This report is a collaboration between the News & Media Research Centre at the University of Canberra and the Special Broadcasting Service (SBS), Australia’s multilingual and multicultural broadcaster. The report focuses on how the news media can play a role in driving a sense of belonging among multilingual audiences. The aim is to better understand the relationship between multilingual audiences’ sense of belonging, their participation in Australian society, and perceptions of trust and representation in the news.

This study was conducted using an inclusive research design. A sample of five language groups was surveyed — Arabic, Cantonese, Italian, Mandarin, and Vietnamese. These language groups were chosen so both new and established migrant communities in Australia were included. Respondents were given a choice of completing the survey in English, or in their preferred language, to ensure inclusiveness. The research adapts communication infrastructure theory to examine belonging in three different community types: local community, language/cultural community, and Australian society.

The report aims to spark a new conversation about how multicultural Australia thinks and talks about informed citizens, participation and social cohesion. The research represents an important early step in uncovering attitudes among Australia’s ever-evolving linguistically and culturally diverse communities. It shows the vital role that fair representation of multilingual communities in the news media plays in encouraging migrants to feel at home and empowering them to participate in society.