ABC and reflecting Asia back to Australia
In the late 70s I was a regular listener to news about Asia through incidental listening to a regular Sat or Sun midday program of Asia Pacific. It was my introduction to the world of Asia. I learned about Japan, and a little of the news of China and much about PNG and Indonesia, India, Pakistan and Malaysia. Later with the rise of the Hawke government in the late eighties, Paul Keating reminded Australians of our part in Asia and never failed to exhort us to adapt ourselves to the fact.
We dragged our feet and made a largely feeble attempt to acknowledge that Asia was economically important to us and that we had a responsibility to develop our social, humanitarian and cultural links with Asia
Since the 2000s our awareness of Asia has diminished. When does Asia come to the fore on the Australian cultural and media radar? It usually comes to prominence when we are reminded of racist undertones and lingering attitudes from our abandoned white Australia policy developed at the birth of the Australian nation and shed in the 70s.
I live in a community which is largely composed of traditional Australians. We have some level of new Australians from South Asia, Africa and more established people of more generally Vietnam-China origins. When I travel to Melbourne it is immediately obvious that being derived from Europe is no longer a passport from a dominant culture.
I suspect that Australia’s ties to Asia have been developed and strengthened over the last 20 years, though not necessarily by traditional Australians, but by our new residents. I cannot determine if this is a fact, that we do have strong ties to Asia. Our media either does not chose to reflect or acknowledge this, or if it is indeed not a fact at all.
ABC, a Conduit Between Australia and Asia
With the advent of the internet, my media diet has changed. I no longer listen for the excitement of catching a SW station from distant parts of the world. I no longer watch television news. I rarely read a national newspaper. I am still a regular listener of ABC radio, but time is constrained with too much media competing for my attention.
The lack of reporting, interest and exploration of Asia by our national media and the ABC is deafening. I come across less articles about Asia incidentally now than ever. The closest we get to a popular cultural exchange is Crazy Rich Asians and the implied woes of reports of Australians suffering hardship in Bali.
Our projection of Australia as a trusted and enlightened nation, a beacon of succour in our neighbourhood diminished alongside the fall of Radio Australia and our Asia TV channel. I acknowledge these international media outlets are often stodgy and so demand much patience of the viewer or listener. They do however provide an important service to both audiences, Asia and Australia.
The dimishment of these services was probably a prime factor in why Australia has lost influence within our neighbourhood, particularly the Pacific. It should be noted NZ has taken leadership here with their Radio New Zealand service.
It is with interest that I came across two articles this week about the ABC and Asia, which I have to say have positively challenged any current perceptions I have.
There remains the fact that domestically, Australia still fails to engage positively and acknowledge Asia. It is very important to Australia. I think it is to our peril that we ignore Asia. It won’t matter how many nuclear submarines or billion dollar fighter aircraft we have if we don’t make an effort to understand and develop trust and develop networks of mutual benefit in Asia.
Radio Australia Earning the Value of Trust From Our Neighbours.
The value of Radio Australia is known not by us, Australians , but by its audience.
Quote. The audiences appreciated its work. In the early 1950s it came second in a poll of world short-wave listeners. Surveys throughout the 50s still regularly had RA at the or near the top of the popularity polling, tag-teaming with the much more heavily resourced BBC for top position.
Above quote from online article about the history of Radio Australia referenced below.
As a person engaged with the ABC for many years I vaguely remember Phil Kafcalodes as a radio presenter although I seem to more strongly associate his name with TV.
The origins and value of Radio Australia is more detailed in this article about the history of Radio Australia.
Since the advent of the internet and subsequent decline in SW broadcasting and ABC funding cuts I thought Radio Australia was barely operational. I am quite happy to learn that in this case I am wrong.
I thought that the ABC had absented themselves from the development and fostering of Asia Pacific media largely in light of ongoing funding cuts and the ABCs development of new media conduits.
It is good to learn the ABC still continues to play a role in developing media of our neighbours. It is a fruitful role with our neighbours gaining skills and developing their own media and we gain from having access to trusted and independent sources.
Quote
… just as importantly, we are also proudly helping our neighbouring countries build up their own media capacity, a crucial part of their democratic infrastructure. This effort, the work of ABC International, a service funded with the assistance of Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade but also with other partners, is training and mentoring a new generation of media professionals. Not just in public interest journalism, but the many technical and business aspects of providing news and information.
ABC Chair, Kim Williams. Part of his opening speech at the DG8 Summit. 4/12/2024
Radio Southern Skies 