About Forum

In the context of heated national debates about asylum seekers and immigration, as well as the (predominantly polarising) commentary that followed the announcement of this year's federal multiculturalism policy, it is timely to host a discussion on the media’s role in these debates and in reflecting Australian diversity.

SBS CQ seeks to feed into this space with intelligent debate, new perspectives on our media environment. In this forum media practitioners, academics, politicians, community advocates and commentators reflect on how media shape and represent our views and values.

The forum guests include ex pollies Amanda Vanstone; media practitioners, including Go Back to Where You Came From producer Michael Cordell and journos from the Daily Telegraph, The Australian and commercial TV current affairs; community advocates and ex-refugees, including Bahati Masudi from Go Back; and commentators and key thinkers, including Julie Posetti, Ien Ang, Tanveer Ahmed, Ghassan Hage and Andrew Markus.

"We need cultural intelligence because we need ways of untangling and unscrambling the complexity generated by the irreducible differences circulating in the world". Ien Ang, 2011

“We accept the fact of multiculturalism (some of us grudgingly) and yet we are constantly striving and struggling to adapt to its challenges and its opportunities”. Ipsos McKay report, 2011

“There is evidence that the asylum seeker issue has exacerbated divisions in Australian society and increased disillusionment with government.” Scanlon Mapping Social Cohesion Survey, 2011

“The series [Go Back to Where You Came From and Immigration Nation] were catalysts for conversations about diversity, and generated debate on Australia’s current response to asylum seekers and broader immigration issues.” Entertainment Insights report 2011

More information...

Inclusiveness and Australian diversity - SBS Radio