MDA CEO on ‘Things I’ve Heard’ and the value of personalisation
Media Diversity Australia posted the #ThingsIveHeard hashtag to its Twitter account to highlight instances of casual discrimination towards minorities in media. Its CEO Mariam Veiszadeh spoke to Mumbrella’s Anna Macdonald on the surprising stories that were shared, the importance of humanising statistics and how, ultimately, Media Diversity Australia’s purpose is to put itself out of work.
Media Diversity Australia (MDA) launched a campaign on Twitter using the hashtag #ThingsIveHeard to highlight the microaggressions faced by Culturally And Linguistically Diverse (CALD) and other minority journalists.
The inaugural CEO of MDA Mariam Veiszadeh, who was appointed last November, tells Mumbrella the comments that were posted under the hashtag were shocking.
One of the social assets for the #ThingsIveHeard campaign
The Millers Point comment is a bad example.
The motivating factor behind the editors comment was the fact that long term housing tenants at Millers Point were costing the government dearly by residing in ‘expensive to maintain’ heritage listed properties in the centre of Sydney with substantial values on the open market.
With a long waiting list for public housing, selling these properties allows many more people to be housed in brand new purpose built homes in other parts of Sydney for the same budget.
The point being made is – Why should some on welfare continue to live in expensive residences with harbour views when others on welfare are still waiting to be housed?
There is no class comparison.
It’s about equal opportunity for those who need public housing.