11 August 2017

Where's the reflection?

Mia Li explores the diversity in the Australian media and film industry.
Anyone only needs to turn on Australian TVespecially commercial TV, though public broadcasters
arent immune eitherto see a whole lot of all-white casts and all-white discussion panels. Which is
weird, considering we live in one of the most multicultural nations in the world, where one in five speak
languages other than English, one in four are originally migrants and nearly half of us have at least one
parent born overseas.

~ Benjamin Law, Australian author and journalist

Australia is very diverse but, can we always see that? The lack of diversity in media and film
insitutions, such as TV and film companies, has been an issue for decades in Australia, but despite a
lot of discussion, nothing's really changed.

According to Screen Australias Sue Maslin, in the 80s, 270

films were made. 45 had a female protagonist mostly hugely
stereotyped and of those 270 films made, 249 were directed
by men meaning, only 7% were by women. Today, looking at
2009-2014, 203 films were made and yet, there were still only
48 women as protagonists 1 2 3. Take a look at the images
(Figure 1 and 2) and there's no denying the fact that women
are still very much largely underrepresented. Only 16% of
directors in Australia are women and less than a quarter of
Australian films feature females 4.

However, despite the lack of diversity, business is strong

when there is actually diversity in films. Feature films
with a 50% diverse cast are better performers at the box
office 5. For example, the Australian TV series Miss Fishers
Figure 1: Women working in key creative roles
Murder Mysteries has been highly successful and even (Screen Australia, 2015)
bought overseas because audiences want strong female

1
Panel Screen Culture, Identity and Diversity in Screen at Screen Futures Conference 2016
2
See Figure 1, highlights the problem of the lack of women in the film industry
3
Read more about women in the Australian screen industry here:
https://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/getmedia/f20beab8-81cc-4499-92e9-02afba18c438/Gender-Matters-
Women-in-the-Australian-Screen-Industry.pdf?ext=.pdf
4
Some more information about women in the Australian screen industry here:
https://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/getmedia/f20beab8-81cc-4499-92e9-02afba18c438/Gender-Matters-
Women-in-the-Australian-Screen-Industry.pdf?ext=.pdf
5
George, S. (2016) Part 3: Producer Fiona Eagger on Miss Fishers Murder Mysteries Retrieved on 2 August
2017 from: https://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/sa/screen-news/2016/06-28-tv-drama
 11 August 2017

leads, say producers Deb Cox and Fiona

Eagger 6. Featuring actress Essie Davis as the
protagonist, Miss Fisher has been a
worldwide hit, broadcasted in 120 countries
and bought by Netflix 7. Do we need any more
proof that there actually is an audience for
diversity?

The growing audience demographic in

Australia is 35+ women and there are massive
opportunities to grow profits in the industry 8
and thus, content will need to be relevant to
audiences and be told by people that actually
represent society 9. Then why are women still
so largely unrepresented? People will abandon Figure 2 Women currently in film (Screen Australia @ Screen
Futures, 2016)
Australias film and television industry if they
don't see a change where their own experience
is reflected.

Furthermore, Australia is also very diverse in

terms of culture and probably one of the most
multicultural countries in the world with nearly
half the population being migrants or with at
least one parent from overseas 10. Looking at
the stats (Figure 3), Australias media doesn't
really look like Australia. According to a report
made by Screen Australia, the cultural
diversity of the Australian population is not
Figure 3 Cultural backgrounds compared to the Australian population
currently reflected in the main character in TV (Screen Australia, 2016)
dramas therefore, there is no doubt that the
Australian population is largely misrepresented in the media.

6
George, S. (2016) Part 3: Producer Fiona Eagger on Miss Fishers Murder Mysteries Retrieved on 2 August
2017 from: https://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/sa/screen-news/2016/06-28-tv-drama-abroad/part-3-fiona-
eagger-miss-fishers-murder-mysteries
7
Bowden, E. (2016) ABCs Miss Fishers Murder Mysteries set to become an action movie trilogy Retrieved on
2 August 2017 from: http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/drama/abcs-miss-fishers-murder-
mysteries-set-to-become-an-action-movie-trilogy-20161116-gsr3sa.html).
8
Panel Screen Culture, Identity and Diversity in Screen at Screen Futures Conference 2016
9
Common to many TV and media companies, there is nowhere near half of a management team of women.
Read more here: https://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/getmedia/f20beab8-81cc-4499-92e9-
02afba18c438/Gender-Matters-Women-in-the-Australian-Screen-Industry.pdf?ext=.pdf
10
Hunt, E. (27 June 2017) Barely half of population born in Australia to Australian-born parents The Guardian
Retrieved on 30 July 2017 from: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/jun/27/australia-reaches-
tipping-point-with-quarter-of-population-born-overseas
 11 August 2017

Even though the media seems to produce this image that the ordinary Australian is an Anglo-Celtic
male, what is seen as an ordinary person in Australian society actually only makes up 5,782
Australians11 out of a population of 24 million12. The industry is shockingly monocultural and male
dominant with 75% of radio broadcast presenters being male, Caucasian and over 3513.

Taking a look at the facts we can see that the Australian media and film industry is facing a major
issue. It's lacking in diversity. Just looking at the numbers, its unsurprisng that Australians dont
even expect to feel represented anymore. Nonetheless, the media that does reflect our diverse
society experiences huge successes. The hugely successful award-winning first season of the TV
show The Family Law 14, was the first time an Australian TV show focused on a Chinese-Australian
family 15 and garnered a massive 1.1 million views on Facebook when it premiered and was the
highest viewed program on SBS On Demand 16.

Given that Australian media is clearly not diverse at all, there is the danger of audiences losing
interest in the medias content. They will turn to other sources that better represent themselves and
reflect their interests. And where better to find that than the internet. The internet is now so
versatile that online mediated space has plenty of opportunities for growth in attracting many
consumers. As this crazy and diverse space grows, so will the audiences departing traditional media
platforms, such as TV stations in Australia. Like many others, Donna Byrd, a publisher of
TheRoot.com says if I see a panel on Sunday morning political chat shows with mostly white men,
I'll turn the channel 17. It's so obvious that people are no longer interested in traditional media
institutions as seen by the declining number of viewers across many TV platforms 18 and when you
see who is behind those multi-million dollar companies I'm not surprised. In the ABC, which is
supposed to be Australias broadcasting channel, the board and senior executive team has no one
from a culturally diverse background. Just 7% of its content makers are from non-English speaking

11
Scott, N. and Ting, I. (2017) Census quiz: Are you an ordinary Australian? Retrieved on 7 August 2017 from:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-08-05/are-you-an-ordinary-australian-census-quiz/8776272
12
Australian Bureau of Statistics (2017) Population clock Retrieved on 10 August 2017 from:
http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs%40.nsf/94713ad445ff1425ca25682000192af2/1647509ef7e25faaca2568a
900154b63?OpenDocument
13
Jakubowicz, A. et al. (23 August 2016) Shock horror: the big end of town has finally discovered Australias
media is a whitewash The Conversation. Retrieved on 28 July 2017 from: https://theconversation.com/shock-
horror-the-big-end-of-town-has-finally-discovered-australias-media-is-a-whitewash-63809
14
Knox, D. (2017) Returning: The Family Law Retrieved on 8 August 2017 from:
http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2017/05/returning-the-family-law.html
15
Stephens, J. (2017) The Family Law is the one Australian TV show everyone should be watching right now.
Retrieved on 8 August 2017 from: http://www.mamamia.com.au/the-family-law-season-2/
16
Pedestrian TV (2016) Benjamin Laws The Family Law; Will Be Back On SBS With 2nd Season In 2017
Retrieved on 8 August 2017 from https://www.pedestrian.tv/entertainment/benjamin-laws-the-family-law-
will-be-back-on-sbs-with-2nd-season-in-2017/
17
Shepard, A. (2016) Wheres the diversity in media? How newsrooms fail to reflect America and why it
matters Retrieved on 29 July 2017 from: http://www.salon.com/2016/08/28/wheres-the-diversity-in-media-
how-newsrooms-fail-to-reflect-america-and-why-it-matters_partner/
18
White, D. (18 April 2016) TV audiences tumble as Netflix effect kicks in Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved
on 8 August 2017 from: http://www.smh.com.au/business/media-and-marketing/tv-audiences-tumble-as-
netflix-effect-kicks-in-20160413-go5jev.html
 11 August 2017

background whereas the whole country has 15%.19 Companies can't make content to attract diverse
audiences when people in their own team aren't even diverse.

Even when we look at media on a global scale, out of the top 18 most popular YouTubers in 2017,
only two were women and one was racially not white 20. Again, this shows the major disparity
between different ethnicities, cultures , men and women in media representations 21.

Institutions like YouTube can in the end support diversity as well. It is an easily accessible platform
where anyone can share their content and if women and people with a diverse background are
willing, it can be a tool to help budding media producers. An institution like YouTube can then
introduce more diversity to media by actually providing a place to get started, unencumbered by
Boards of Directors and other constraining institutions. Just take a look at the highly popular
Australian web series, Starting from Now and you can see it is possible to increase the diversity.
With over 30 million views around the world, Starting from Now series started airing online,
focusing on the diverse stories of LGBTI women and was eventually even broadcasted on SBS 2223,
proving that a diverse range of people can enter the media.

There is no denying that diversity is important in the media. In fact, there is a very large market for
it, so why arent we heading in that direction? Theres this huge institution called online mediated
space and it has massive potential. Diverse content creators and audiences can flock to it and
basically have no bounds in what they can do and can find content that is actually relevant and
reflect their own interest. If media companies want to stay in business, they really ought to
represent Australia. Otherwise, why would Australians watch it then?

So how can we create more diversity in the Australian media? Major institutions such as Screen
Australia are already supporting female and this should definitely continue. Furthermore, current
production teams and media management teams should be more reflective of Australia in terms of
gender and cultural diversity. Companies need to set specific diversity target goals. For example to
have 50% of the production and management team to be female by 2025 and backing content that
reflect and focuses on women and cultures. In order to interest and continue to be relevant to
Australian audiences, diversity has to be seen in the institutions. These goals are not impossible and
unreasonable and already Screen Australia has taken a step forward to look into the issue of the
lack of diversity in Australian media24 25.

19
Faruqi, O, 2016 Media and Diversity Retrieved on 1 August 2017 from:
https://meanjin.com.au/essays/media-and-diversity-in-australia/
20
McAlone, N. (2017) These are the 18 most popular YouTube stars in the world and some are making
millions Retrieved on 10 August 2017 from: http://www.businessinsider.com/most-popular-youtuber-stars-
salaries-2017//?r=AU&IR=T#no-18-epic-rap-battles-erb-142-million-subscribers-1
21
BuzzFeeds Eugene Lee Yang never realised he could have a career in film because I didnt see many Asians
on screen, so I had no idea that I could even be a part of it. See more: http://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-
america/buzzfeed-s-eugene-lee-yang-authenticity-try-guys-embracing-your-n623076
22
Starting From Now (n.d.) Starting From Now Retrieved on 9 August 2017 from:
http://www.startingfromnowtv.com/
23
Cassar, J. (2016) Starting fromNow! ss coming to SBS 2 Retrieved on 9 August 2017 from:
http://www.sbs.com.au/guide/article/2016/02/18/starting-now-coming-sbs-2
24
Screen Australia (2015) Gender Matters: Women in the Australian Screen Industry Retrieved on 2
 11 August 2017

It is unacceptable for the Australian media to not reflect Australia at all. For Australian media
institutions to continue thriving, both people on and behind the screen need to be diverse in gender
and culture in order to attract and be relevant to audiences. Genuine Australians need to be there to
share their stories.

August 2017 from: https://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/getmedia/f20beab8-81cc-4499-92e9-

02afba18c438/Gender-Matters-Women-in-the-Australian-Screen-Industry.pdf?ext=.pdf
25
Screen Australia (2016) Seeing ourselves: Reflections on diversity in Australian TV drama
Retrieved on 6 August 2017 from: https://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/getmedia/157b05b4-255a-
47b4-bd8b-9f715555fb44/TV-Drama-Diversity.pdf
 11 August 2017

Reference List

Australian Bureau of Statistics (2017) Population clock Retrieved on 10 August 2017 from:
http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs%40.nsf/94713ad445ff1425ca25682000192af2/1647509ef7e25fa
aca2568a900154b63?OpenDocument

Bowden, E. (2016) ABCs Miss Fishers Murder Mysteries set to become an action movie trilogy
Retrieved on 2 August 2017 from: http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/drama/abcs-
miss-fishers-murder- mysteries-set-to-become-an-action-movie-trilogy-20161116-gsr3sa.html).

Cassar, J. (2016) Starting fromNow! is coming to SBS 2 Retrieved on 9 August 2017

from: http://www.sbs.com.au/guide/article/2016/02/18/starting-now-coming-sbs-2

Faruqi, O, 2016 Media and Diversity Retrieved on 1 August 2017 from:

https://meanjin.com.au/essays/media-and-diversity-in-australia/

George, S. (2016) Part 3: Producer Fiona Eagger on Miss Fishers Murder Mysteries Retrieved on 2
August 2017 from: https://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/sa/screen-news/2016/06-28-tv-drama-
abroad/part-3-fiona-eagger-miss-fishers-murder-mysteries

Hunt, E. (27 June 2017) Barely half of population born in Australia to Australian-born parents The Guardian
Retrieved on 30 July 2017 from: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/jun/27/australia-
reaches-tipping-point-with-quarter-of-population-born-overseas

Jakubowicz, A. et al. (23 August 2016) Shock horror: the big end of town has finally discovered
Australias media is a whitewash The Conversation. Retrieved on 28 July 2017 from:
https://theconversation.com/shock-horror-the-big-end-of-town-has-finally-discovered-australias-
media-is-a-whitewash-63809

Knox, D. (2017) Returning: The Family Law Retrieved on 8 August 2017 from:
http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2017/05/returning-the-family-law.html

McAlone, N. (2017) These are the 18 most popular YouTube stars in the world and some are
making millions Retrieved on 10 August 2017 from: http://www.businessinsider.com/most-popular-
youtuber-stars-salaries-2017//?r=AU&IR=T#no-18-epic-rap-battles-erb-142-million-subscribers-1

NBC News (2016) BuzzFeeds Eugene Lee Yang On Authenticity, Try Guys, and Embracing Your
Asian-ness Retrieved on 8 August 2017 from http://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-
america/buzzfeed-s-eugene-lee-yang-authenticity-try-guys-embracing-your-n623076

Panel Screen Culture, Identity and Diversity in Screen at Screen Futures Conference 2016

Pedestrian TV (2016) Benjamin Laws The Family Law; Will Be Back On SBS With 2nd Season In
2017 Retrieved on 8 August 2017 from https://www.pedestrian.tv/entertainment/benjamin-laws-the-
family-law-will-be-back-on-sbs-with-2nd-season-in-2017/

Scott, N. and Ting, I. (2017) Census quiz: Are you an ordinary Australian? Retrieved on 7 August
 11 August 2017

2017 from: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-08-05/are-you-an-ordinary-australian-census-

quiz/8776272

Screen Australia (2015) Gender Matters: Women in the Australian Screen Industry Retrieved on 2
August 2017 from: https://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/getmedia/f20beab8-81cc-4499-92e9-
02afba18c438/Gender-Matters-Women-in-the-Australian-Screen-Industry.pdf?ext=.pdf

Screen Australia (2016) Seeing ourselves: Reflections on diversity in Australian TV drama

Retrieved on 6 August 2017 from: https://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/getmedia/157b05b4-255a-
47b4-bd8b-9f715555fb44/TV-Drama-Diversity.pdf

Shepard, A. (2016) Wheres the diversity in media? How newsrooms fail to reflect America and why
it matters Retrieved on 29 July 2017 from: http://www.salon.com/2016/08/28/wheres-the-diversity-
in-media-how-newsrooms-fail-to-reflect-america-and-why-it-matters_partner/

Starting From Now (n.d.) Starting From Now Retrieved on 9 August 2017 from:
http://www.startingfromnowtv.com/

Stephens, J. (2017) The Family Law is the one Australian TV show everyone should be watching
right now. Retrieved on 8 August 2017 from: http://www.mamamia.com.au/the-family-law-season-
2/

White, D. (18 April 2016) TV audiences tumble as Netflix effect kicks in Sydney Morning Herald.
Retrieved on 8 August 2017 from: http://www.smh.com.au/business/media-and-marketing/tv-
audiences-tumble-as-netflix-effect-kicks-in-20160413-go5jev.html