Analysis of Media's Impact on Cultural Safety in Healthcare

This Bachelor of Nursing assignment analyzes the influence of media on culturally safe healthcare within Australia's multicultural society. The essay examines the role and power of media in shaping public perceptions and disseminating information, emphasizing its dual function of informing and scrutinizing. Two media articles are critically analyzed to illustrate media's impact: one promoting positive cultural safety through an article on English language requirements for migrants, and another highlighting the negative impact of an article addressing alcohol abuse among Indigenous Australians. The analysis underscores how media can either reinforce or undermine cultural safety in healthcare, impacting patient care and societal attitudes. The assignment highlights the need for responsible media practices to foster understanding and respect within a diverse healthcare environment.

Bachelor Nursing Assignment
BACHELOR NURSING ASSIGNMENT
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Bachelor Nursing Assignment
Table of Contents
Introduction........................................................................................................................ 3
Media role............................................................................................................................ 3
Media power....................................................................................................................... 3
Media influence in relation to culturally safe health care...................................4
Analysis of media articles............................................................................................... 5
Conclusion........................................................................................................................... 8
References........................................................................................................................... 9
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Bachelor Nursing Assignment
Introduction
Media is a contemporary, diversified and vocal industry using traditional
along with digital formats to create its influence on society. The media influence
varies from country to country and society to society (Cunningham, 2011). Australia
is a multicultural society, therefore, media here has to influence or manipulate itself as
per the perceptions of all the multicultural population (Poster, 2018). In the Press
Freedom Index 2011-12, Australian media was ranked 30th out of 179th countries
(Cunningham, 2010). This study is an analysis of Australian media and its impact on
the cultural safety of this multicultural society in terms of healthcare. For this
analysis, two media articles are critically analysed as per their impact on Australian
society.
Media role
The viewpoint of Olien, Tichenor & Donohue (2018) stated Media as a
“Societal Control” is having the power to influence people with provided perceptions
in media. Basically, media in the country like Australia play two major roles, firstly
‘informing function’ that is the role of spreading the information and secondly
‘checking function’ that is the role to analyse the impact of that information on
society (Chaplin, Cox & Campbell, 2018). Media provides a platform for the power of
free speech and censorship to the public in Australia. The high-end innovative
broadcasting services of media play role in entertaining, informing, educating and
awareness for the public. As well as media provides a national identify sense to
different cultures in Australia promoting cultural diversity in the country
(Cunningham, 2010). In terms of cultural diversity, Australian media ensures stability
and equality for every culture in this multicultural society (Poster, 2018). Media is a
means of communicating information since ancient times that modify as per its tools
(newsletters, newspapers, television, radio, social media etc.). Further, media works
as an intermediate between people and government helping to detect, discuss and
resolve issues in society (Chaplin, Cox & Campbell, 2018).
Media power
The power of media is diversified from being useful as well as abusive
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Bachelor Nursing Assignment
depending on the influence it (news) wants to create on the public. Media holds the
power to educate or inform public regarding a specific aspect for the good of society,
in contrast, it also holds power to manipulate public regarding similar aspect for
various political or profit reasons (Cunningham, 2010). According to Olien, Tichenor
& Donohue (2018) studies media holds power to develop and destroy social
learning’s, attitudes, behaviours and viewpoints. According to Anikeeva, Steenkamp
& Arbon (2015) study, Laurie Oakes, one of the most respected political journalist of
Australian media describe media power by stating that "It is the threat of leaks that
keeps politicians honest...they are much more reluctant to lie or act improperly if they
know they could be found out". Olien, Tichenor & Donohue (2018) indicated that
Australia has predominantly English-speaking population that below to different
cultures, therefore, media needs a strong power here to impact or influence the
viewpoint of this public having a difference in perceptions. But, Anikeeva, Steenkamp
& Arbon (2015) stated that Australian media holds a sufficient power to influence this
diversified culture by its freedom of speech approach. Australian media hold
limitation in regulations that can overrule its freedom of speech that makes it one of
the most influencing media at the international platform.
Media influence in relation to culturally safe health care
Media is used as a tool in the healthcare field to transmit information,
knowledge, news and awareness to public improving their understanding of science
and its benefit to them. As healthcare information is one level above the common
sense of the general public, therefore, an honest transmission source is critically
important to ensure culturally safe healthcare. However, developing culturally safe
health care in Australia is always at a risk because of its culturally diverse society
having a huge difference in their perceptions (Power in Health Care Lupton, 2012).
The Australian media promises an enticing opportunity to implement research
services for public welfare, but, looking to another side of coin Scharrer &
Ramasubramanian (2015) indicated that there are fake news and viewpoint that are
disturbing cultural stability in Australian healthcare system especially related to
minority groups like Aboriginal Australians. The study demonstrates the positive as
well as the negative influence of Australian media in relation to culturally safe
healthcare in the country. Two different media articles, one creating positive impact
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Bachelor Nursing Assignment
and another creating negative impact on the public are critically analysed in terms of
culturally safe healthcare in Australia.
Analysis of media articles
The concept of cultural safety in healthcare ensures the respect, appreciation
and empowerment of all the culturally diversified people involved in healthcare that
are patients as well as practitioners. There are different determinants that work to
structure cultural safety in healthcare. One such determinant is media that may create
a positive or negative impact on cultural safety in healthcare. Media may work to
safeguard the cultural diversity of Australia in healthcare; in contrast, it may also
destroy this cultural diversity (Cunningham, 2010). This concept can be understood
by taking examples of media articles.
One media article that works to influence cultural safety in healthcare is Henry
Belot, 7 March 2018 release “New migrants living in 'cultural bubbles' need to
improve their English skills, Government warns”. This article is a media release
involving statement given by Citizenship Minister Alan Tudge regarding his concern
to protect multicultural society of Australia. According to Lester & Hutchins (2012)
viewpoint, any multicultural society requires a root to hold its unity in diversity.
Countries like Australia have been a suitable example to understand this phenomenon.
This media article details about changes in rules and norms for migrants moving to
Australia because migrants are not able to develop English skills required for
citizenship. The article basically demonstrates the changes made in the test to obtain
citizenship in Australia. The article is well researched providing productive and health
information that increases public understanding towards cultural togetherness in
Australia. The data provided is very straight forward without any biased added to it by
Author Henry. However, Rowe (2018) indicated that, as per critics, these changes are
harsh for migrants, but this article frames this as a contribution to multicultural
society creating a positive influence on Australian public. But, Fryberg et al. (2018)
described that the decision is indirectly favouring cultural stability and protection to
people on a long-term run. The citizens having good control over countries language
can easily adjust themselves to the multicultural environment in all sectors.
As per this article, migrants of Australia are not involved in their multicultural
society and living in their own comforting cultural bubbles. Therefore, tougher
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Bachelor Nursing Assignment
English language test to get citizenship will improve the involvement of migrants in
Australian cultural diversity. According to other media sources, this change by
Federal Government is to restrict or minimise migrants to get citizenship in Australia
rather the perspective of Government is structured in the positive manner in this
media article by Henry (Belot, 2018). But, these media critics are overruled by public
response towards this government rule because Australian immigrants as well as
citizens positively welcome this change.
The language used in article positively support Mr Tudge decision as a
beneficial decision for the Australian immigrants by sentences like “They build this
country”, “ The test did not need to be "university level", but needed to show "a
modest understanding" of the English language” etc. The article speech is hallowed
with words that clearly picture a positive image of this Federal Government decision
taken in favour of the Australian population to provide a culturally safe environment.
However, there are viewpoints mentioned in article that are against this decision of
government but writer clearly overrules these viewpoints describing Government
decision as a good one. This article by Henry is clearly creating a positive impact on
cultural safety for Australian people by creating no harm to any specific culture about
changes in immigration rules, simultaneously describing this change (English-
language test) as beneficial for Australian multicultural society (Belot, 2018).
Apart from positively influencing cultural safety, media article also hold
power to negatively influence cultural safety in healthcare. One example of such
article that negatively influences cultural safety in Australian healthcare is “Alcohol
abuse behind high rates of early death among Indigenous, study finds” by Melissa
Davey, 20 February 2015. This article involves details on increasing Indigenous
Australian’s death rates (35-54 age group) due to high alcohol intake performed by
this specific aboriginal cultural group of Australia. The article clearly targets
Aboriginal people in this article creating a danger for Indigenous population in society
and harming cultural safety in Australian healthcare sector (Davey, 2015).
Further, the article also involves a political target towards existence
Government that can be considered as a very non-essential part of this article;
therefore, clearly, article is creating a negative influence on people regarding the
people bellowing to Indigenous cultural in Australia. According to Briskman (2016)
studies on media articles about Indigenous population indicates that last 10years have
been “wasted decade” in Australian media for Indigenous people. More than 70%
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Bachelor Nursing Assignment
media articles transmit negative information about Aboriginal health to the Australian
public. The most common media topics harming the cultural safety of Indigenous
population are violence, alcohol abuse, child abuse, suicide, custody death and crime.
Further, Paradies (2016) indicated that media plays a very critical role in framing the
perception of one cultural population towards other cultural population.
The article provided by Melissa Davey along with other negative reports on
Indigenous population can provoke racist attitudes, crime, shamefulness and barriers
in the development of any specific culture (Bad news: negative Indigenous health
coverage reinforces stigma, 2018). The Aboriginal populations have always been
victim of negative media attention because they are the most suffered culture of
Australian society being victim to all kinds of negativity. Further, the article also
misses any evidence-based research or information to support their coverage
indicating lack of reliability. Further, most of the information is article is false,
lacking support by any research or study. However, article works as an expression to
take action in favour of indigenous population but this can create more damage to
indigenous cultural safety rather than providing support or care. The issue in the
article is highlighted with purpose of advocacy towards indigenous population but
they are only showing the half part of the story without any positive aspect of future
hope. Even there is lack of ethical media policies and regulations to control this
drastic influence media can create on people’s perception in Australia (Paradies,
2016).
Alcohol abuse has been a major health concern for Indigenous population in
Australia but the media article adopts a provoking approach to deal with this issue
rather than implementing an approach for the requirement of action. The article
language and statistics only involves a comparison between Indigenous and Non-
indigenous population related to alcohol abuse developing a negative image of
indigenous people regarding alcohol abuse. The sentences like “Only 33% of
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander kids complete school compared to the national
average of 77%,” this can initiate negative attitude towards Aboriginal children in
society. This data about Aboriginal children comparing to other children in school is
completely irrelevant for this article involved only to create a negative image about
Aboriginal culture (Bad news: negative Indigenous health coverage reinforces stigma,
2018).
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Bachelor Nursing Assignment
Conclusion
Media is detected as a power source to create positive or negative impact on
the public as per its requirement or desire. The role and power of media clearly
describe its controlling function related to spread of any information in public. Even it
is clearly analysed in the study that media can create a positive or negative influence
on public related to cultural safety in healthcare. For supporting this fact, there are
two articles, one creating a positive influence and another creating negative influence
on the public are critically analysed in this work. In the multicultural society like
Australia media should be restricted with certain rules and regulation to manage this
freedom of speech and uncontrolled power to maintain equilibrium in society.
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Bachelor Nursing Assignment
References
Books
Chaplin, B., Cox, L., & Campbell, C. (2018). Researching Marginalized Populations:
Methodological Challenges In Transgender Research. Sage research methods
cases, Sage Publications.
Cunningham, S. (2010). The media and communications in Australia.
ReadHowYouWant. com.
Cunningham, S. (2011). Framing culture: Criticism and policy in Australia. Allen
and Unwin.
Poster, M. (2018). The second media age. John Wiley & Sons.
Power in Health Care Lupton, D. (2012). Power relations and the medical encounter.
In D. Lupton (Ed.), Medicine as culture: Illness, disease and the body (3rd ed., pp.
203-237). London: SAGE Publications. (Chapter 5)
Journals
Anikeeva, O., Steenkamp, M., & Arbon, P. (2015). The future of social media use
during emergencies in Australia: Insights from the 2014 Australian and New
Zealand Disaster and Emergency Management conference social media
workshop. Australian Journal of Emergency Management, The, 30(1), 22.
Briskman, L. (2016). Decolonizing social work in Australia: Prospect or illusion.
In Indigenous Social Work around the World (pp. 111-122). Routledge.
Fryberg, S. A., Stephens, N. M., Covarrubias, R., Markus, H. R., Carter, E. D.,
Laiduc, G. A., & Salido, A. J. (2018). How the media frames the immigration
debate: The critical role of location and politics. Analyses of Social Issues and
Public Policy, 12(1), 96-112.
Lester, L., & Hutchins, B. (2012). The power of the unseen: Environmental conflict,
the media and invisibility. Media, Culture & Society, 34(7), 847-863.
Olien, C. N., Tichenor, P. J., & Donohue, G. A. (2018). A guard dog perspective on
the role of media. In The Media, Journalism and Democracy (pp. 21-38).
Routledge.
Paradies, Y. (2016). Colonisation, racism and indigenous health. Journal of
population research, 33(1), 83-96.
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Rowe, D. (2018). Cultural citizenship, media and sport in contemporary
Australia. International Review for the Sociology of Sport, 53(1), 11-29.
Scharrer, E., & Ramasubramanian, S. (2015). Intervening in the media's influence on
stereotypes of race and ethnicity: The role of media literacy education. Journal of
Social Issues, 71(1), 171-185.
Websites
Bad news: negative Indigenous health coverage reinforces stigma. (2018). Retrieved
from https://theconversation.com/bad-news-negative-indigenous-health-coverage-
reinforces-stigma-24851
Belot, H. (2018). Migrants living in 'cultural bubbles' need to improve their English
skills, Government warns. Retrieved from http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-03-
07/english-language-tests-need-to-be-tougher-government-warns/9522412
Davey, M. (2015). Alcohol abuse behind high rates of early death among Indigenous
study finds. Retrieved from
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2015/feb/20/alcohol-abuse-behind-
high-rates-of-early-death-among-indigenous-study-finds
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