The Federal Minister for Multicultural Affairs Gary Hardgrave has written to ethnic community broadcasters warning them of their responsibilities to avoid program content which incites “racial violence and hatred”.

His letter, sent to ethnic broadcasters, says: “Freedom of speech is a powerful right and an integral part of Australian democracy… However, there is a corresponding responsibility, especially for the media, not to abuse this power by inciting hatred or violence. The responsibility is perhaps even greater for ethnic and community media organisations, which are often uniquely trusted by their communities to summarise and interpret events in Australia and across the world.”

The recent Ethnic Broadcasters conference in Adelaide covered the topic of reporting refugees and asylum seekers in detail and most ethnic broadcasters are aware of the issues surrounding such coverage, so the letter came as a surprise to many in the ethnic broadcasting sector.

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week’s forum.

The text of the letter reads:

Message to Ethnic and Multicultural Broadcasters

I am writing to you in your role as a member of Australia’s ethnic and community media. As such, you provide an important servuice, not only to your direct audience but to the communities [that] are part of the whole country. Thank you for your ongoing contribution to Australian multiculturalism.

Recent events, especially the terrorist attacks in America in September 2001 and in Bali in October 2002, have changed the way we see ourselves and our world. Security issues and Australia’s role in the wider world have both emerged as issues of concern for all of us.

As you are no doubt aware, the Government is doing everything it can to make us safe at home. It is also co-operating in international anti-terrorism initiatives. But where personal security is an issue and where tragedy has already touched many lives, emotions will run high. There have already been acts of violence and vilification directed at fellow Australians and their communities.

Freedom of speech is a powerful right, and an integral part of Australian democracy. However, there is a corresponding responsibility, especially for the media, not to abuse this power by inciting hatred or violence. This responsibility is eprhaps even greater for ethnic and community media organisations, which are often uniquely trusted by their communities to summarise and interpret events in Australia and across the world.

In this role, you are important community leaders. You are ideally placed to moderate and resolve the anger that may emerge in times of stress, and to direct productive debate on the issues we need to focus on. I hope you will accept this challenge: to use your hearts and minds, as well as your infleuence, to rise to the defence of our community harmony and contribute productively to our future.

As a simple example, let me draw your attention to Harmony Day, whcih is celebrated on 21 March every year. It provides an opportunity for Australians to think about our community’s success as a multicultural society, to re-commit to continuing respect, goodwill and understanding between Australians of all backgrounds, and to say no to racism. You may want to cinsider how you can promote Harmony Day in the lead up to March 2003. For more information, see www.immi.gov.au/multicultural/harmonyday.

As well as you role within Australia, ethnic and community media often have an ambassadorial role in depicting Australia for overseas audiences. It may be easy to be heard if the message focuses on and amplifies negative pictures of life in Australia, such as injustices or dangers to your communities. I hope you will resist the temptation to exaggerate such stories and remember also to tell the good news stories about our considerable democratic freedoms and thje resilience of community harmony.

We are more than separate communities, coincidentally sharing the same geographical location. We are Australians together, sharing a future together. I ask you to respect the spirit of inclusiveness that underwrites Australian multiculturalism, and to reflect in your work a belonging and loyalty to not just your own communities, but the wider Australian community too.

I commend you on your work as a voice of multicultural Australia. In these challenging times, I look forward to your continuing contribution to protecting the society that we have built together, and to attaining all that the future promises.

Yours sincerely,
Gary Hardgrave, Minister for Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs

Speaking to John Jost on 3AK, Minister Hardgraves had this discussion:

JOST: Ethnic community broadcasters have been warned to be careful about how they exercise their freedom of speech. The warning comes from Federal Multicultural Affairs Minister, Gary Hardgrave, and he says that ethnic broadcasters have a greater responsibility than the mainstream media to avoid broadcasting reports that incite, quote, ‘racial violence and hatred’. Gary Hardgrave’s is on the line now. Thanks very much for joining us, Minister.

GARY HARDGRAVE: John, great to talk to you.

JOST: Gary, I did read a report by I think it was in the Sunday Age a few weeks ago about the Islamic Youth website cautioning Muslims about sharing Christmas celebrations with Christians because it would have made them idolaters. Is this the sort of thing you’re talking about?

GARY HARDGRAVE: I mean that particular example in itself was rejected by the senior members of the Islamic community, because they all know Christmas is here to stay and want to see Australians of all backgrounds coming together. And Christmas is one of the great times when we do all come together.

But, look, at the end of it I’m concerned about the potential – and there’s anecdotal suggestions that it has occurred on a number of occasions – where material that’s sourced from overseas has been rebroadcast in Australia without Australian editorial standards being applied. It’s not a problem in the mainstream media because, well, many of the media outlets themselves have overseas-based journalists who are again applying the Australian editorial standards looking for the sense of variety of views being expressed that it’s not just one opinion that prevails. There is at least a plurality in the public debate broadcast by that station.

But in some of the cases of some of these small ethnic broadcasters – and bear in mind that while there are not 2500 frequencies being used around Australia – there are 2500 different community-based broadcasting associations. And some of them may only get one hour of radio power a week to broadcast their message. It’s very zealously guarded the time that’s used. And occasionally I hear that it’s simply rebroadcasting material that’s come from another country in the form of, essentially, propaganda of another government. And it’s not exactly ideal what they’re saying…

JOST: Can you give me an example of that?

GARY HARDGRAVE: Well, I don’t want to give specific examples.

JOST: I know you don’t, but I’d like to hear it.

GARY HARDGRAVE: But I know that the ABA have got the authority to look into these things, and they have from time to time. And again it’s anecdotal. And I know of one occasion, in the last few months, when it’s been forward it’s simply been a different part of a particular community felt that they should have had access to the airwaves not the particular part that did. And so they were highly critical of the material broadcast.

But you’ve got to remember that we have a free press operating in Australia. And it’s not true in too many other countries around the world. And so when you see and read things in newspapers and hear things on radio and see on television in other countries, you often find that understandably people see that as the government’s word.

And we have people in our community who are still so short in their experience in Australia, and are gaining it, that when they see and read things in the newspapers, hear it on radio and see it on television, they don’t believe – or they don’t recognise that we have this plurality of debate. That we have a variety of opinions being expressed and some you’ll disagree with and some you’ll agree with.

JOST: Aren’t you going to confuse the picture to tell them to watch what they’re saying though? Because really it’s…

GARY HARDGRAVE: Well, what I’m trying to do is to ask them – not to tell them what to say, that’s the last thing I want to do. The one thing I am trying to say to them is apply an Australian sense of a range of voices; apply the Australian sense of a fair go and a variety of views being expressed and don’t just simply allow your program to become dominated by one viewpoint when you’re broadcasting.

JOST: Do you believe in multiculturalism?

GARY HARDGRAVE: Well, I do because essentially your culture is what’s in your heart. Your culture is what’s so important to your parents, they pass it onto you. And, equally, what’s so important to you you’ll pass on to your children. Your culture evolves over time and in Australia we don’t have one culture that’s operating, although we have a dominant culture. But we have a range of cultures and each are worthy of respect.

But, John, at the same time each are worthy to challenge. To say what are you contributing to the whole. And that’s what multiculturalism does allow us to do in this country. We can say, ‘Well, look, we respect the fact that you’ve got a different set of values and experiences, but how are you going to apply them to Australia? And what good are you going to do for Australia?’ And that I think is the great bonus that we get as a society, because out of that respect tends to come understanding and, I believe, great progress.

JOST: Well, I notice that Abdu Marlak [phonetic] is reported in The Australian – the same report that covered you for your story – he said that some parts of the mainstream media are just as prone to sensationalist elements as the ethnic media. And I think that’s probably true. I mean I thought the Australian press was pathetic covering The Tampa. They didn’t follow up. They didn’t make any inquiries. And people criticise the public servants for misleading the politicians or whatever happened, but the fact is that the journalists didn’t cover it. In fact I think the press is getting pretty weak.

There’s a, it seems to me, that some of the newspapers – some of our papers are getting very conservative and sort of – well, it’s not a very catholic coverage. You know, the actual reporting that goes on now is opinion laced, et cetera et cetera. So maybe, you know, these people feel a terrible sense of siege when they read the press, the Australian press, or watch Australian television or cable, especially if they get their message – you know, when you’re looking at the American cable networks that come over here it’s almost a litany of hate towards the Middle East.

GARY HARDGRAVE: Well, look, again I think at the end of the day it’s important to know there are a range of voices in the community. Some people will automatically agree with and others people will not. And when you’re experienced in Australia you can sort those things out. And public debate can ensue. But what is not the case for those who are less experienced in Australia is that they can’t automatically analyse that there will be a range of opinions and some you’ll disagree with.

And Abdu Malak I have high regard for and his expression of hurt in those comments in the Weekend Australian were based on the simple fact that there were a lot of people in parts of Sydney in particular who felt awfully typecast over things that occurred there last year. Horrendous crimes that took place. The courts dealt with them and people have been treated equally before the law.

But at the end of it, a whole part of the Sydney community, a law-abiding contributive part of the Sydney community were being lumped in to the same bowl, if you like, as these crooks. Because these little thugs decided that they’d use their ethnicity, and indeed their religion, as some sort of pathetic excuse for a heinous crimes. It didn’t wash in the courts: it shouldn’t wash in the public debate either.

JOST: Well, look, thanks for talking to me today.