With a vision of increasing cultural diversity on Australia’s airwaves, youth project Next Generation Media has taken to the air every Sunday on SYN Media 90.7 FM. The project is a partnership between the National Ethnic and Multicultural Broadcasters’ Council (NEMBC), SYN Media and the Centre for Multicultural Youth (CMY)
Irene Scott, from ABC’s The Hack, who is also a Next Generation Media mentor, has told radioinfo: “The Australian media is often dominated by the same few players and to be enitirely honest most of them come from a fairly similar background. Rarely do we ever hear from young people from an ethnically diverse background unless something has gone wrong. Like with all youth broadcasting, it’s vitally important to give them a chance to tell their side of the story. Not just to represent themselves to older Australians, but to act as a role model to their peers.”
Next Generation Media aims to equip culturally and linguistically diverse young people from migrant and refugee backgrounds with the skills, knowledge and networks for ongoing participation in the media.
Twenty one young people received training in leadership, media and broadcasting skills in a January Summer School before beginning a weekly radio program at SYN Media (digital radio and online at syn.org.au). The program is currently in its second month on air and will finish at the end of April.
“Next Generation Media help youth understand that their voices or stories can’t be heard until they take an active role themselves. There is (a) Sudanese saying that say ”Who feels it, knows it,’” explains 23 year old Arek Mamur, a participant in the program.
For Saheima Saberi, a woman of Hazara heritage, media projects such as Next Generation Media represent a unique opportunity: “As a young person from a migrant background, we do not know enough to represent ourselves in the media…. One of the best parts about such trainings are that you get together with people who have similar issues, goals and language barriers and to overcome, we were taught the skills.”
Next Generation Media airs Sundays 1pm to 3pm on Syn, and is funded by the Ian Potter Foundation, the Community Broadcasters Foundation, the City of Melbourne and the City of Yarra.
Photos: (above) Sahema Saberi and Arek Mamur (below) participants and trainers.
