White, straight, and on screen; report details diversity on TV
Despite Australia's claims of egalitarianism and multiculturalism, the country's screens present a very different picture.
Flick on a television any day of the week in the country and you'll quickly notice the lack of diverse faces that appear; aside from maybe a reality show contestant or news reporter.
It's a long-standing issue, but an extensive report released by the government's screen industry body Wednesday spells out just how diverse the country's screens are. And that's not very.
You May Also Like
Screen Australia's report, titled Seeing Ourselves: Reflections on Diversity in TV Drama, analysed 199 dramas aired in the country between 2011 and 2015, inclusive of those years.
When it comes to cultural diversity, there is unfortunately no surprises. Only 18 percent of main characters are from a non-Anglo Celtic background.
But there was an improvement in the number of Indigenous Australians represented on TV, with 5 percent of characters being Indigenous, compared to 1999 where there were only two characters, and in 1992 there were none. It's a promising result.
64 percent of television programs had at least one non-Anglo Celtic character, with children's television and comedies tending to be more diverse. Australian comedian and Daily Show correspondent, Ronny Chieng appeared in six different television comedies in five years.
According to the report, industry folk are still reluctant to "take a risk" on diverse talent, because of the pressure to attract broad audiences and international buyers for their television shows.
"Free-to-air networks are generally (not always) nervous about Asian, Indigenous and Muslim storylines. Same goes for casting. Putting a cast member in a wheelchair or having a stutter or a mental disability is a battle, more so if the actor suffers a physical or mental disability," an unnamed writer and producer said, according to the report.
"They are finding stuff online – especially the younger audience, the 25-39 year olds. We are missing them."
Yet shows like Redfern Now, which featured a predominantly Indigenous Australian cast, are noted as having performed very well with audiences. As did series such featuring diverse characters such as The Slap, Love Child, The Principal and Black Comedy.
The report also highlights that younger audiences are more drawn toward online productions, which are more culturally diverse. The likes of successful Australian YouTubers like Natalie Tran, the Philippou brothers, and Mychonny are pulling in millions of views.
And it could be a missed opportunity. "There is a huge appetite for content from young people from minority groups," SBS Indigenous advisor on stakeholder relations, Travis Cardona said in the report.
"They are finding stuff online – especially the younger audience, the 25-39 year olds. We are missing them," ABC's Head of Scripted Production, Sally Riley said.
The report also states that 10 percent of characters have a disability on television, and five percent identify as LGBTQ.
So where to now? The report identifies that the lack of writers from diverse backgrounds is one of the hurdles to casting different characters, out of a fear that they won't be written authentically.
It's this self-censorship that's stopping producers and writers bringing in more diversity. There also needs to be enough diverse on-screen talent to actually cast, such as in the U.S. where "send any ethnicity" casting calls are common. Although the U.S. has its fair share of diversity issues too.
With South Sudanese Australians, Indigenous Australians and Muslims reporting high levels of discrimination in a recent study, ensuring diversity on screen is one of the ways we can achieve a cohesive society. Because discrimination sucks.
Topics Diversity Racial Justice
