{"id":313,"date":"2025-01-04T02:16:00","date_gmt":"2025-01-04T02:16:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/debbiebargallie.au\/?p=313"},"modified":"2026-02-04T02:21:10","modified_gmt":"2026-02-04T02:21:10","slug":"radio-television-and-digital-media-in-21st-century-indigenous-broadcasting-a-place-of-old-and-new-ways","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/debbiebargallie.au\/?p=313","title":{"rendered":"Radio, Television and Digital Media in 21st Century\u00a0Indigenous Broadcasting: A Place of Old and New Ways"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Forde, Susan; Harry Van Issum; Debbie Bargallie; Troy Meston; Heather Anderson; Leda Barnett (2025).<\/strong>\u00a0<em><u><a href=\"https:\/\/aus01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.niaa.gov.au%2Fresource-centre%2Fradio-television-and-digital-media-21st-century-indigenous-broadcasting-place-old-and-new-ways&amp;data=05%7C02%7Cd.bargallie%40griffith.edu.au%7Ce73d7d28b79242d9b22f08de638cfb97%7C5a7cc8aba4dc4f9bbf6066714049ad62%7C0%7C0%7C639057654349509765%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=6N5Q%2BLtrVikuKvH4l8H4UoJXrnhmm1ZVcnA14U0%2FPw8%3D&amp;reserved=0\">Radio, Television and Digital Media in 21st Century\u00a0Indigenous Broadcasting: A Place of Old and New Ways<\/a><\/u>, <\/em>Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia. Research commissioned by the National Indigenous Australians&#8217; Agency (NIAA), Canberra.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What happens when an Elders\u2019 voice on the radio meets TikTok, podcasts, and YouTube?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What does \u201ccommunity media\u201d mean in a digital age defined by algorithms, data costs, and uneven infrastructure?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Our national report released in 2025, <strong><em>Radio, Television and Digital Media in 21st Century Indigenous Broadcasting: A Place of Old and New Ways<\/em><\/strong>, takes readers inside Indigenous broadcasting and media as it exists today\u2014at once deeply grounded in culture and language, and under growing pressure to adapt to rapidly changing media environments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is not a story of decline. It is a story of persistence, innovation, and urgent possibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why This Research Matters Now<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Indigenous media has always been more than media. It is a lifeline, a cultural archive, a place of storytelling, emergency communication, language maintenance, collective memory, and political voice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But Indigenous broadcasting in Australia now sits at what we describe as a <strong>critical juncture<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Across urban, regional, remote and very remote Australia, Indigenous audiences are navigating a <strong>hybrid media world<\/strong>: radio remains vital\u2014especially for Elders and remote communities\u2014while younger generations are increasingly engaging through smartphones, social media, podcasts and video platforms. Yet funding models, infrastructure, governance arrangements and training pathways have not kept pace with these shifts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This report asks:<br><strong>What does it take to sustain Indigenous-controlled media in an era of profound technological change\u2014without abandoning the old ways that communities value so deeply?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Listening to Communities, Not Just Counting Audiences<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Over twelve months (July 2023\u2013June 2024), our research team worked with communities across Australia through:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A <strong>national survey of 762 Indigenous Australians<\/strong>, spanning cities, regional centres and remote communities<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Yarning sessions and workshops in 18 locations<\/strong> across Australia, conducted using Indigenist research methodologies<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Close engagement with Indigenous broadcasters, media workers, Elders and young people<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The result is one of the most comprehensive, contemporary portraits of Indigenous broadcasting and media use in Australia to date.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What We Found<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Some key insights from the report:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Indigenous broadcasting remains essential<\/strong>, particularly in remote and very remote communities where it is often the primary\u2014and sometimes only\u2014trusted media source.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Digital and social media use is growing rapidly<\/strong>, but many Indigenous media organisations lack the resources, infrastructure and training to meet audiences where they are.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Young people are producing media\u2014just not always within stations<\/strong>, pointing to missed opportunities for skills development and intergenerational transmission of knowledge.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Funding structures lag decades behind media realities<\/strong>, constraining innovation and reinforcing inequities.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Indigenous media is globally respected<\/strong>, despite being under-resourced within Australia.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These findings culminate in a strong call to <strong>reimagine Indigenous broadcasting services as Community Media Hubs<\/strong>\u2014spaces that support radio, digital content creation, podcasting, music production, training, archiving and cultural transmission, all under Indigenous governance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">More Than Research: A Roadmap for the Future<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This report is not simply descriptive. It is deliberately forward-looking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It offers <strong>evidence-based recommendations<\/strong> for:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Government agencies and policymakers<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Indigenous media organisations and peak bodies<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Researchers, educators and advocates<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Anyone invested in Closing the Gap outcomes related to culture, language, information and participation<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At its heart is a simple proposition:<br><strong>Indigenous media must be supported to carry old ways forward into new technological futures\u2014on Indigenous terms.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">About the Authors<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This report was produced by a multidisciplinary and Indigenous\u2011led research team based at Griffith University and working in close partnership with communities:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Susan Forde<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Harry Van Issum<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Debbie Bargallie<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Troy Meston<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Heather Anderson<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Susan de\u202fGroot\u202fHeupner<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Leda Barnett<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Together, we bring expertise in Indigenous research methodologies, media studies, sociology, cultural studies and community-engaged research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Access the full report here: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.niaa.gov.au\/resource-centre\/radio-television-and-digital-media-21st-century-indigenous-broadcasting-place-old-and-new-ways\">Radio, Television and Digital Media in 21st Century Indigenous Broadcasting: A Place of Old and New Ways | NIAA<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Forde, Susan; Harry Van Issum; Debbie Bargallie; Troy Meston; Heather Anderson; Leda Barnett (2025).\u00a0Radio, Television and Digital Media in 21st Century\u00a0Indigenous Broadcasting: A Place of&#8230;<\/p>\n<div class=\"more-link-wrapper\"><a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/debbiebargallie.au\/?p=313\">More&#8230;<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Radio, Television and Digital Media in 21st Century\u00a0Indigenous Broadcasting: A Place of Old and New Ways<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":314,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-313","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","ratio-natural","entry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/debbiebargallie.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/A-place-of-old-and-new-ways.png","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/debbiebargallie.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/313","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/debbiebargallie.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/debbiebargallie.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/debbiebargallie.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/debbiebargallie.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=313"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/debbiebargallie.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/313\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":316,"href":"https:\/\/debbiebargallie.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/313\/revisions\/316"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/debbiebargallie.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/314"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/debbiebargallie.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=313"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/debbiebargallie.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=313"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/debbiebargallie.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=313"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}