Black Dog Institute releases guidelines on reporting First Nations issues
The Black Dog Institute has released the ‘Good Yarn Guidelines’ – a series of “practical and reasonable steps” that media outlets can follow when reporting on First Nations issues.
The Institute explains the guidelines were developed in response to the rampant misinformation and hate speech in media reporting during the Voice referendum, and “the documented negative impacts on social and emotional wellbeing, mental health and, in some cases, personal safety” such disinformation can cause.
The set of best practices allows media to write about Indigenous issues, people, and communities, “in a way that is culturally sensitive, psychologically safe, historically accurate and supports social and emotional wellbeing,” a spokesperson explains.
The Black Dog Institute also points to Principle 7 of the Australian Press Council’s Statement of General Principles: “Media organisations should take reasonable steps to avoid causing or contributing materially to substantial offence, distress or prejudice, or a substantial risk to health or safety, unless doing so is sufficiently in the public interest.”
The guidelines will be released to media outlets today, and were developed by Australia’s leading experts in First Nations social and emotional wellbeing.
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Nathan Jolly is the Features Editor at Mumbrella. He joined the team in July, 2023.
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