Class, race and power all play a major part in the news media, which is a large .
The perpetuation of racism in Australian society is blamed .
on the mainstream news media, as racist preconceptions are reflected and reinforced .
through the use of racialised messages. The news media not only perpetuates racism in .
society but also creates subtle notions of bias and exclusion by stereotyping certain .
groups. In turn the media has the power to impose particular values and beliefs, framing .
society's experience of social reality.
In theory the news media, is a democracy, expected to nurture an informed .
audience by providing balanced and impartial reporting of events and issues. However, .
the news media has a much larger role in shaping the way members of a society think and .
behave. One of the goals of the media should be to represent the prevailing differences of .
culture, opinion and social conditions of the populations as a whole. Unfortunately this .
isn't the case in contemporary media, as the images of minority groups are depicted .
negatively. Therefore, the media is important in regards to race and ethnicity because it is .
the primary source of indirect or mediated experiences that reinforce racial attitudes and .
beliefs. Many stories in the newspapers with regards to Aboriginal people have been of a .
negative attitude, continually referring to acts of criminality and deviance. It is not very .
often that a news story regarding the success of an Aboriginal person is portrayed. Thus, .
mass media can be viewed as a place where reality is constructed and racism is produced. .
It is no secret that the news media is market-driven, therefore they are not merely .
a tool to inform the public; they are also mechanisms that construct social reality through .
the placement of coded messages that reinforce an idea of what is good, acceptable, and .
desirable. Those in control of the media output to a large extent, define society's beliefs .
