Problem
The media is an example of a powerful institution which shapes our knowledge. Incorporate these prompt questions into a synthesised reflection:
1) Thinking about your knowledge of Australian history, does the author provide all the information required to understand the issue being discussed? What information is missing?
2) Is there a presumption that readers already hold views about Indigenous peoples? What are the taken-for-granted assumptions?
3) What would a reader infer about the relationship between Indigenous peoples and non-Indigenous peoples based on the text of the article? How are Indigenous and non-Indigenous people positioned in the article? (e.g., is there a social or cultural norm evident? Are Indigenous peoples constructed as different to or divergent from the norm?)
4) Is there an Indigenous viewpoint included in the article? If yes, how does the author use Indigenous perspectives to support or contradict the main message? If no, how could this influence a readers' perception of Indigenous people and of the main message in the article?