Independent Multicultural Media Australia (IMMA) is calling on the NSW government and the Opposition to support independent multicultural media with a resilience and digital transformation fund.
Federal and state governments have spent over $100 million in support to regional and mainstream media over the last five years.
Although IMMA supports efforts to bolster local and national media, the sustainability of the independent multicultural media ecology remains at risk in NSW due to insufficient government support.
Multicultural media is critical for providing information and acting as a platform for multicultural communities. IMMA members are a trusted source of culturally relevant and targeted information and connection for those communities.
Communication with multicultural communities is effective when provided in culturally, faith and linguistically specific ways from trusted sources embedded in the communities they serve.
And yet, the ability of independent multicultural media to continue to do public interest journalism for communities is under threat.
Independent multicultural media organisations in print, radio, broadcast and online have experienced enormous challenges as tech giants and digital disruption encroach on our traditional revenue streams.
Print prices alone have increased by 50 percent since last year and costs keep augmenting as incomes continue to decline in media spend, specifically on government messaging.
The COVID crisis brought to light the importance of independent multicultural media in communicating to diverse communities. We communicated COVID-Safe information with integrity, authority, and in the nuanced voice our members understand.
Funds have been allocated to regional and mainstream media over the years, whilst governments also spent big on mainstream campaigns and big tech platforms during COVID, without prioritising independent multicultural media and often at great detriment to multicultural communities and the wider Australian community.
In June 2022, the NSW Government announced a $28 million package to support whole-of-Government Language Services.
Today, the NSW Liberal government also announced it will double the proportion of mandatory advertising spend for government departments to better communicate with diverse communities from 7.5 percent to 15 percent.
Whilst members of IMMA welcome this recent announcement, there are still concerns around the allocated spend reaching media outlets.
“We welcome that the government has finally recognised independent multicultural media,” Julius Larobina, the publisher of Il Globo, La Fiamma, Niche Radio Network and Il Globo TV, said.
“The 15 percent is a great milestone and recognises the role we play in public interest journalism. We look forward to further policy clarification that ensures spending actually goes to independent media outlets.”
For years now, government messaging has been pushed through government departments and language services – not always in a timely matter – rather than providing direct financial support to independent multicultural media to continue to provide their own in-language information.
IMMA calls on the NSW government and the Opposition to commit to supporting a diverse media landscape with a sustainability and digital transformation fund as it has with the current $3 million Regional Media Fund.
“We are not just media outlets, but institutions. We are trusted and valued as a voice of and for our communities. Our platforms continue to deliver government messages or announcements relevant to our communities using our resources with reduced support being provided in return,” Dimitra Skalkos, publisher of The Greek Herald, said.
“It’s not just about language. Even when produced in English, the language reflects the tenor of culturally diverse Australians.”
Fotis Kapetopoulos, the Secretary of IMMA, explained: “Our audiences account for 40 percent of Australians, up to 5 million every month and they are intergenerational audiences – we talk to individuals, to families, and to communities, we ignite word of mouth.”
“IMMA was formed to advocate for effective government communications and for the advertising allocation set by all governments for independent multicultural media to be spent on independent multicultural media,” Mr Kapetopoulos added.
Wendy Huang, the publisher of the Chinese Herald, emphasised: “We are important to the whole media ecology, many of us are family businesses, that employ professional and emerging journalists and our role is essential in a democratic society.”
“I’ve reiterated to both parties that not only are we the trusted source and the voice of our Chinese Asian Communities, we are also the bridge between the government and the communities,” Keith Tan, publisher of the Australian Chinese Daily, concluded.
