'You need to protect the community': Representations of young Indigenous men in mainstream news media coverage of the 'gang of 49'

Abstract

This paper considers representations of the so-called ‘gang of 49’ which appeared in the mainstream news in Australia from late 2007. In particular, it focuses on how Indigenous masculinity is associated with discourses of criminal behavior, delinquency, violence, and aggression within this media coverage. In examining these gendered discourses of violence, the paper also considers the ways in which the mainstream news media justified its extensive coverage of the so-called ‘gang of 49’ through recourse to the protection of public safety and security, thereby explicitly representing Indigenous males as a threat to the mainstream Australian community. Finally, the implications of this representation are considered in light of previous calls for accountability within the mainstream news media in relation to its coverage of issues concerning marginalised groups of people.