The Centre for Media Transition asks: Don't trust the media?
In their post they say "You're not alone, startling research by acmadotgov reveals 85% of Australians believe news is biased to a particular view and almost 90% believe news is sensationalised to attract greater audiences."
CMT's Dr Sacha Molitorisz was quoted on Media Watch last night discussing the implications of these findings, here's what he's had to say in full:
"This new research is deeply concerning. We already knew that Australians have major trust issues with the news. But what this research shows is the depth of the concern among Australians about bias and commercial influence. To rebuild trust, broadcasters and journalists have their work cut out for them.
"That said, we also need to remember trust levels aren't all about broadcasters and journalists. In an increasingly fractured news landscape, we also need to think about the major role played by digital platforms such as Facebook and Google in the proliferation of news that is biased where it should be balanced, or is advertising dressed up as editorial. Not to mention misinformation and false news. It's a tricky but vital question: just how should we regulate digital platforms on these and other issues?"
Watch the segment on the findings here: https://www.abc.net.au/mediawatch/episodes/acma/11951582
