Indigenous voices in the global public sphere: Analysis of approaches to journalism within the WITBN network

Abstract

Abstract The World Indigenous Television Broadcasting Network (WITBN) consists of Indigenous broadcasters from around the world. During the WITBN Conference WITBC 2012 in Guovdageaidnu, Sámiland (Norway), a number of interviews were conducted with Indigenous media workers from within the broadcast network. Based upon a selection of these interviews, this article aims to present an analysis of approaches to Indigenous (television) journalism drawing upon data from Australia, Canada, Finland, Hawaii, Norway, Scotland, Sweden, Taiwan and Wales. This analysis will be framed in relation to the wider context of Indigenous peoples’ rights and politics. Drawing upon theoretical frameworks on racism and exclusion vs democracy and inclusion based on self-determination, this article aims to highlight the role of Indigenous media and journalism in making the public sphere more diverse and creating new global networks between previously silenced voices with the help of new technical solutions. The article will demonstrate how, while presenting an Indigenous perspective of the world, these Indigenous broadcasters do ‘real journalism’ just as any majority broadcasting company and while perceiving their own Indigenous communities as their core audience, they aim to reach wider audiences with their programming, thus providing a window for majority audiences into Indigenous realities. The article also highlights how the international movement of indigeneity as a political process impacts upon Indigenous broadcasters in ways that are different from their autochthonous professional colleagues.