The racism inquiry ignored by mainstream media

Summary

Podcast Summary

Overview:

Episode Title: The racism inquiry ignored by mainstream media
Podcast: 7am (Solstice Media)
Host: Ruby Jones
Guest: John Paul Janke (National Indigenous Affairs Editor, NITV and SBS)
Date: July 20, 2026

This episode explores the Senate inquiry into racism, hate, and violence towards Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people—a process largely overshadowed in the mainstream media despite taking place against the backdrop of prominent coverage for the Royal Commission into Anti-Semitism and Social Cohesion. With firsthand accounts from witnesses and analysis from John Paul Janke, the conversation unpacks the seriousness of racist violence, government and police inaction, media bias, and growing calls for legislative and systemic change.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Origins and Focus of the Inquiry

• Establishment: Sparked by increasing violence and specific egregious incidents, particularly the attempted bombing at the January 26th (Invasion Day) rally in Perth and prior attacks at Camp Sovereignty in Melbourne.
  • John Paul Janke [01:48]: “This is the Senate inquiry into racism and hate directed towards Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. It really arises out of two incidents … the January 26th Invasion Day rally in Boileau, Perth and the alleged attempted terrorist attack … and the attacks on Camp Sovereignty in Melbourne.”

2. Perth Bombing Incident – Testimony and Reactions

• Witness Impact: Emotional testimony from a mother in attendance highlights trauma and disbelief over inaction post-attack.

  • Anonymous Witness [00:00]: “On the 26th of January 2026, I was a mum standing in a crowd when a bomb was thrown at the people around me. So I vividly recall that day and it's haunted me pretty much ever since.”
  • Anonymous Witness [01:02]: “But I'm here because of what happened next. Silence. Nothing. Nothing.”
  • Anonymous Witness [03:18]: “I and my girls and Mum and my sister, we should be dead because it landed right in front of us. That was the intent.”

• Warning Signs and Police Response:

  • Organisers, including Fabian Yarron, reported tip-offs about a planned attack by far-right groups but authorities did not engage adequately.
  • Fabian Yarron [04:32]: “We had tip off from the community members that the Nazi Party was going to come and haunt us ... the Nazis was at Wellington Square, which is about 400 metres down the road.”
  • Fabian Yarron [04:52]: “We told the police ... but this time the police didn't meet us. I didn't understand why they didn't meet us.”

• Media and Authorities – Double Standard in Coverage & Action:

  • Both police and press slow to acknowledge the racist and terroristic nature of the bombing, compared starkly to other recent attacks.
    • Anonymous Witness [05:53]: “It was absolutely revolting, the comparison.”

3. Testimony on Everyday and Institutional Racism

• Expansion of Inquiry Scope:

  • As hearings progressed to Darwin and Alice Springs, testimony came from Northern Land Council leaders and others, discussing the escalation and everyday reality of racism.
  • Matthew Ryan [07:02]: “I wish all of you come and experience what we experience every day. People are literally dying, crying out loud for help, whether it's health, education or housing.”

• Youth Impact and Social Media:

  • Yusuf Dean [07:37]: “What concerns the NLC the most is the impact on our young people. When Aboriginal children see how their communities are talked about online, it damages their sense of identity and belonging. That harm is real and it is measurable.”

• Structural Racism in Justice and Public Institutions:

  • Yusuf Dean [08:16]: “Not only do we have the highest imprisonment rates in this jurisdiction, up to 90% of them are black. That is astonishing. That is intolerable.”

  • Ken Wyatt [09:10]: “The greatest challenge is not just the attitude of individuals ... it is our institutions across this nation. ... An Aboriginal man in Kalgoorlie was treated and held by the throat ... I'm sure that they would not have done had it been the western suburbs of Perth.”

4. The Voice Referendum – A Societal Turning Point

• Increase in Open Racism since 2023:

  • The 2023 Voice referendum is repeatedly cited in submissions as a catalyst for more openly expressed and online racism.
    • John Paul Janke [10:32]: “A lot of those point to social media as the number one platform where that racism is escalating. ... They feel as though the referendum has given people permission to continue those levels of racism … all the way through to current times.”

• Organisations Under Attack:

  • Posts from Indigenous youth and platforms like NITV are constant targets for racist trolling, requiring active digital moderation.

5. Media Coverage: Disparity and Silence

• Media Neglect of Aboriginal Racism Inquiry:
  • The inquiry has received minimal mainstream media coverage, especially compared to the high-profile Royal Commission into Anti-Semitism.
    • John Paul Janke [11:49]: “I think there's been almost a silence from mainstream media on this inquiry. ... What people are saying is the time for action is now.”

6. Recommendations and Calls for Action

• Community Demands:
  • Legislative reform to directly address and criminalise racism.
  • Accountability for social media platforms and mechanisms to remove racist content.
  • Structural changes in policy and institutional conduct.
    • John Paul Janke [13:00]: “They're wanting this inquiry to actually deliver substantive change ... They want social media platforms to be held accountable ... They want real action and they're hoping that the Senate inquiry doesn't just deliver another report.”

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Memorable Quotes

• Anonymous Witness [01:02]: “But I'm here because of what happened next. Silence. Nothing. Nothing.”
• Fabian Yarron [04:32]: “We had tip off from the community members that the Nazi Party was going to come and haunt us on that day.”
• Matthew Ryan [07:02]: “I wish all of you come and experience what we experience every day. People are literally dying, crying out loud for help, whether it's health, education or housing.”
• Yusuf Dean [08:16]: “...the highest imprisonment rates in this jurisdiction, up to 90% of them are black. That is astonishing. That is intolerable.”
• Ken Wyatt [09:10]: “The greatest challenge is not just the attitude of individuals out in the field, it is our institutions across this nation.”
• John Paul Janke [11:49]: “I think there's been almost a silence from mainstream media on this inquiry.”
• John Paul Janke [13:00]: “They're wanting this inquiry to actually deliver substantive change ... They want real action and they're hoping that the Senate inquiry doesn't just deliver another report.”

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [00:00-01:18] — Introduction: Bombing survivor testimony; overview of ignored racism inquiry.
• [01:48-02:47] — Why the inquiry was established; incidents in Perth and Melbourne.
• [03:00-05:04] — Testimony from witnesses and organisers; police and media response.
• [06:38-10:05] — Testimony from Northern Land Council and others; everyday, structural racism.
• [10:32-11:39] — The Voice referendum as a turning point for open racism.
• [11:49-13:56] — Media neglect; community recommendations; hope for actual action.

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Tone and Language

The tone throughout balances investigative analysis with the rawness of personal testimony. The language is urgent, direct, and impassioned, reflecting the gravity of both individual stories and systemic issues.

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Conclusion

This episode exposes the deep and ongoing impacts of racism against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, especially the escalation into violence and societal neglect. Despite mounting testimony and expertise calling for urgent legislative, institutional, and media reform, there remains frustration over inaction and selective attention. The episode closes with hope—but also a pointed warning—that only substantive action, not another ignored report, will mark true progress.

Transcript

[Anonymous Witness]

On the 26th of January 2026, I was a mum standing in a crowd when a bomb was thrown at the people around me. So I vividly recall that day and it's haunted me pretty much ever since.

[Ruby Jones]

It's the other racism inquiry running at the same time as the Royal Commission into Anti Semitism and Social Cohesion.

[Anonymous Witness]

As we were watching the ceremony or the rally begin, I saw what appeared to be a child's toy loud in front of me. It kind of wafted down and I didn't know at the time that it actually had hit the of one of my daughter's friends. So I didn't know obviously that it was a sock filled explosive device built for carnage. I didn't really know what I was seeing.

[Ruby Jones]

But while the Royal Commission has attracted rolling media coverage and government attention, the inquiry into racism, hate and violence directed at Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people has been largely ignored as witnesses shine a light on the repeated inaction before, during and after the alleged attempted bombing of an Invasion Day rally that triggered this inquiry.

[Anonymous Witness]

But I'm here because of what happened next. Silence. Nothing. Nothing.

[Ruby Jones]

I'm Ruby Jones and you're listening to

[Radio Host]

7am today, National Indigenous Affairs Editor for

[Ruby Jones]

NITV and SBS, John Paul Janke on how Australia treats different kinds of racism differently. It's Tuesday, july 21st.

[Radio Host]

Jp, welcome to the show.

[John Paul Janke]

Great to be on, thanks for having me.

[Radio Host]

Look, I was hoping that we could just start with the basics, why this inquiry was established and what it is that it's actually looking at.

[John Paul Janke]

Yeah, well, this is the Senate inquiry into racism and hate directed towards Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. It really arises out of two incidents and the main one being of course, the January 26th Invasion Day rally in Boileau, Perth and the alleged attempted terrorist attack. So the throwing of a bomb into a crowd.

[News Reporter]

Police are alleging a 31 year old man threw a homemade bomb into the crowd of thousands which had gathered in the heart of Perth CBD for the Invasion Day rally.

[John Paul Janke]

And then going back a couple of months before that, the attacks on Camp Sovereignty in Melbourne.

[News Reporter]

Demonstrators, including suspected neo Nazis, stormed Camp Sovereignty, a First nations gathering site in the Botanic garden.

[John Paul Janke]

So those two incidents sparked the Minister for Indigenous Australians, Malindiri McCarthy to announce this Senate inquiry into racism and hate directed at first nations people.

[Ruby Jones]

And so the very first hearings began

[Radio Host]

in Perth, which is where, as you say, this alleged bombing attempt happened on January 26th. So what has the inquiry heard about the events of that day?

[John Paul Janke]

I think some really powerful testimony came from the National Indigenous Times and One of their reporters who was actually on the ground on the day and saw the incidents unfold. And I think she actually says in her testimony that the attempted explosive device bounced directly in front of her.

[Anonymous Witness]

And I understand no one died, I get that. But that, by all intents, I shouldn't be sitting here and talking to you today. I and my girls and Mum and my sister, we should be dead because it landed right in front of us. That was the intent.

[John Paul Janke]

Protesters and those who had gathered for the Invasion Day rally had seen it as a terrorist attack. And so the evidence was really spelling out that the racism that was directed at first nations people, particularly on the online platforms, has now moved into real life.

[Ruby Jones]

Harm.

[John Paul Janke]

They understood that the police had been warned that there would be an attack. And I think they were scratching their heads saying, look, were the governments and various authorities actually paying enough attention before these attacks to what the indigenous community of Perth was saying, that this had been escalating towards first nations people for some time?

[Radio Host]

Tell me more about what we understand about warnings before the attack and how they were handled, as well as the response to what happened.

[John Paul Janke]

We heard from one of the organisers, Fabian Yarron, who said that organisers had received a warning that the rally would be the target of those in far right groups.

[Fabian Yarron]

I was organising this thing and we had tip off from the community members that the Nazi Party was going to come and haunt us on that day. So we was aware that the Nazis was going to be coming, and the Nazis was at Wellington Square, which is about 400 metres down the road.

[John Paul Janke]

He said that the police were informed but chose not to meet with organisers beforehand.

[Fabian Yarron]

We told the police, we told our sentences and told people that that's gonna happen, but this time the police didn't meet us. I didn't understand why they didn't meet us. I'm not sure why they didn't meet us.

[John Paul Janke]

He also said that organisers were not told about maybe a suspected bomb while they were in the square, while the square was being evacuated. And the National Indigenous Times journo, Renee Isaac Gutheridge, she said, look, the community felt ignored and they believed that the incident overall was not treated as seriously as it should be because the targets were Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. So she spoke about that. The WA police didn't really declare it an incident or a suspected terrorism attack till nine days after the incident. And I think that was from political pressure. They also felt that mainstream media didn't emphasise the attack as a suspected terrorist attack and just chose it as an attack on an Invasion Day rally, given

[Anonymous Witness]

the Bondi attack, only had happened so close to it, it was just such a stark comparison between how the response between the media and, you know, the naming of the individuals or the accused. You know, it was just. It came up straight away. Whereas you looked at what happened on that day, it was absolutely revolting, the comparison.

[Radio Host]

And so as the hearings continued, the evidence, the scope of it widened from this attempted attack in Perth to, as you've sort of said, the racism that people experience every day and the more kind of institutionalised racism that exists as well. So tell me more about what the

[Ruby Jones]

inquiry's heard as it's continued on.

[John Paul Janke]

Yeah. So the inquiry moved from Perth to Darwin. It sat two days in Darwin, then moved on to Alice Springs on Friday last week. And we heard some really substantial evidence from the powerful Northern Land Council and their chair, Matthew Ryan, who said, you know, from his opening statement, he said, look, racism that is directed at Aboriginal people is every day and it's increasing.

[Matthew Ryan]

I wish all of you come and experience what we experience every day. People are literally dying, crying out loud for help, whether it's health, education or housing. I grew up in one of them homelands. It was empowering back then because of at when we had the funding availability, it was so strong. Now we don't have that anymore.

[John Paul Janke]

And then we heard the CEO of the Northern Land Council, Yusuf Dean, talk about the impact of racism on the youth.

[Fabian Yarron]

The hostility is constant and it is escalating. What concerns the NLC the most is the impact on our young people. When Aboriginal children see how their communities are talked about online, it damages their sense of identity and belonging. That harm is real and it is measurable.

[John Paul Janke]

We had others talk about, you know, failures in the NT justice system and they called it, you know, a jailing machine. And he compared the prison system to those of a gulag.

[Yusuf Dean]

Not only do we have the highest imprisonment rates in this jurisdiction, up to 90% of them, 90% of them are black. That is astonishing. That is unbelievable. That is intolerable. And yet I have watched, in 20, 30, 40 years, I've watched the increase and it's now going through the roof.

[John Paul Janke]

Others spoke about the examples of parents being fined, Aboriginal parents being fined over school attendance. So they spoke about structural racism, racism that exists in both policy and in institutions. And this is off the back of what Ken Wyatt, who is the former Minister for Indigenous Australians, had said in Perth. And he said that, you know, racism is persistent, it's cumulative. It operates in education and healthcare Employment. It operates in our public spaces, it operates in our justice system.

[Ken Wyatt]

So the greatest challenge is not just the attitude of individuals out in the field, it is our institutions across this nation. If you looked at the West Australian this morning, you would have seen a young Aboriginal man in an emergency department was grabbed and held by the throat, which I'm sure that they would not have done had it been the western suburbs of Perth. Because he happened to be an Aboriginal man in Kalgoorlie, he was treated and held by the throat and then eventually dropped to the floor. That is not what you'd expect in an institution in our nation.

[John Paul Janke]

But one of the things he spoke about is that his fear is that racism is going from those areas into in person racism. So racism that is experienced on the street, which is what we saw at the Invasion day rally on January 26th earlier this year.

[Ruby Jones]

Coming up, how the VOICE referendum became a turning point for racism. Jp, a recurring theme in the evidence to this inquiry was that the Voice referendum marked a turning point in terms of racism becoming more openly expressed. What did people say changed during and after that campaign in 2023?

[John Paul Janke]

Yeah, a lot of the submissions that have been sent to the inquiry and posted online, there's some six hundred and seventy submissions. A lot of those point to social media as the number one platform where that racism is escalating. And a lot of them are saying it's from the 2023 referendum. They say that racism was there during the referendum campaign, particularly through misinformation and mistruth about first nations people. They've seen it continue and they feel as though the referendum has given people permission to continue those levels of racism and continue those levels of misinformation all the way through to current times. The Northern Land Council spoke about posts that their children put up or their youth put up that are trolled right across Australia and in fact internationally through racist comments. We see it ourselves at nitv, we've had a huge escalation in the amount of trolling on our sites and that comes at a cost to the organisation that we have to engage external moderators to look after our social media content.

[Ruby Jones]

And this inquiry, it's happening at the same time as the Royal Commission into anti Semitism. So what do you make of the way that it's been covered in the media compared to the Commission?

[John Paul Janke]

Yeah, I think there's been almost a silence from mainstream media on this inquiry. When you compare it to the Royal Commission and the other inquiries into Islamophobia going on. Look, I think the Inquiry is one thing and the agenda of public hearings is another thing, to hear people's evidence and stories firsthand. What people are saying is the time for action is now, that if you are serious in addressing the escalating racism that is directed towards first nations people, the time for action is now. So people are putting forward a wide range of recommendations, some that are saying, look, we need more legislative clout. We actually need to make elements of racism illegal and actually enforce that through law. We need to make people accountable, we need to make the platforms accountable, we need to have greater education. So they're all hoping that this inquiry will lead to substantive change, not just another report that makes a series of recommendations that is not enacted. And we still continue to see this escalation of racism.

[Ruby Jones]

So do you think this inquiry will spur action?

[John Paul Janke]

Yeah, I think going through a lot of the recommendations that on the online submissions and hearing those who have given evidence in the public submission so far, a lot of people are saying that it's time for action now. So they're wanting this inquiry to actually deliver substantive change in addressing that racism directed at first nations people. So they want to see some legislative reform. They want social media platforms to be held accountable for the racism that is escalating on their platforms. They want the ability for those racist comments to be taken down, deleted and removed. So they want real action and they're hoping that the Senate inquiry doesn't just deliver another report, particularly when it comes to first nations issue, that is delivers a range of recommendations and those recommendations are not implemented or not enacted over the coming years.

[Ruby Jones]

Jp, thank you so much for speaking with me.

[John Paul Janke]

Thanks very much. Great to chat.

[Ruby Jones]

Also in the news, Barnaby Joyce has denied one nation wants a return to the white Australia policy. During a podcast with far right activist Tommy Robinson, Pauline Hanson blamed what she sees as Australia's problems with migration on the end of the white Australia policy. Joyce has also backed Hanson's calls for mass deportations, suggesting illegal immigrants could be targeted when they seek medical treatment. And Derren Hinch has been farewelled at a state funeral for the former journalist and senator, the so called human headline died earlier this month after a long battle with poor health. He's been remembered as a journalist, campaigner and convict who was jailed for his convictions after speaking out in breach of court orders in multiple cases involving sex crimes and paedophilia.

I'm Ruby Jones, this is 7:00am thanks for listening, Sam.