Much has been written about the longstanding failings of the Australian media in its reportage of Indigenous affairs.

The most recent example is the Indigenous Voice to Parliament referendum. Research shows journalists were unable to articulate to voters what they were voting for. It also shows journalists failed to counter misinformation and were ill-equipped to report on the issue themselves.

To better understand what the media was getting right and wrong, we brought together a mix of Indigenous and non-Indigenous journalists, media professionals, journalism academics and students. We wanted to explore how journalism education and practice could be “unlearned”.

Our new paper, published in the journal Journalism, reports on seven key themes that emerged from these workshops.

These issues aren’t new. The Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody noted back in the early 90s that:

Racial stereotyping and racism in the media is institutional, not individual.

Racism, the commissioner observed, results from news values, editorial policies, and routines that fit “existing definitions of the situation.”

Pressure on the media to get it right has only grown in recent years.

Australia’s multicultural broadcaster, SBS, faced a recent “racial reckoning” after claims of racist treatment of Indigenous reporters. And an ABC workplace........

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