SBS Submission to the Senate Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs Inquiry Into Nationhood, National Identity and Democracy September 2019

SBS submission to the Senate Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs Inquiry into nationhood, national identity and democracy September 2019

Key Points  Independent, non-partisan public broadcasting delivers significant public benefits. SBS is key to sustaining and strengthening democracy, and building national identity.  The principal function of SBS is to provide multilingual and multicultural radio, television and digital media services that inform, educate and entertain all Australians and, in doing so, reflect Australia’s multicultural society.  SBS produces some of the most trusted news content in Australia, providing information and analysis from Australia and around the world in English on television and radio, and in 68 languages other than English via SBS Radio.  SBS has an important role to play in reflecting and deepening our sense of nationhood and national identity, by exploring and celebrating the various communities that call Australia home through programs including its flagship dramas, entertainment programs, and documentaries.  There are both social and economic benefits to a diverse and inclusive society. A recent study by Deloitte Access Economics for SBS found that improved social inclusion would mean quantifiable economic benefits to Australia of $12.7 billion per annum.  While remaining an independent public broadcaster, SBS supports the fundamental elements of our democracy, including informing the Australian public in relation to the policies and actions of the Government.  Informed public debate is core to the functioning of Australia’s democratic society. It is therefore critical that relevant legal frameworks are structured in a way that supports the public’s right to know, responsible journalism, and government accountability and transparency.

Page 1 of 16

Introduction SBS welcomes the opportunity to provide a submission to the Senate Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs (the Committee) Inquiry into nationhood, national identity and democracy (the Inquiry). SBS is unique in the Australian media environment, and the world’s most linguistically diverse broadcaster. SBS reaches almost 100 per cent of the population through its six free-to-air TV channels (SBS SD, SBS HD, SBS VICELAND HD, SBS World Movies, SBS Food and National Indigenous Television (NITV)) and seven radio stations (SBS Radio 1, 2 and 3, SBS Arabic24, SBS PopDesi, SBS Chill and SBS PopAsia). Servicing 68 languages including SBS Arabic24, SBS Radio is dedicated to the nearly five million Australians who speak a language other than English at home, while the three music channels (SBS PopAsia, SBS PopDesi and SBS Chill) engage all Australians through music and pop culture from around the world. SBS’s reach is being significantly extended through SBS’s digital services, including SBS On Demand, the SBS Radio App and portals which make online audio programming and information available to audiences at a time and place of their choosing. Across all of its channels and platforms, SBS’s purpose is to inspire all Australians to explore, respect and celebrate our diverse world, and in doing so contribute to a cohesive society. SBS is responding to the Inquiry under the five parts of the Discussion Paper: Part A: Sustaining Democracy Part B: Nationhood and the nation state Part C: Social cohesion and cultural identity Part D: Governing in a democracy Part E: Public Debate Part A: Sustaining democracy SBS News and Current Affairs services SBS supports our democratic society by providing impartial and balanced news and information in English and 68 languages other than English, informing the community about local, national and global events, and enabling participation in civic life. SBS is an independent national broadcaster operating under the Special Broadcasting Service Act 1991 (the SBS Act), which guarantees SBS’s editorial independence. Under the SBS Act, SBS has sole responsibility for determining its content. Independent, non-partisan public broadcasting delivers significant public benefits, including holding the government and institutions to account, and reporting on matters in the public interest. While the Discussion Paper notes that ‘[t]here is a wealth of evidence showing a worrying decline in the level of public trust’1, SBS’s news and current affairs services are among the most trusted in Australia. The Essential Report Trust in Media survey, of which the most recent results were published in June 2019, demonstrates that SBS’s ‘television news and current affairs’ was 13 percentage points higher than commercial television news and current affairs and 14 percentage points higher than news and opinion in daily newspapers.2 SBS delivers content that enhances and enriches the Australian community through creating a more informed society, and promoting social and civic inclusion. Our unique

1 Discussion Paper, page 1 2 https://essentialvision.com.au/?s=trust+in+media&searchbutton=Search

Page 2 of 16 connections and experience with multicultural and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities enable SBS to cover news and tell the stories of those communities with respect and dignity. In particular, the news, current affairs and information services provided by SBS inform and promote understanding among all Australians of different cultures and maximise opportunities for people from diverse backgrounds to engage in social, political and cultural discourse. SBS plays a vital role by providing credible, trusted, inclusive, balanced and independent services. SBS is the only nationally available Australian-based broadcaster providing news and current affairs services in a broad range of languages other than English (LOTE), and provides Australians with an unparalleled diversity of international and Australian programming. Importantly, while migrants to Australia can readily access homeland news and information from overseas sources, SBS delivers unique Australian news and information in-language—such as news on political developments, information about settlement resources, and details about Australian laws, culture and values. Digital literacy A core component of trust in media is digital literacy. In addition to recognising the vital role of SBS and the ABC in providing public interest journalism, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) recently noted in its Digital Platforms Inquiry – Final Report that among other benefits, digital media literacy provides consumers with the ability to access, interpret and critically assess sources of journalism online.3 SBS’s experience in reaching audiences, including children, with educational resources, through the SBS Learn platform4, provides a basis for SBS to play a key role in any future digital literacy initiatives, particularly those which support multilingual and multicultural Australian communities. Part B: Nationhood and the nation state The services provided by SBS contribute to a shared sense of nationhood, from providing information about Australian culture to new migrants, to NITV’s storytelling about, for and by our First Nations people. The Discussion Paper notes that ‘Australia has a rich Indigenous history of over 60,000 years. It also has an important British colonial history from the late 18th century. It has become a diverse multicultural society’.5 A quarter of Australians were born overseas, almost half have at least one parent overseas, and 21 per cent (4.87 million people) speak a language other than English at home, according to the 2016 Australian Census.6 The Census 2016 also showed that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples represented 2.8 per cent of the population, up from 2.5 per cent in 2011, and 2.3 per cent in 2006.7

3 Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, Digital Platforms Inquiry – Final Report, https://www.accc.gov.au/system/files/Digital%20platforms%20inquiry%20-%20final%20report.pdf page 366 4 SBS Learn https://www.sbs.com.au/learn 5 Discussion paper, page 4 6 Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2016 Census available at https://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/[email protected]/Lookup/by%20Subject/2071.0~2016~Main%20Features~Cultur al%20Diversity%20Data%20Summary~30 7 https://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/[email protected]/MediaRealesesByCatalogue/02D50FAA9987D6B7CA2581480 0087E03

Page 3 of 16

SBS Charter SBS has played a key role in Australia’s distinctiveness as a multicultural and Indigenous society, as well as creating and supporting social cohesion within and between communities. The SBS Charter (Appendix A) is provided in Section 6 of the SBS Act. The Charter states that ‘the principal function of the SBS is to provide multilingual and multicultural radio, television and digital media services that inform, educate and entertain all Australians and, in doing so, reflect Australia’s multicultural society’. It goes on to state that ‘SBS, in performing its principal function, must contribute to meeting the communications needs of Australia’s multicultural society, including ethnic, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.’ National Indigenous Television NITV is the home of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander storytelling, and has been part of SBS since 2012.8 NITV is a national free-to-air channel on SBS made by, for and about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and delivers Australia’s only national Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander television news service. NITV provides a positive exploration and celebration of historical and contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and languages, through drama and documentary; news and current affairs; sport; factual entertainment programs; and feature films. Fifty-three per cent of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population is aged under 25 years. Consequently, NITV has a particular focus on content for children and young people.9 It is extremely important for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people to see themselves positively represented on mainstream television, radio, digital and social media—to ensure social inclusion and economic participation, and to contribute to early childhood development and a positive sense of identity and culture. NAIDOC Week SBS has partnered with the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet and the NAIDOC Committee as the National NAIDOC Principal Media Partner and official Education Partner 2019-2021. In 2019, SBS and NITV provided comprehensive coverage of NAIDOC week across the whole network, including across news and current affairs programming; a simulcast of Gurrumul, and the launch of the critically acclaimed online short-form comedy series Robbie Hood, SBS also developed Indigenous-led resources for in-classroom discussion aligned to NAIDOC Week 2019. These resources have been provided to more than 15,000 schools, with excellent feedback. SBS Learn’s NAIDOC Week 2019 Classroom Resources provide a framework for primary and secondary school teachers to engage students to share First Nations perspectives in their communities. Tailored to Primary (F-6) and Secondary (7-10) students, each resource has sections dedicated to subjects including English, Geography and History, developed in accordance with the Australian curriculum. Case studies, clips and news articles will bring key discussions and topics to life for students, encouraging dialogue and rich learning around the 2019 NAIDOC theme: Voice, Treaty, Truth.

International Year of Indigenous Languages

8 NITV first operated in 2007 as a private company; then, in2012, merged with SBS 9 https://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/[email protected]/Lookup/by%20Subject/2071.0~2016~Main%20Features~Aborig inal%20and%20Torres%20Strait%20Islander%20Population%20Data%20Summary~10

Page 4 of 16

Australia is a ‘nation of nations’, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities are no exception. According to the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS),  More than 250 Indigenous Australian languages including 800 dialectal varieties were spoken on the continent at the time of European settlement in 1788  Only 13 traditional Indigenous languages are still acquired by children  Approximately another 100 or so are spoken to various degrees by older generations, with many of these languages at risk as Elders pass away.10 As the United Nations declared 2019 the International Year of Indigenous Languages, SBS is increasing its focus on the importance of Indigenous languages to maintaining the rich diversity of cultures that exist within Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. SBS has a number of projects and activities across the network, including:  NITV News has renamed their NITV News Week in Review program to Nula. ‘Nula’ is a locational word in the Sydney based Dharug language meaning here, there or everywhere.  Increased frequency of NITV journalists and presenters introducing themselves/greeting audiences in their own Indigenous language across NITV News television programs.  An episode of The Few Who Do podcast— a series presented by Jan Fran and Marc Fennell, featuring personal stories from diverse range of Australians—about First Nations language titled 'How do you wake a sleeping language?  Documentary series Elements, exploring the communities of the Torres Strait Islands, through their languages and cultures.11  In-language episodes of Series 2 of Little J & Big Cuz, an animation for pre-school aged children.  News coverage of language maintenance and learning.12 Part C: Social cohesion and cultural identity Cultural identity and improving social cohesion are at the heart of SBS, reflected in the Charter, the SBS purpose, and the services we deliver to the community. Social cohesion in Australia In 2018, The Scanlon Foundation published Mapping Social Cohesion, The Scanlon Foundation Surveys 2018 (the Surveys)13 which were conducted ‘to provide evidence to address the critical question of Australia’s ability to sustain the migration and social cohesion success of the post-war decades‘, The Surveys state that Australia’s social cohesion has continually been tested since 2007, and cite a range of social, political and economic events having had their potential to affect Australia’s social cohesion.

10 https://aiatsis.gov.au/explore/articles/indigenous-australian-languages 11 Elements series on SBS On Demand https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/program/karla-grant-presents. 12 Examples include:  ‘Learning Wiradjuri: How the Indigenous language is taught in NSW’: https://www.facebook.com/SBSAustralia/videos/697555310688181/  ‘These tapes of rare Indigenous languages are at risk of never being heard again’: https://facebook.com/sbsnews/videos/2396558187251568/  ‘Meet the Indigenous woman from Kalgoorlie saving her mother tongue by teaching songs to the next generation’: https://www.facebook.com/125982670754724/posts/2713684738651158?s=680693791&v=e&sfns= mo 15 Mapping Social Cohesion, The Scanlon Foundation Surveys 2018 available at https://scanlonfoundation.org.au/report2018/

Page 5 of 16

Nevertheless, the surveys found that there was ‘little additional evidence of deterioration in key indicators of social cohesion; rather, the evidence points to stability’; and that, in regards to sense of belonging, identification with Australia and happiness, the Surveys continued to obtain positive response from more than 85% of respondents. 14 Of particular note, the Surveys found that ‘Australians remain overwhelmingly supportive of the multicultural character of their nation and of the value of immigration’, with 85 percent of the surveys’ respondents agreeing that multiculturalism has been good for Australia. In saying this, the Surveys noted: Some two-thirds of respondents affirm that Australians should learn from the cultures of new arrivals, but equally that new arrivals should embrace Australian values.15 Economic benefits of social inclusion The Economic Benefits of Improving Social Inclusion (the Report) by Deloitte Access Economics and commissioned by SBS was published in August 2019 (Attachment B). For the first time, it quantifies the potential lift to Australia’s economy that could be driven by improved employment and health outcomes, increased workplace productivity, and reduced costs of social services, as a result of greater social inclusion. Quantitative analysis in the Report largely focuses on the benefits of social inclusion for culturally and linguistically diverse communities, specifically migrant communities. It shows that improving social inclusion would mean quantifiable economic benefits to Australia of $12.7 billion per annum. The following excerpts from the Report exemplify how these economic benefits arise from the five key drivers identified by the Report: Increased productivity in the workplace: Business benefits from social inclusion in a number of ways: diversity can be a source of creativity and innovation, lifting productivity; social inclusion can also lift profitability and help target market segments. Improved employment outcomes: Greater social inclusion means people are less likely to face discrimination, increasing their capacity to gain employment or longer work hours and contribute to the economy. […] Part of the $12.7 billion [per annum in quantifiable economic benefits to Australia] figure— approximately $5 billion—represents higher productivity from more creative and innovative workplaces where employees experience greater inclusion. But there are also labour market benefits from increased employment, worth almost $1.2 billion to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) each year. […] Improvement in mental and physical health: Social inclusion can counteract isolation and increase community participation, which helps to alleviate health problems, especially mental health issues like anxiety and depression. […]16 For example, the Report states that if social inclusion levels were to improve by 14% amongst migrant communities, using the most conservative estimate from Deloitte’s econometric modelling, there would be a $6.5 billion increase in quality of life for the migrant community population of Australia.17 The remaining key drivers of economic benefits outlined in the Report are: Reduced cost of social services: Social inclusion reduces the cost of social services by easing pressure on the public health system and reducing the need for income and housing support payments. […]18 A 2014 study on the need to close the gap for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ employment outcomes, found that there would be a net fiscal improvement to the Australian government of around $12 billion. This was partly driven by greater tax revenue; however, there was

19 The Surveys, page 4 20 The Surveys, page 76 21 The Report, page 7 22 The Report, page 32 23 The Report, page 7

Page 6 of 16

also an estimated benefit of $4.7 billion in lower expenditure in areas such as health, housing and social security. Similarly, the Australian Human Rights Commission has recognised that improved employment outcomes for people with a mental disability would reduce demand on welfare systems.19 Inclusive growth: By lifting wages and workforce participation in areas of socioeconomic disadvantage, the benefits of economic growth can be shared more evenly across all Australian communities. […]20 Deloitte has looked at both the economic benefits of prioritising inclusive growth and the costs that can arise from neglecting it as a policy objective. The 2017 Confidently Queensland report found that home ownership, job opportunities and access to education were becoming increasingly concentrated in the central and south-east areas of Queensland, with regional areas being left behind. The potential dividend from addressing this disparity and achieving inclusive growth, among other policy objectives, was estimated to be a $54 billion bigger Queensland economy by 2027. Similarly, Deloitte has found in Victoria that social disadvantage has been increasingly clustered around the outer fringes of Melbourne, with these areas experiencing lower labour participation and wages than inner-Melbourne areas. Lifting wages and workforce participation in these areas of socioeconomic disadvantage may help benefits to be realised across the whole state—estimated by Deloitte to be some $3.3 billion per annum. Similarly, there are often large disparities in economic and social outcomes in some regional, remote and very remote areas of Australia.21

Figure 1 An excerpt from the Report’s accompanying summary card (print material)

24 The Report, page 27 25 The Report, page 7 26 The Report, page 28

Page 7 of 16

The Report affirms that ‘SBS positively influences opportunities for participation and as such, improves belonging – these all drive changed community behaviours and contribute tangibly to a more socially inclusive Australia.’ 22 An example is Small Business Secrets, hosted by SBS World News presenter Ricardo Gonçalves. It focuses on the small business owners and innovators playing a vital role in Australia's society and economic growth. The program’s content is also available on On Demand. Small Business Secrets supports entrepreneurship, business initiatives and employment opportunities by showcasing stories of successful migrant- and Indigenous- run businesses (see Figure 2).

22 Deloitte Access Economics, The economic benefits of improving social cohesion, https://www2.deloitte.com/au/benefits-improving-social-inclusion , page 52

Page 8 of 16

Figure 2 An example of Small Business Secrets stories focusing on Australia’s migrants23 SBS content services Through its six free-to-air television channels and SBS On Demand video-on-demand platform, SBS provides audiences throughout Australia with a vast collection of multicultural dramas and documentaries telling local stories (for example Go Back to Where You Came From24); major international sporting events, such as the recent 2018 FIFA World Cup RussiaTM; a channel devoted to exploring the world and its cultures through food; as well as news, information and reports from regional Australia by our correspondents located in different states and territories. SBS provides the opportunity for a diverse array of views and voices to be represented in mainstream media. It provides unique content that supports migrant and Indigenous communities and promotes the benefits of a more inclusive society to all Australians, at a time when inspiring a greater understanding of the value of diversity has never been more important. An example is First Contact25 which was broadcast in 2014 (Season 1) and 2016 (Season 2). These observational documentaries took a group of six well-known Australians who had diverse, deeply entrenched preconceptions and opinions about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people into indigenous communities both in the city and the country. The series won a Logie Award for Most Outstanding Factual or Documentary Program in 2015, and was adapted by Canada’s Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN). The Canadian version of First Contact premiered in 2018.26

23 This Small Business Secret story is available on SBS News website at https://www.sbs.com.au/news/at- a-unique-sydney-bookshop-multilingual-storytellers-are-keeping-languages-alive 24 Go Back to Where You Came From follows Australians who have differing opinions on Australia's asylum seeker debate being taken on a journey in reverse to that which refugees have taken to reach Australia. 25 First Contact available on SBS On Demand at https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/program/first-contact 26 First Contact available on APTN at https://aptn.ca/firstcontact/

Page 9 of 16

Figure 3 First Contact Season 1 on SBS On Demand website27: the series took non-indigenous Australians to Roebourne Regional Prison, WA; Echo Island, NT; and the Uluru. Regional Australia SBS understands the importance of regional Australia as a key focus of current Government’s initiatives, especially on the topics of population growth and migration.28 SBS is continually developing the Settlement Guide (see below) as a resource for communities and settlement services. As appropriate, the Settlement Guide may focus on issues specific to migration in regional areas. SBS also has correspondents and producers located in different states and territories who report news and information relevant to regional Australia. For example, SBS’s Queensland correspondent, Stefan Armbruster, was recently awarded the 2019 Multicultural Queensland Award (Media Category) for coverage of Toowoomba embracing and welcoming Yazidi refugees at the Toowoomba Languages and Cultures Festival.29 Another example of SBS’s unique content that explores multicultural Australia in its regions and rural areas is Where Are You Really From? a documentary series currently in its second season. Hosted by comedian Michael Hing, the series delves into serious issues like racism, from a humorous perspective, as well as telling uplifting stories of successful migrant settlement in Australia. From country Victoria to regional Queensland, Michael Hing speaks to Chinese, Sikh and South Sudanese migrants among others (see Figure 4)

27 First Contact available on SBS On Demand at https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/program/first-contact 28 A plan for Australia’s Future Population, Prime Minister of Australia, available at https://www.pm.gov.au/media/plan-australias-future-population 29 ‘The Queensland town welcoming Australia’s newest refugees’ https://www.sbs.com.au/news/the- queensland-town-welcoming-australia-s-newest-refugees

Page 10 of 16

Figure 4 Where Are You Really From? Season 2 on SBS On Demand website30: the series explores migrants’ lives in regional towns of Katanning, Western Australia; Ingham, Far North Queensland; South Australia’s Barossa Valley region and Western Sydney’s suburb of Fairfield. SBS is continually looking for innovative ways to connect with audiences across Australia through its content and services. In September 2019, SBS provided a submission to the Joint Parliamentary Standing Committee on Migration Learning from Regional Migration Success Stories Inquiry. In this submission, SBS noted that SBS has played a unique and significant role in supporting settlement of migrants for more than 40 years. Considering its area of expertise, SBS is exceptionally well placed to facilitate and support the success of migration to regional Australia. 31 and that SBS welcomes opportunities to explore potential partnerships with local, state and federal entities— for the purpose of expanding its existing functions as well as looking at opportunities to provide additional services, in order to further assist with regional settlement needs.32 SBS Settlement Guide Building on SBS Radio’s long history of providing balanced and impartial news and information to migrants, the SBS Settlement Guide was launched in 2016, with more than 35 SBS Radio language services now producing broadcast and online settlement features. These features include ‘need-to-know’ facts about settling in Australia, including regional Australia (see Figure 5). They provide information about aspects of daily life, local culture, history, and government services (for example, tips on how to access medical services, surf safety, find a playgroup, enrol to vote, and lodge a tax return). Each Settlement Guide is produced in-house as an audio feature for radio, a text article for online and a ‘listicle’ for sharing on social media.

30 Where are you really from? available on On Demand at https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/program/where-are-you-really-from 31 SBS Submission to the Joint Parliamentary Standing Committee on Migration Learning from Regional Migration Success Stories Inquiry, not yet published. 32 ibid

Page 11 of 16

The Settlement Guide relates directly to SBS’s purpose of informing, educating and inspiring all Australians, and by so doing encouraging social cohesion. The Guide is available in Bangla, Filipino, Gujarati, Hindi, Indonesian, Korean, Malayalam, Nepali, Punjabi, Sinhalese, Tamil, Urdu, Arabic, Cantonese, Mandarin, Vietnamese, Kurdish, Spanish, Amharic, Dari, Dinka, Persian, Khmer, Pashto, Swahili, Thai, Tigrinya, Turkish, Hmong, Hakha Chin, Karen, Kirundi, Mongolian, Rohingya, Tibetan and Somali. 33

Figure 5 Example of a Settlement Guide’s podcast on SBS Thai website34 SBS already regularly engages with communities and stakeholders working in the settlement sector as it produces Settlement Guide. SBS would welcome further engagement with relevant Government and non-Government service providers to look at improving awareness of these services, and expanding them where possible (depending on available resourcing). Future initiatives may focus on issues specific to Australia’s democracy, civic participation and social cohesion topics. Education and training resources SBS Learn is an education function of SBS dedicated to providing educational resources linked to SBS documentaries, drama series, news and current affairs and other network productions. Resources are developed in accordance with the Australian Curriculum. SBS would welcome future opportunities for SBS Learn to support migration and social cohesion in regional areas. In particular, as noted above, there may be opportunities for SBS Learn to contribute to future digital literacy initiatives 35. SBS has extensive

33 SBS Settlement Guide available at https://www.sbs.com.au/radio/settlement-guide 34 Australia’s Political System Settlement Guide in Thai language available at https://www.sbs.com.au/language/thai/audio/settlement-guide-australia-s-political-system_1

35 The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission proposed a role for SBS in digital literacy initiatives in the Digital Platforms Inquiry – Final Report, page 21, published in July 2019 and available at https://www.accc.gov.au/system/files/Digital%20platforms%20inquiry%20-%20final%20report.pdf

Page 12 of 16 experience working with partners to draw on expertise of relevant subject matter experts. For example, ahead of the August 2019 premiere of SBS drama, The Hunting36, SBS partnered with the eSafety Commissioner to produce educational resources to assist parents and teachers to keep young people safe online. In 2016, Multicultural NSW and International Education Services partnered with SBS to produce the Cultural Competence Program (the CCP)37. This mobile app and online training tool assists Australian organisations to navigate and maximise the benefits of cultural diversity in the workplace by exploring topics including cross-cultural communication, addressing stereotypes and unconscious bias (see Figure 6). In the same year, SBS’s Cultural Atlas was also created as a supplementary resource to the CCP. It provides a unique opportunity for users to gain a broad understanding of the norms and behaviour of various cultures.

Figure 6 Example of Cultural Competence modules on SBS Learn website38 Future initiatives to support understanding of Australia’s democratic system, civic participation and social cohesion could benefit from expanded platforms and tools of this type, which would help foster greater understanding among Australians from different community groups and language backgrounds.

36 The Hunting follows the lives of four young Australians, their teachers and families throughout the lead up, revelation and aftermath of a nude teen photo scandal. It explores the experiences of the teenagers as they traverse the complexities of relationships, identity and sexuality via technology. 37 Further information about SBS’s Cultural Competence Program available at https://cultural- competence.com.au/home 41 Cultural Competence online modules available at https://www.sbs.com.au/learn/cultural-competence- program

Page 13 of 16

SBS’s role in social cohesion SBS is strongly supportive of, and provides services to, migrants in Australia, with the aim of encouraging participation in Australian civic and economic life. This is both an immediate and a long-term need: migrants need immediate assistance in establishing a life in Australia, while also require long-term support in language development and maintenance, cultural understanding and social cohesion as well as links to their home country. Australians who have been here for longer periods will also benefit from support or information which helps them to feel at ease with, and in many cases to embrace, the diversity that comes with Australia’s multiculturalism. Achieving this means that all Australians can enjoy a multicultural and socially cohesive society as well as subsequent economic benefits arising from an inclusive society. SBS welcomes measures to strengthen settlement services and support new migrants, by way of immediate and long-term initiatives. At the same time, it also functions to foster greater understanding between people of different groups in the society, including Australians who have been here for longer periods. To achieve these aims, SBS continues to look for opportunities to partner with governments of all levels and with non-governmental organisations. Part D: Governing in a democracy The promotion and facilitation of participation in the political process is a key way in which SBS contributes to our democratic system. Advertising SBS, through its commercial airtime, provides democratic institutions (across all levels of government) with the opportunity to engage directly with the public, through the purchase of advertising on SBS platforms. This is an opportunity to reach multicultural, multilingual and Indigenous audiences, regarding the Government services which are available to them. SBS Media provides expertise in accredited translation and production services at commercial rates, to facilitate this process. Elections SBS also considers that it is important to support the participation of Australia’s diverse communities in Australia’s civic processes, including elections, by broadcasting information about those processes which it considers to be in the public interest. For example, in the most recent Federal election, SBS published explainers, on topics such as how to enrol; how and why to vote; and how Parliament works; in six languages39. In order to provide information to the community about federal elections and referendums, and in accordance with SBS’s programming policy of seeking to represent a range of significant perspectives on issues of public interest, SBS provides free airtime on its television and radio services to the Government, the Official Opposition, and to eligible minor parties. The free airtime allocated under these guidelines is broadcast as community information for which SBS does not receive any consideration in cash or in kind. SBS also provides information about elections and referendums through its television, radio and online news and current affairs services.

39 In-language explainers were available in: Vietnamese, Korean, Mandarin, Cantonese, Italian and Arabic.

Page 14 of 16

Part E: Public debate The Discussion Paper poses the question of the ‘nature and quality of public debate in Australia’40 SBS plays a key role in encouraging and conducting constructive debate in a trusted environment. SBS’s Charter (Appendix A) requires the organisation to ‘…reflect the changing nature of Australian society, by presenting many points of view and using innovative forms of expression’. In addition to inclusiveness, robust and open public debate is essential to a democracy. An ongoing challenge to media in this space is the existing framework of laws which limit the capacity of journalists to gather and publish information in the public interest. In July 2019, Australia’s Right to Know Coalition (ARTK), of which SBS is a member, provided a submission to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security Inquiry into the impact of the exercise of law enforcement and intelligence powers on the freedom of the press (ARTK submission).41 In this submission, ARTK noted that, [t]he right to free speech, a free media and access to information – in service of the public’s right to know – are fundamental to Australia’s modern democratic society: a society that prides itself on openness, responsibility and accountability…[h]owever, unlike some comparable modern democracies, Australia has no national laws enshrining these rights..[the absence of such an explicit right in Australia means that every law that restricts the public’s right to know challenges the fundamental principles that are the foundation of a modern, liberal democratic society.42 The ARTK submission proposes a range of issues to be considered during law reform to support media freedom and strengthen Australia’s democracy. Full details of each of these are available in the submission.43. SBS supports the ongoing consideration of, and discussion around, these proposed reforms, as well as other legislative reforms that could affect public debate, such as surveillance. SBS welcomes further consultation on these proposed reforms. Conclusion SBS is key to sustaining and strengthening democracy, and has an important role to play in reflecting and deepening our sense of nationhood and national identity. SBS news and current affairs services, as well as its broader content offering, ensure that multicultural and multilingual Australia is explored and celebrated in Australian media. The social and economic benefits of social cohesion are well-documented, and SBS has an important role in supporting Australia to becoming an increasingly inclusive society. Transparency and public debate are key to Australia’s democratic society, and SBS supports further consideration of law reform to support media freedom.

40 Discussion Paper, page 6 41 ARTK submission https://www.aph.gov.au/DocumentStore.ashx?id=827fa2a6-ab85-4792-be5d- 534dd3527658&subId=668376 42 ARTK submission, page 3 43 ARTK submission, page 5

Page 15 of 16

Appendix A – SBS Charter The SBS Charter, provided in the SBS Act, sets out the principal functions of SBS and a number of duties it has to fulfil. The Charter, contained in Section 6 of the Special Broadcasting Services Act 1991, states:

(1) The principal function of the SBS is to provide multilingual and multicultural radio, television and digital media services that inform, educate and entertain all Australians and, in doing so, reflect Australia's multicultural society.

(2) SBS, in performing its principal function, must:

(a) contribute to meeting the communications needs of Australia's multicultural society, including ethnic, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities; and

(b) increase awareness of the contribution of a diversity of cultures to the continuing development of Australian society; and

(d) contribute to the retention and continuing development of language and other cultural skills; and

(e) as far as practicable, inform, educate and entertain Australians in their preferred languages; and

(f) make use of Australia's diverse creative resources; and (g) to the extent to which the function relates to radio and television services— contribute to the overall diversity of Australian television and radio services, particularly taking into account the contribution of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and the community broadcasting sector; and (h) to the extent to which the function relates to radio and television services— contribute to extending the range of Australian television and radio services, and reflect the changing nature of Australian society, by presenting many points of view and using innovative forms of expression.

Page 16 of 16