MEDIA RELEASE

First Nations Media Australia is supporting Government and peak Indigenous organisation calls for people to stay at home and stay on community, especially during the upcoming Easter break.
First Nations Media organisations are reinforcing the calls by producing content made by community for the community, with strong messages about ways to stay healthy and safe during the COVID19 pandemic.

inDigiMOB, a project of FNMA that supports digital literacy, uptake and access, in remote areas, is continuing its work supporting digital workers and trainers on community to produce material.

inDigiMOB manager Ben Smede said many of the partner community media organisations were producing innovative messages to get the latest information about COVID19 out to communities.

“Our digital access workers and digital mentors are working to support media workers on the ground to get out key information as fast as possible.

“An example of this is the work produced by PAW Media incorporating Indigimojis, another innovative project supported by inDigiMOB.

“The result is a strong audiovisual message that clearly illustrates why people should stay at home and not travel to towns and other communities.

“This is important work on getting out very important messages that, as has been said by everyone from the Prime Minister down, can save lives.”

Mr Smede said inDigiMOB had a strong record over the past four years of facilitating digital activities and workshops with remote Indigenous communities.

“We have built up a strong base in more than 20 communities, building skills and basic digital literacy. inDigiMOB’s work also sustains jobs and work on community by providing employment opportunities in the digital field.”

FNMA CEO Catherine Liddle said inDigiMOB was one of the important ways the organisation was working to support media organisations working hard to get key information out about COVID19.

“First Nations media organisations will do everything we can to make sure all members of our communities stay safe and healthy.

“FNMA has been successful in attracting some extra funding to assist media organisations to create content in response to COVID19.

“We are also focussed in supporting our media organisations to sustain their businesses into a challenging future.”

ABOUT inDigiMOB

inDigiMOB is a project of First Nations Media Australia supported by Telstra, designed to improve digital inclusion particularly for people living in remote parts of the Northern Territory.

The intent of the program is reflected in its four main objectives:

1)     Address critical barriers to the take up and use of information and communications technologies (ICTs), tools and online services
2)     Apply the use of ICTs to address local and community needs and projects
3)     Establish and demonstrate benefits of local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander digital mentors
4)     Establish employment models for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander digital mentor jobs.

The program commenced in 2016 with a pilot in four Alice Springs town camps through Tangentyere Council’s Community Centres and at Batchelor’s Arlparra Learning Centre. It now operates in 20 Northern Territory locations.

The inDigiMOB model emphasises an employment model where Digital Access Workers employed by partner organisations work alongside community-based Digital Mentors who are employed—mostly on a casual or part time basis—through partner or other community organisations.

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