First Nations Media News: Event update, Facebook issues

Does this image look familiar? Many of our members have been impacted by the restrictions imposed by Facebook yesterday on all Australian news outlets. This is Facebook's response to a proposed Bill requiring tech companies (Facebook & Google) to pay for news content. First Nations Media Australia is working to resolve this issue currently. You may have seen our public statement issued yesterday, which you're very welcome to share through your own networks. Meanwhile, we have been in contact with relevant Ministers who are working on the Code and we have written to all Senators seeking their support for amendments to the proposed legislation to protect First Nations media organisations from being caught up in an issue that is largely relevant to corporate media interests. We will continue to pursue a resolution with Government and Facebook over the weekend and into next week, highlighting the importance of First Nations media services and the need to support and strengthen our news services.

While CONVERGE Lismore is go - the Remote Indigenous Media Festival we had planned to run this year in the Kimberley will need to be postponed. Together with our co-hosts, PAKAM it was agreed that planning to take a large group of people into a remote community in WA right now is too risky with changing travel restrictions. Plus a delayed CONVERGE now scheduled for May makes it difficult for both our team and our members to get organised for the planned Remote Media Festival in June. So instead, we're going to re-schedule the Remote Indigenous Media Festival to 2022.

The FNMA News Team is busy planning the final arrangements for the Workshop in Alice Springs next week. Documentary and News Journalist Sharon Davis is facilitating with David Liddle and Nancia Guivarra. Participants in the workshop include community reporters Sylvia Tabua from TSIMA, Velma Gara from Townsville, Rohanna Angus from One Arm Point, WA, Fiona Hayden from Geraldson, Keisha James and Tangiora Hinaki from Ngaarda Media. Others are attending the Workshop online. For more details get in touch with David Liddle.

We have had a great response from First Nations media orgs who are keen to set up an archive site on the on the First Nations Media Archive hub during 2021. We are about to start adding new sites, so let us know if your organisation would like to participate.

First Nations Media Australia has received Australia Council funding to assist up to 15 organisations to set up Mukurtu online archives on the hub. This open source system enables organisations to catalogue, upload and share your media content according to local community access protocols. FNMA can provide assistance with the setup and hosting of your site as well as targeted training and support for organisations to manage your own collections.

The Archiving Workshop in Alice Springs has been postponed to 10-12th March - there are a few places left.

Contact Daniel Featherstone for a workshop plan, to book a place, or to find out more about FNMA's archiving training and support.

As the next step of its Future Delivery of Radio in Australia review, the ACMA is proposing amendments to the temporary community broadcasting license guidelines. A consultation process on proposed guidelines is underway with submissions due on 24 March. First Nations Media Australia will be making a submission on behalf of the sector and invites input from any members currently holding a TCBL license, or thinking about applying for one. To contribute to the FNMA submission, contact Claire. And/or you may want to make your own submission directly to the ACMA. Read the proposed guidelines and consultation process here.