Sbs Submission to Senate Standing Committee On
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SBS SUBMISSION TO SENATE STANDING COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS DEFENCE AND TRADE ISSUES FACING DIASPORA COMMUNITIES IN AUSTRALIA July 2020 Key Points • For more than 40 years, SBS has played a unique and vital role in supporting diaspora communities in Australia by providing trusted, inclusive, balanced and independent news and information services. SBS is a critical public policy intervention that supports diaspora communities in a way that benefits the entire Australian population. SBS services help diaspora communities participate in Australian cultural, economic and civic life, and foster a sense of belonging in Australia. • SBS services and activities directly address issues faced by diaspora communities, including: Urgent issues relevant to the current coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis 1. availability and promotion of important coronavirus information in languages other than English (LOTE); and 2. meeting employment and economic challenges, especially those arising from the COVID-19 pandemic; Enduring issues facing the diaspora communities 3. addressing language barriers aids participation in all aspects of life in Australia; 4. access to trusted Australian produced news media in LOTE, covering both local and global issues; 5. limited formal education in segments of diaspora communities, particularly among some migrants who come to Australia via humanitarian programs; and 6. fostering a sense of belonging and promoting mutual understanding and respect between the general population and diaspora communities. • As the only national Australian broadcaster providing news, information and content services in 63 LOTE, SBS is uniquely placed to facilitate and enable diaspora communities’ ongoing success, particularly during the difficult period of overcoming the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Page 1 of 18 Part I. Introduction The Special Broadcasting Service Corporation (SBS) welcomes the opportunity to submit to the Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade’s Inquiry into issues facing diaspora communities in Australia (the Inquiry). As Australia’s only nationally available multilingual and multicultural broadcaster, it is the principal function of SBS to provide radio, television and digital media services that inform, educate and entertain all Australians and, in doing so, reflect Australia's multicultural society.1 A quarter of Australians were born overseas, almost half have at least one parent born overseas, and 21 per cent (4.87 million people) speak a language other than English at home, according to the 2016 Australian Census.2 For over 40 years, SBS has facilitated successful migration outcomes and supported social cohesion for both new arrivals and established diaspora communities. SBS radio was established in 1975 by the Australian Government to inform Australians from non-English speaking backgrounds about Medibank, the new national health care scheme.3 SBS continues to be well placed to further facilitate efforts to support Australia’s diaspora communities, including in relation to health information—as well as many other aspects of participation in Australian civic, cultural and economic life. Summary of SBS services SBS Audio and Language Content (SBS Radio) SBS’s seven linear radio stations are dedicated to the approximately five million Australians who speak a language other than English at home, currently broadcasting in 63 languages (see details in Appendix A) as well as providing content via the easy-to-access SBS Radio App and online, through articles and video. These services continue to build on SBS’s position as the world’s most linguistically diverse public broadcaster, delivering cross-platform news and current affairs, sport, music, and accurate and balanced information. Importantly, SBS services include content specifically curated for newly arrived migrants through the SBS Settlement Guide (for further details, please see page 11). SBS also helps connect migrants and diaspora communities (emerging or established) to their homeland communities through its active presence on social media platforms. Most of SBS's 63 language services are available on social media, ensuring that communities have options to interact with and benefit from SBS services. SBS television and content offerings SBS reaches almost 100 per cent of the population through its five free to air television channels (SBS, SBS VICELAND, SBS World Movies, SBS FOOD and National Indigenous Television (NITV)). SBS provides audiences throughout Australia with a vast collection of content from multicultural and diverse perspectives including: 1 SBS Charter. 2 Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2016 Census available at https://www.abs.gov.au/websitedbs/censushome.nsf/home/2016 3 For further information, please see A Brief History of SBS at https://www.sbs.com.au/news/a-brief-history-of-sbs Page 2 of 18 • diverse local stories such as Where are You Really From?4 an observational documentary exploring Australia’s multicultural communities, particularly in regional and rural areas; The Family Law5 a multi award-winning comedy series featuring, for the first time, a predominantly Asian-Australian cast on mainstream Australian screens; and Sunshine6, winner of the AACTA’s Best Mini-Series Award, exploring hopes and heartbreak felt by South-Sudanese Australians in Melbourne's outer-west suburb of Sunshine. • international dramas such as Zero Zero Zero7; major cultural events such as the Eurovision Song Contest; and the best of international sport such as the Tour de France cycling tournament; • SBS Food—a channel and online platform devoted to exploring the world and its cultures through food; • news, information and reports from our correspondents located in different states; and territories, as well as from our international correspondents and more than 40 major international media organisations (through SBS World Watch service); and • SBS Voices8— a place for diverse storytelling, providing a voice for diverse Australian writers including women, those emerging, and from multicultural backgrounds. NITV delivers the benefits of cultural understanding of Australia’s First Nations peoples to diaspora communities. NITV broadcasts distinctive content and landmark events presented through unique Indigenous lens, offering news and current affairs, sport, entertainment and children’s programming for both linear broadcasting and digital deliveries. NITV’s programming offers authentic representations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and peoples, helping diaspora communities to explore, respect and celebrate First Nations Australia and contribute to social cohesion. With NITV as part of the network, SBS is uniquely placed to build understanding between Indigenous Australians and communities who speak a language other than English. SBS language services cover key events and provide explainers on issues such as NAIDOC week and Reconciliation Week. SBS On Demand SBS On Demand, SBS’s video-on-demand service9, provides more than 9,000 hours of exclusive and distinctive content from around the world in multiple languages. In 2020, SBS On Demand becomes the first Australian-based major video-on-demand platform to offer multilingual login options. providing users with simplified Chinese and Arabic interfaces (for further details about SBS On Demand’s multilingual login, please see page 12). SBS In Language SBS In Language10 translation services are available in multiple languages, helping government and Australian businesses reach diaspora communities in their preferred languages. As a federal government approved service provider, SBS In Language provides 4 Where Are You Really From? now premiering season 3, comedian Michael Hing travels to Inala, Darwin, Wollongong and Shepparton to look at how generations of migrants have made their homes in Australia, available at https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/program/where-are-you-really-from 5 The Family Law available at https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/program/the-family-law 6 Sunshine available at https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/program/sunshine 7 Zero Zero Zero drama series follows the journey of a cocaine shipment, from the moment a powerful cartel of Italian criminals decides to buy it until the cargo is delivered and paid for, passing through its packaging in Mexico and shipment across the Atlantic Ocean, available at https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/program/zero-zero-zero 8 SBS Voices available at https://www.sbs.com.au/voices 9 SBS On Demand https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand 10 More information about SBS In Language is available at https://www.sbs.com.au/inlanguage. Page 3 of 18 high quality NAATI accredited translation services for online, print, radio and video—with in- house capabilities for typesetting, subtitling, voice overs and full scale audio-visual production that can meet short notices and tight timelines. SBS can also provide advice and expertise in crafting culturally appropriate content, including content tone, as part of this service offering. SBS celebrates diversity through its activities Building connections between the many different cultures that make up Australia is at the heart of SBS. SBS seeks to inspire greater understanding between diverse communities and contribute to the health of our vibrant and cohesive multicultural society. SBS supports emerging and diverse Australian screen talent through a range of programs. SBS’s Diversity Talent Escalator11, has created more than 25 career development opportunities for emerging and mid-level screen practitioners