Minister Andrew Giles launched the report, ‘TOWARDS FAIRNESS: A Multicultural Australia for All,’ on Wednesday, July 24. The report addresses many issues that Independent Multicultural Media Australia (IMMA) raised.
The report emphasised IMMA members’ good work as small-to-medium private media, which includes established publishers and broadcasters producing newspapers, digital papers, websites, radio, streaming TV, podcasts, and video in community languages and English.
Fotis Kapetopoulos, the Secretary of IMMA, said:
“Multicultural Affairs Minister Andrew Giles and the panel comprised of Dr Bulent Hass Dellal AO, Nyadol Nyuon OAM and Christine Castley did a thorough job in consulting IMMA, as they did many others, and our views were taken seriously.
“This report continues the pioneering work set 50 years ago and has recognised the essential role independent multicultural media plays in public interest journalism.
“IMMA was formed in 2020 as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Victoria and, later, in NSW – as the report points out, our income was gutted by COVID lockdowns, as we became a bulwark against fake news and conspiracy theories.”
“IMMA agreed with the minister when he said the review ‘writes a new chapter in our multicultural story’, and we agree that we can work together to achieve a prosperous multicultural future.”
“The panel was able to honour the work carried out 50 years ago framing multicultural policy and has made recommendations that, if acted on, will ensure that multicultural policy becomes representative of a contemporary Australia.”
“We now look forward to the implementation of the recommendations.”
IMMA believes that the report, ‘TOWARDS FAIRNESS: A multicultural Australia for All’ launched yesterday, is a comprehensive document that should guide governments’ media policy towards our multicultural media ecosystem.
IMMA congratulates the work Dr Bulent Hass Dellal AO, Nyadol Nyuon OAM, and Christine Castley – who conducted such a thorough review.
For comment, contact Fotis Kapetopoulos Sec. of IMMA 0413 445 287 or admin@imma.com.au
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