Oz Arab Media has been recognised by Member for Oatley Mark Coure MP for its outstanding contribution to multicultural journalism and the representation of Arabic communities across New South Wales during a special Community Recognition Event celebrating organisations making a positive impact across the state.

The ceremony brought together charities, multicultural organisations, community groups and businesses, each honoured for their contribution to strengthening and supporting local communities.

Opening the event, Mr Coure reflected on the significance of recognising the often-unsung work of community organisations and volunteers.

“For fifteen years in Parliament, we’ve recognised so many wonderful groups, so many wonderful organisations, so many wonderful individuals,” he said.

“Whether it’s a volunteer providing service to a local charity, a student excelling at school, a local business celebrating a milestone, or a community group making a massive difference in our community, these stories deserve to be told.”

He said the Community Recognition Statements presented in Parliament were an opportunity not only to acknowledge recipients but also to encourage the incredible work being undertaken across the community.

“This is your morning,” Mr Coure told those gathered. “We’re going to recognise so many wonderful organisations and individuals and businesses today.”

When it came time to present Oz Arab Media’s recognition, master of ceremonies Jessica invited Charbel Tadros to the stage “for their outstanding contribution to multicultural journalism and representation of Arabic communities across our state.”

Mr Coure then spoke about the unique role multicultural media plays in Australia’s diverse society.

“For many of us, we are just used to the Daily Telegraph, Sydney Morning Herald, 2GB, 2UE and FM radio stations,” he said.

“Tell everyone why multicultural radio, television and newspaper print is so important, particularly here in Australia, particularly in Sydney.”

Accepting the recognition on behalf of Oz Arab Media, Charbel Tadros said it was unusual for the organisation to be on the receiving end of an award.

“First of all, it’s rather strange to be on this side of recognition. Usually we’re the ones recognising everyone,” he said.

He explained that multicultural media fills an important gap by covering stories that are often overlooked by mainstream outlets.

“We are on the ground with you. We recognise your events, we attend your events and we broadcast about them. We interview you, we showcase what’s happening, we promote what you guys want to do.”

“These things are not usually picked up by the mainstream media, but we pick them up and then we broadcast them through our website, through our e-magazine, which goes out to 40,000 subscribers, as well as through our social channels.”

Mr Coure noted that New South Wales is one of Australia’s most culturally diverse states and asked about the future of multicultural media.

“Our greatest asset are our people, and we’ve got people from each corner of the globe,” he said. “Tell me, what’s the future of multicultural media moving forward?”

Mr Tadros said the sector would continue to grow alongside Australia’s multicultural population.

“Multicultural media is here to stay and it’s only going to grow because the more multicultural we are, the more we need representation,” he said.

“Whether we’re Arabs or not, as Oz Arab Media, we don’t really care. We cover events for everyone.”

He encouraged community organisations to engage with multicultural media to ensure their stories reach diverse audiences.

“The mainstream media is not going to pick it up all the time. That’s why you guys need to reach out to multicultural media, to your media channels as well as to us. Feel free to reach out and we’re always ready to partner and collaborate.”

Concluding the presentation, Mr Coure congratulated Oz Arab Media on its achievements.

The recognition places Oz Arab Media alongside a number of respected organisations acknowledged during the event for their work in education, disability support, cultural preservation, social inclusion and community service, reinforcing the important role multicultural journalism plays in connecting communities and ensuring the voices of culturally and linguistically diverse Australians continue to be heard.