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Face the Facts (2008) Education Resource
Activity 2: Perceptions - Refugees in the Media
The Perceptions – Refugees in the Media activity is designed to assist students to explore the representation of refugees in the media, particularly in relation to news and current affairs reporting in newspapers, and to look at the language used in describing them.
Throughout this activity, teachers should encourage students to refer to Face the Facts – Questions and Answers about Asylum Seekers and Refugees for clarification of terminology and statistical information included in the newspaper articles they explore.
Step 1 – Class Discussion
The role of the media in helping shape public opinion in relation to refugee and asylum seekers and many other issues has long been debated. The Australian Journalist Association’s Code of Ethics describes the role of journalists as:
Respect for truth and the public’s right to information are fundamental principles of journalism. Journalists describe society to itself. They convey information, ideas and opinions, a privileged role….
To explore these concepts, lead students in a class discussion about how refugees and asylum seekers are portrayed in the news and current affairs media and how the use of language by the media can affect attitudes towards various minorities in the community. The following question may be useful as a discussion starter: Australia is one of the most diverse nations in the world.
Q. Is this reflected in how news and current affairs journalists report on refugees and asylum seekers? Or do journalists, editors and newspaper proprietors actually shape public perceptions and opinions?
During the discussion, introduce the following concepts / discussion points:- Language is a crucial tool for legitimising political agendas. Has the language used in recent media reports and commentaries on refugees and asylum seekers positioned the reader to accept certain political agendas or viewpoints?
- Newspapers often use labels and titles to describe people, places and events. For example, a person can be referred to as an ‘illegal’ or an ‘asylum seeker.’ The use of positive or negative words or words with a particular connotation can strongly influence the reader.
- Who are the spokespeople for the issues relating to refugees and asylum seekers in the news? Is one group represented more often than others? Who has the dominant ‘voice’?
- How do the ‘mainstream media’ portray activist groups who are campaigning about refugee and asylum seeker issues?
- What kinds of ‘experts’ have you read, seen or heard quoted speaking about refugees and asylum seekers recently? Has the media offered ‘experts’ on all sides of the debate?
- Has the recent media coverage of refugees and asylum seekers encouraged negative attitudes towards these groups within Australian society? How can this be assessed?
- Has the news media been accurate, fair, responsible and effective in recent coverage of refugee issues in Australia? Why/why not?
- If the media is said to be a reflection of society, it follows that different forms of media are written to appeal specifically to particular audiences. Do broadsheets such as the Sydney Morning Herald or tabloid newspapers such as The Daily Telegraph present refugees issues in a different manner to each other?
To conclude the discussion, lead the class in a brainstorming activity to identify some of the common words and phrases used in newspapers to describe asylum seekers and refugees. The list could include: boat people, illegal aliens, unauthorised arrivals, queue jumpers, illegal immigrants, genuine refugees, unauthorised immigrants, detainees, prisoners and/or terrorists.
Step 2 - Auditing the News
During this step, students access at least two newspaper articles focussing on refugees and asylum seekers, sourced from at least two different publications.
The articles should have been published around the same time and must relate to similar issues on refugees and asylum seekers – eg. Teachers may provide a selection of articles relating to refugees, immigration, detention centres or alternatively identify a collection of articles which are appropriate to the class for students to analyse.
The National Library has developed a useful portal with links to most Australian newspapers – both in major cities and regional areas. Available at: http://www.nla.gov.au/npapers/npapers_state.html.
Students are asked to access selected newspaper articles and identify key words used to describe refugees and asylum seekers. A table has been included in the worksheet to assist students with their audit.
During this step, encourage students to think critically about the ways in which refugees and asylum seekers are portrayed in the media. It is important to highlight the ways the language they have identified in their audit influences the reader to perceive the text in particular ways.
Follow up the newspaper audit with a short class discussion to debrief. Ask students the following questions:
- What is your evaluation of the media’s recent coverage of refugees and asylum seekers?
- How do the words you have discovered in your audit influence the reader? Do they have a positive or negative effect on the reader’s attitudes?
- How does language assist the reader in making judgements and assumptions about the issues discussed in the articles you have read?
Step 3 – Re-writing the News
During Step 3, students are asked to write their own newspaper article using the language they have discovered during their audit.
Task: Write a 300 word story on an Iraqi family who were forced to flee their homeland due to ethnic persecution and have arrived (‘illegally’) in Australia seeking refuge. Present your story in newspaper format – include a headline which describes your story.
Ensure that students consider the handy hints in Step 3.
Once complete, encourage students to share their newspaper articles with others – either via peer review or publication. Teachers may wish to extend this activity by working with the class group to develop a website to publish the stories or design and publish a newspaper which can be included in the school library or distributed to others.
Additional resources
Teachers may wish to explore perceptions in the media and the ways in which language operates to position the reader more explicitly during this activity. Useful resources are available at: Social Change Media http://media.socialchange.net.au/
Media Awareness Network: an extensive website, developed in Canada, focussing on the teaching of media literacy in the classroom. Visit: http://media-awareness.ca
10 Classroom Approaches to Media Literacy: also developed in Canada, this site includes useful strategies for exploring elements of the media. Visit: http://www.medialit.org/reading_room/article338.html
Just Think Foundation: dedicated to teaching young people literacy for the 21st Century by providing them with the skills to be critical thinkers. Visit: http://www.justthink.org/
Newspapers in Education – The West Online: this education focussed section of The West Online website provides useful resources for both teachers and students. Visit: http://www.thewest.com.au/nie/
