Asian Media in Transition

Using examples from recent editions (from the last 6 months) of a particular English language newspaper published in Asia, examine how Australia and Australian issues are being reported in the newspaper. In your essay, provide a context for understanding Australia’s role in the region. You can draw on the readings for topic 2 for this. Make sure you include a thesis statement/proposition in your introduction, explaining what the central argument of your essay is. For example, it may be that discussion of Australia’s treatment of asylum seekers in Asia are still framed by the country’s historical treatment of immigrants, presenting Australia as still being stuck in the conservative past. Discuss how the reporting of Australia situates Australia in the region and the implications of these representations of Australia in Asia.

Australia have been in an on-going struggle to cope with an almost constant influx of asylum seekers, many originally from Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Iran and Iraq, who make their way to Australia by boat via Southeast Asia. Australia is constantly in the spot light regarding its treatment of these aforementioned asylum seekers, with the media ever-questioning whether their complex array of policies are framed by the country’s historical treatment of immigrants, presenting Australia as still being stuck in the conservative past. Using examples from recent editions of the Jakarta Post, the largest English language newspaper in Indonesia, this essay will examine how Australia and the treatment of asylum seekers issue is being reported, how it situates Australia in the region and the implications of these representations of Australia in Asia.
Since Australia became a nation in 1901, a number of recurring themes have shaped the actions of generations of policymakers: as a creation of imperial Britain, Australia has always been a long way from ‘home’ and often painfully conscious of its isolation and potential vulnerability; “The sense of

References: Abolition of the 'White Australia ' Policy. 2012. Australian Government. Department of Immigration and Citizenship. Retrieved on October 15, 2012 from http://www.immi.gov.au/media/fact-sheets/08abolition.htm Anti-Discrimination Board of New South Wales Basorie, W. 2012. Indonesia’s press is dangerously free. The Jakarta Post. Retrieved on October 17, 2012 from http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/05/15/indonesia-s-press-dangerously-free.html Beeson, M Broinowski, A. 2001. About face: asian representations of Australia. Retrieved on 14 October, 2012, from https://digitalcollections.anu.edu.au/bitstream/1885/46227/6/02whole.pdf Ferguson, J Graham, D. 2012. Get the message: No advantage! Right?. The Jakarta Post. Retrieved on October 14, 2012 from http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/09/13/get-message-no-advantage-right-part-1-2.html Graham, D Kelly, P. 1999. Delusion of Grandeur. Weekend Australian, 11-12th December, p25. Khoo, O. 2006. Telling Stories: The Sacrificial Asian in Australian Cinema. Journal of Intercultural Studies, 27:1, pp. 45-63. Klocker, N. and Dunn, K. 2003. Who’s driving the asylum debate? Newspaper and government representations of asylum seekers. Retrieved on 14 October, 2012, from http://www.uws.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0010/26956/A17.pdf Kelly, P Morrison, M. 2012. Time to rethink Australian policies. The Jakarta Post. Retrieved on October 14, 2012 from http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/05/05/time-rethink-australian-policies.html Santosa, N Saragih, B. 2012. RI disappointed over people smuggling report. The Jakarta Post. Retrieved on October 14, 2012 from http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/06/07/ri-disappointed-over-people-smuggling-report.html Walker, D