Since the 2023 Voice to Parliament referendum, something subtle, but deeply significant, has been happening across Australia’s media landscape. The loud and often polarising national conversation that dominated the lead-up to the vote has given way to something else entirely: silence.
Not the silence of stillness, but the silence of absence.
Local news outlets, once relatively consistent in their coverage of First Nations issues, have dramatically slowed their reporting. Even community and lifestyle-focused publications, which previously highlighted Aboriginal excellence, local initiatives, and community voices, now publish far fewer First Nations stories.
As we regularly collate these stories for our audiences, the gap is easy to see. Since the Voice referendum’s defeat, positive First Nations coverage hasn’t just declined, it has become something you have to actively search for.
Meanwhile, the negative or deficit-based stories that fit long-held stereotypes continue to circulate widely because they are easy to reproduce, share, or lift from other news sources. These pieces feed into a familiar and harmful media pattern: negative First Nations stories spread effortlessly; positive ones rarely make it past the gatekeepers.
This shift matters.
The referendum didn’t just expose political and social divides; it also revealed how dependent public understanding is on the stories the media chooses to amplify. Before the vote, First Nations voices were seen regularly across all news outlets, from interviews, opinion pieces, profiles, podcasts, and panel discussions. Now, those same voices struggle to find platforms unless the topic is conflict, injustice, or crisis. They were still underrepresented, but on the rise.
By contrast, stories of success, cultural strength, innovation, language revival, Elders’ leadership, or young people carving out their futures disappear into the margins. They remain present, happening every day across the state and the country but the media doesn’t reflect them back to the public. And when the mainstream doesn’t show them, most of the country never sees them.
This lack of coverage doesn’t mean First Nations communities have gone quiet. It means the media has stopped listening. And that silence is shaping perception.
At this moment, we think the federal government holds a profound responsibility. After the failure of the Voice referendum, an outcome that has left many First Nations people feeling dismissed and unheard, there is a moral obligation to ensure that First Nations-led news services are properly resourced, supported, and protected.
Without strong, well-funded Indigenous media, only negative stories will fill the gaps left by mainstream silence. This risks further maligning First Nations peoples, narrowing the national narrative, and fuelling prejudice.
At a time when neo-nazis are walking openly through Australian streets, the erosion of positive, community-driven First Nations storytelling is not just concerning, it's dangerous. Amplifying Indigenous voices is not optional; it is a safeguard against misinformation, division, and the rising emboldenment of extremist groups.
Until newsrooms commit to sustained, balanced, and community-centred reporting, not just during election cycles, national controversies, or moments of conflict, this silence will continue to grow. And the stories that could reshape understanding, heal divides, and highlight strength will remain buried, waiting for someone to go looking for them.
Australia deserves a media landscape that reflects its full truth. For now, we are left with the echo of what is missing, and the responsibility to call it out.