Vibe Australia - Australia

Vibe has been working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australia at local, state, and national levels to create a variety of media products designed to address various development issues, such as education and health. The organisation indicates that, "[w]hile we often focus on high-profile musicians and sportspeople we are also committed to recognising the unsung heroes of the Aboriginal community, such as those working on the ground to improve living standards, revive culture and create stronger communities....We pride ourselves on profiling positive role models and running up-beat news stories for Indigenous young people to read, as we feel such coverage is lacking in the mainstream media."

Guided by these themes of inclusion and cultural celebration, both information dissemination and entertaining strategies characterise Vibe's efforts, which include:

• Deadly Vibe - a 32-page full-colour Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, sport, music and lifestyle magazine, with a monthly distribution of 57,000 (as of this writing). Each issue includes: profiles of notable Indigenous identities and up-and-comers; features on Aboriginal sport, music, or cultural item of interest; and information about good health, education, and training. For example, the June 2007 edition celebrated the launch of national Indigenous television by taking a look back at a few of the highlights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander TV. (The independent research group Cultural Perspectives found that 62% of readers who receive their own copy of Deadly Vibe reported that their copy is read by more than 3 people.)
• In Vibe - a 16 page full-colour magazine geared toward Indigenous prisoners, those on probation and parole, and minors in secure care and at risk.
• Deadly Sounds - a weekly radio programme syndicated to over 250 Aboriginal community stations around Australia featuring music, culture, and health information in an upbeat magazine format. Hosted by a woman who is a well-known Indigenous broadcaster, artistic director, and author, Deadly Sounds interviews a wide range of studio guests.
• The Vibe 3on3 - an annual national music and sporting event to promote health, well being, identity and sportsmanship which brings Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations and communities together for a weekend of sport, music, and self-expression. This event focuses on promoting healthy lifestyles, building sporting skill and self-esteem, and improving social and emotional well-being. Vibe 3on3 also provides local organisations with a popular vehicle through which to promote themselves and their services to the community.
• The Deadlys - an award ceremony, also known as the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Music, Sport, Entertainment and Community awards, which is held annually at the Sydney Opera House and broadcast nationally on SBS Television to recognise and showcase excellence by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people across the full spectrum of Australian music, sport, entertainment, and community.

The interactive Vibe website features information on these and other Vibe programmes and offerings, with a focus on getting Australians involved in conversation. For example:

• Vibe Forum - a means for people of all ages to share ideas and talk about a range of issues.
• Healthy Vibe - gives advice on how to live a healthy life (e.g., through the "Ask the Doc" mail/web service) as well as providing information on whom to call when people need help.
• Stay Strong - described as a "one-stop resource for health information" with "easy to understand information on a whole range of health topics."
• Class Activities - features monthly worksheets for use in the classrooms, homework centres or at home. Each month, new worksheets are uploaded that are to be used in conjunction with that month's issue of Deadly Vibe magazine.

Children, Youth, Education, Health.

Many of Vibe's products have undergone independent evaluations. For example, in 2006, Cultural and Indigenous Research Centre of Australia (CIRCA) was commissioned to evaluate the suite of Vibe Australia products for the Office for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health (OATSIH) and the Department of Health and Ageing (DoHA). Goals included assessing the success of Vibe products in: raising self-esteem; improving awareness and recall of healthy lifestyle, social and emotional well-being, and substance use prevention messages; and promoting the value of regular access to comprehensive primary health care through community-controlled, local, and other health services. Similarly, in October 2004, Vibe commissioned the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) to undertake an evaluation of Deadly Vibe's impact on literacy, numeracy, and school attendance. And in 2002, the Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST) commissioned an independent evaluation into the effectiveness of Deadly Vibe in relation to the National Indigenous English Literacy and Numeracy (NIELN) programme. For access to these and other evaluation documents, click here.