Constructions of multiculturalism, voice and identity in news media representations during Australia Day 2016

Abstract: The national day of Australia is Australia Day; a contentious public holiday that sparks a national debate on identity and multiculturalism every year. There are many different narratives that make up the Australian story, which encapsulates Australia’s diverse and multicultural history. Media plays a pivotal role in the representation of the national narrative; however, evidence of systemic power and bad media power has affected the diversity of representation in 2016. This thesis will critically investigate multiculturalism and identity in news media representation during the Australia Day period.

A contemporary crisis of voice highlights how news media favours the voice of Anglo-Australians over other ethnicities. The representation of minority voices provides a fruitful analysis for the current state of Australian multiculturalism. The public debates that will make up this analysis includes: Invasion Day, the republic debate, identity, voice and the possibility of changing the date of Australia Day. A culmination of these narratives represents Australia in 2016. Key questions asked throughout this study includes: the role of voice and ethnicity in new media representations of Australia Day, how representation differs between news formats, and the impact of media ownership on the national narrative. The following analysis will explore the discourses used by the Australian news media during the Australia Day period. This includes the lead up to this day, during and directly after the event. This study uses qualitative content analysis to analyse articles from a range of newspapers, and political economy to analyse the historical, economic and political context behind these issues. The aim is to provide the reader with an insight into the construction of Australian multiculturalism and identity.

The findings show that even though the aim of the National Australia Day Council is to promote equal recognition of social diversity (NADC 2015), news media representations of multiculturalism and identity highlight constructions of racism. Furthermore, that media ownership is shaping the discussion of political issues to favour elites over the views of the general public.