Does_the_Media_Fail_Aboriginal_Political_Aspiratio..._----_(From_recognition_to_reform_the_Uluru_Statement_from_the_Heart)

Introduction

• The Uluru Statement from the Heart (2017): A significant moment in Australian political history.

  • Represents a pan-Aboriginal policy position derived from consensus.

  • Aims to assert Aboriginal political aspirations framed in terms of reform and accommodation to settler colonial state.

• Media control: Aboriginal people had a role in shaping the media narrative, ensuring it reflected their worlds, hopes, and sentiments.

• Unique nature of the Uluru Statement: Addressed to the Australian people, rather than government representatives.

Deeper Context

• Constitutional Recognition:

  • Definition: Term used to discuss obligations owed to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples by the settler state.

  • Emerged during Howard government's early years; initial proposal (1999) for a symbolic constitutional preamble failed in referendum.

  • Post-2010: Continuous commitment by successive governments for constitutional recognition.

• Aboriginal political exclusion: Aboriginal people were excluded from the modern nation until the 1967 referendum.

  • Policy debates over years: Focus on Aboriginal recognition within the nation state, leading to calls for sovereignty and treaties.

Key Policy Shifts

• Evolution of Aboriginal Affairs Policy (last 50 years):

  • Two key shifts identified by political scientist Will Sanders (2018):

    1. Adoption of self-determination in the 1970s.

    2. Transition away from statutory authority (ATSIC) post-2005 towards competitive contractualism and welfare reform.

• Diminishing Aboriginal input in policy: By 2013, Aboriginal voice reduced to an advisory council handpicked by the Prime Minister.

• Constitutional change: Seen by Aboriginal peoples as a strategy to re-establish rightful relations with the Australian state.

Historical Context Leading to the Uluru Statement

• Review of historical moments: How governments have engaged with Aboriginal rights.

• Renewed momentum after the 2010 Gillard government created the Expert Panel for Aboriginal Recognition in the Constitution.

  • Panel's mandate: Explore pathways for constitutional change and referendum support.

  • Final report (2012): Proposed various ways of recognition, including preambles, statements, and anti-discrimination clauses.

• Recognise campaign: Launched to increase public awareness and support for a referendum.

The Referendum Council's Role

• Conducted regional dialogues for consensus-driven proposals among Aboriginal people regarding constitutional reform.

• Highlights:

  • Diverse representation of Aboriginal communities included.

  • Conference culminated in the Uluru Statement: Central reforms articulated as ‘Voice, Treaty, Truth.’

  • Historical resonance: “In 1967 we were counted, in 2017 we seek to be heard.”

Reception and Media Analysis of the Uluru Statement

• Examination of newspaper articles from major Australian media outlets concerning the Uluru Statement.

• Notable Media Responses:

  • The Australian (AUS1): Initial opposition to proposals from liberal voice, framing constitutional recognition as a mistake.

  • The Sydney Morning Herald (SMH1): Focus on personal narratives and historical context, showing enduring struggle and the pursuit of recognition for Aboriginal people.

  • The Daily Telegraph (DT1): Contrasts past successes and ongoing challenges facing Aboriginal communities, framing optimism in future recognition efforts.

  • Overall, significant variation in how the media portrays Aboriginal voices and aspirations, reflecting broader societal attitudes toward Aboriginal issues.

Findings and Conclusion

• Media coverage during the Uluru Statement marks a rare opportunity where Aboriginal people effectively shaped discourse.

• Coverage varied significantly between outlets:

  • The Sydney Morning Herald: Emphasizes continuity of Aboriginal presence and identity in Australian society.

  • The Australian: Affirms reform while adhering to a conservative liberal philosophy; prioritizes existing power structures.

• Impact of Uluru Statement on Australian media landscape: Indication of both progress and the challenges that remain in acknowledging Aboriginal political aspirations.