MDA | Race Reporting Handbook
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background of the story.
Provide opportunities for community
feedback on video projects before they
are published.
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Social Media Professionals
CONTENT CREATION AND CURATION:
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Use social media to amplify diverse
voices and stories, ensuring equitable
representation from First Nations
and other negatively racialised
communities.
Curate content that challenges
stereotypes and promotes positive
narratives about all communities.
Engage with communities to source
content directly from them, providing a
platform for self-representation.
ENGAGEMENT AND INTERACTION:
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Monitor and moderate comments
to prevent the spread of racism,
hate speech, and misinformation.
Proactively remove harmful or
discriminatory comments and ensure
strategies are in place to mitigate
risks like defamation or discrimination
against the communities you
represent.
Use social media analytics to
understand the reach and impact of
content on different communities.
Engage in active listening by
responding to feedback from followers,
especially from First Nation and other
negatively racialised communities,
and making necessary adjustments to
content strategies.
VISUAL AND WRITTEN CONTENT:
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Ensure that images, videos, and written
content posted on social media are
culturally sensitive and respectful.
| CHAPTER 01
Avoid clickbait titles and images that
sensationalise or misrepresent stories
about race and diversity.
Promote educational content that
informs audiences about the historical
and contemporary issues faced by
First Nations and other negatively
racialised communities and find
opportunities for light hearted stories
with positive outcomes or storylines.
GUIDING PRINCIPLES
FOR REFERENCING RACE
IN REPORTING: Avoiding
Stereotypes and Ensuring
Respectful Representation
Avoid generalisations;
it's important to focus on issues
without attributing them to
specific negatively racialised
groups.
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When appropriate, ask interview
subjects how they would like to
be identified in reporting and
accommodate their preferences.
FOR EXAMPLE, an individual may
choose to be identified in reporting
as “Chinese-Australian” or in
another way.
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When reporting on issues relating to
systemic or structural problems, such
as youth crime, avoid blaming specific
communities through sensationalist
headlines like 'African Gangs.'
Instead, emphasise the issue itself
and any contributing factors to
safeguard against racist narratives
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