautiful Lie. [online] Available at: https://www.abc.net.au/tv/programs/beautiful-lie/ [Accessed 7 Sep. 2016]. Biddle, N. and Swee, H., 2012. The relationship between wellbeing and Indigenous land, language and culture in Australia.Australian Geographer,43(3), pp.215-232. Dixson, M., 2015. Identity in Australia: Issues and Strategies for the Early to Mid Twenty-First Century.Australian Studies,8. Griffiths, A., 2013.Wondrous difference: Cinema, anthropology, and turn-of-the-century visual culture. Columbia University Press. Hughey, M.W., 2013. Whiteness And Social Change: Remnant Colonialisms And White Civility In Australia And Canada. Ethnic and Racial Studies,36(6), pp.1110-1110. Jacobs, K., 2016.Experience and representation: contemporary perspectives on migration in Australia.Routledge. Moran, R.T., Abramson, N.R. and Moran, S.V., 2014.Managing cultural differences. Routledge. Ng, E.S. and Metz, I., 2015. Multiculturalism as a strategy for national competitiveness: The case for Canada and Australia.Journal of Business Ethics,128(2), pp.253-266. Programs. 2016.Watch The Family Law, based on the best-selling book by Benjamin Law. [online] Available at: https://www.sbs.com.au/programs/the-family-law [Accessed 7 Sep. 2016]. Spencer, S., 2014.Race and ethnicity: Culture, identity and representation. Routledge. Van Dijck, J. and Poell, T., 2015. Making public television social? Public service broadcasting and the challenges of social media.Television New Media,16(2), pp.148-164. YouTube. 2016.Channel Nine - Here Come The Habibs Promo (2016). [online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZr7gMG13wQ [Accessed 7 Sep. 2016]. YouTube. 2016.Legally Brown. [online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/user/legallybrownsbs [Accessed 7 Sep. 2016].