Bridging our differences: comparing mainstream and Indigenous media coverage of Corroboree 2000

Abstract

The Council fur Aboriginal Reconciliation's 10 years' work towards exploring a pathway to reconciliation between lndigenous and non-Indigenous Australians culminated in the Corroboree 2000 ceremony and bridge walks on May 27 and 28, 2000. This paper presents a snapshot of race reportage at the turn of the century by comparing how four mainstream and Indigenous newspapers covered this event. Articles from a sample drawn from the four newspapers were subjected to a content and discursive analysis. Findings from this study suggest that while there has been improvement in the media coverage of Indigenous issues of the past, mainstream media are still placing too much emphasis on conflict and prominent people such as Prime Minister John Howard as news values. Indigenous people were still presented as "the problem" in the coverage of Corroboree 2000 and the onus was on Indigenous people to bring about reconciliation. Neither the Indigenous nor the mainstream media took advantage of a unique opportunity to help create a reconciled Australia.