How is tonga PORTRAYED in Australian media?
Mostly, Tonga is only shown in Australian media when relating to sport. How the Tongan team is doing in the world cup. How great the haka was in that game last week. Tongan is portrayed as a country with a strong rugby team and that's about it. When searching in the Age newspaper, 43 articles come up as being related to Tonga in the past year. Most of them, about 85% were about Tonga's performance in sport.
But there is another way in which Tonga is shown in the media. Every watched Summer Heights High? Well Jonah is Tongan. In my personal opinion, this is a negative view of Tonga. If people didn't know much about the culture, they could stereotype into thinking that all teenage Tongan boys were like Jonah. Crude and misbehaving. The show follows Jonah, a misbehaving student at Summer Heights High and all the trouble and mischief he gets up to. The mere fact that he is Tongan causes for a negative perspective being placed on Tongans.
In a political sense, Tonga and Australia have a good relationship. Trading with each other and being in close proximities, in the South Pacific region, allows for treaties and cooperation between the two countries.
But there is another way in which Tonga is shown in the media. Every watched Summer Heights High? Well Jonah is Tongan. In my personal opinion, this is a negative view of Tonga. If people didn't know much about the culture, they could stereotype into thinking that all teenage Tongan boys were like Jonah. Crude and misbehaving. The show follows Jonah, a misbehaving student at Summer Heights High and all the trouble and mischief he gets up to. The mere fact that he is Tongan causes for a negative perspective being placed on Tongans.
In a political sense, Tonga and Australia have a good relationship. Trading with each other and being in close proximities, in the South Pacific region, allows for treaties and cooperation between the two countries.