Indigenous media leaders lay bare 'terrifying' racism

Indigenous media leaders told a federal inquiry in Melbourne that racism in Australian media has escalated, with online abuse and delegitimizing of First Nations history and expertise becoming more frequent. John-Paul Janke, national Indigenous affairs editor for SBS and NITV, said he has seen an increase in online racial slurs and coordinated “pile-ons” resembling what he experienced in the 1970s. Former Today presenter Brooke Boney described receiving physical threats and urged stronger media accountability, calling for accuracy, context and correction mechanisms—especially in reporting linked to youth crime and racial profiling. Olympic boxer Marissa Williamson Pohlman said a Boxing Australia official threatened “repercussions” for her using the Aboriginal flag at an Olympic qualifier in the Solomon Islands.