Journalist and author Sam De Brito had a revelation last year. After spending time in remote Aboriginal communities he realised that throughout his career in the media he had not worked with one Indigenous person.

“It made me realise that in 20 years as a journalist I had never with an indigenous reporter sub editor a cartoonist a photographer a camera person and I just went that really strange and its really sad”

It was this epiphany that sparked a ‘Foot in the Door’, a unique work experience program giving 18 young Indigenous people a taste of Australia’s most influential newspapers, magazines and television stations.

Shantal Heritage use to pour over old issues of Girlfriend magazine in her Thursday Island home while dreaming of a career in journalism. With a Foot in the Door she is now living her dream with a placement at Girlfriend magazine. Shantal hopes to change the way mainstream media portrays Aboriginal people.

“A lot of the times indigenous people portrayed through the media its always negative things about how indigenous people are doing something wrong”

Morika Biljabu is a natural born photographer, intrigued by faces she loves to capture everyday life in her community of Punmu in the Great Sandy Desert. Her placement at the Sydney Morning Herald’s photographic department has inspired her to work towards a career as a freelance photographer.

“Sometime maybe I think maybe I could be a famous photographer somewhere”

CEO of Sky News Angelo Frangopoulos and Girlfriend magazine editor Sarah Cornish jumped at the chance to participate - they both agreed that media organisations would benefit from more Indigenous staff.

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TRANSCRIPT


KG: A new program is offering opportunities to young people from remote Aboriginal communities. A Foot in the Door is a unique work experience program aimed at getting more Indigenous people into the media industry. Video journalist Allan Clarke has the story. Reporter: In the Great Sandy Desert a career in media is for most just a dream, but Morika Biljabu is breaking the mould. She's 1 of 18 students selected to participate in a work experience program giving young Indigenous Australians a crack at the media industry in Sydney. Working alongside some of Australia's top news photographers at the 'Sydney Morning Herald', Morika is hoping her aspirations will become a reality.

Morika Biljabu: Sometime, maybe, I think maybe, I could be a famous photographer somewhere.

Reporter: Journalist and author Sam de Brito started the Foot in the Door program after visiting remote Indigenous communities in North Queensland and Thursday Island.

Sam De Brito, Journalist: Then it made me realise that in 20 years as a journalist I had never worked with an Indigenous reporter, a subeditor, a cartoonist, a photographer, a cameraperson, and I just went, "That's really strange and it's really sad." when there's 450,000 people in this country who are identified as Indigenous.

Reporter: The students have been placed in some of the nation's most influential media organisations and Sam believes it's a great way of opening up the industry to Aboriginal people.

Sam De Brito: So if you take them out of that community give them a chance to compete on a level playing surface for five days and they see, "Actually I can do this."

Reporter: Shantal never thought her goal of becoming a journalist would be realised. She was unsatisfied with much of the media coverage of Indigenous people.

Shantal Heritage: A lot of the times the Indigenous people who are portrayed through the media, it's always negative things about how Indigenous people are doing something wrong.

Reporter: With a Foot in the Door, Shantal is now completing her work experience at 'Girlfriend' magazine and plans to study communications at university next year.

Shantal Heritage: Me and my younger siblings will just sit there and read the 'Girlfriend' magazine over and over again. I got big wishes to come down and I was like, "Oh, I want to work there one day."

Sarah Cornish, Editor, 'Girlfriend' Magazine: The Indigenous community is under-represented in the mainstream media and, absolutely, the media should have a voice from all different parts of the community and, I think, especially the Indigenous community.

Reporter: Sky News CEO Angelo Frangopoulos says that it's time media organisations start employing Indigenous people.

Angelos Frangopoulos, Sky News CEO: I think its got to go right back to the level, right to the starting point of education. There need to be opportunities created for Indigenous students specifically for communication courses.

Reporter: Norelle is the first person in her family to see Sydney and she's in awe of the Opera House and the harbour. It's a long way from Punmu, in Western Australia.

Norelle Barndabba: None of my family's came over here and this is my first time, and I'm enjoying it here.

Reporter: After a week at Sky News, Norelle has set her sights on becoming a journalist.

Norelle: I think that's what I want to do for the rest of life, yeah. I'd love to be a journalist.

Reporter: While the students head back to their communities, Morika's taking home her ambitions for the future.

Morika Biljabu: If they want me to work here but I'll chose back home so I can work there and send pictures back.
Source: SBS