Journalism practice, the police and Sudanese-Australians

D Muller, Karen Farquharson, D Nolan

Research output: A Conference proceeding or a Chapter in BookChapterpeer-review

Abstract

When a newly arrived immigrant group runs afoul of the major institutions in their adopted country, it becomes acutely difficult to develop a sense of belonging. This was the fate of Sudanese refugees who were settled in Melbourne in the first decade of the twenty- first century. They ran afoul of a police force that discriminated against them on the grounds of race and that led to media coverage which stereotyped them as associated with crime and violence (Nolan, Farquharson, Politoff, and Marjoribanks 2011). In turn, this created a climate of public opinion which the minister for immigration was able to exploit by pandering to right- wing fears of the ‘Other’ in an election campaign notable for its racist virulence. In these ways, the institutions of police, media and parliament showed themselves prejudiced. Fortunately, the institution of the judiciary proved to be a bulwark against this prejudice, leading to a measure of justice for some of those on the receiving end of harsh and unjust treatment, particularly by the police.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationAustralian Media and the Politics of Belonging
EditorsD Nolan, K Farquharson, T Marjoribanks
Place of PublicationLondon
PublisherAnthem Press
Chapter6
Pages105-120
Number of pages16
Edition1
ISBN (Print)9781783087785
Publication statusPublished - 2018
Externally publishedYes

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