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<\/p>\nMisinformation and journalistic integrity were in the crosshairs this year, as a series of divisive political events saw Australians questioning the impartiality of news reporting.<\/p>\n
This is according to the State of Australian Media Report, released by media monitoring company Streem, which reports that concerns over misinformation \u201ccast a profound shadow over Australia\u2019s media landscape in 2023.\u201d<\/p>\n
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According to the News and Media Research Centre at the University of Canberra, concerns about so-called \u201cfake news\u201d in Australian jumped to 69%, up 5% from last year.<\/p>\n
This is not just a local problem, although the rates of disenchantment are rising in Australia at a much faster rate than elsewhere.<\/p>\n
The report notes that globally there was \u201ca small rise in concern about misinformation\u201d, however, the highly-charged Voice referendum \u201cled to intensified scrutiny on the practices of journalists and publishers\u201d in Australia.<\/p>\n
Our distrust of the media has risen over the past twelve months to match the US, Brazil, and the UK as one of \u201cthe most worried\u201d nations in the world.<\/p>\n
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The consistent media coverage of The Voice throughout the first nine-and-a-half months of the year saw over 190,000 stories published\/broadcast across print, digital, TV and radio, with a notable ramping up as referendum day got nearer.<\/p>\n
\u201cNews Corp-owned Sky News Australia\u2019s launch of a dedicated news channel for the Voice referendum further emphasises the critical role media plays in shaping the debate,\u201d the report reads. \u201cThe channel\u2019s commitment to showcasing \u2018every perspective of the debate\u2019 underscores the significance of presenting a balanced and comprehensive portrayal of this complex subject matter.\u201d<\/p>\n
Such intense focus on balance led to tools like the ABC\u2019s internal Voice tracker, which required its journalists to keep a log of everyone it had sought commentary from regarding the Voice \u2013 down to 15-second voice grabs. This was widely viewed as overkill, with ex-ABC employee and media academic at Sydney University, Catharine Lumby, telling the AFR it adds a \u201cbureaucratic form\u201d to ABC journalist\u2019s daily tasks.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt concerns me that the politicisation of the ABC is drawing resources away from its main objective,\u201d she told the paper.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe know that well over 80 per cent of Australians trust and love the ABC.\u201d<\/p>\n
While such fact-checking is noble, the fact-checkers themselves soon came under scrutiny, as RMIT Factlab was \u201ctemporarily suspended by Meta as one of its partner organisations\u201d in August after doubts were raised by numerous \u2018No\u2019 campaigners on its impartiality.<\/p>\n
Sky News complained to Meta that the RMIT fact-checking team \u201cwas responsible for several misleading fact checks against Sky News Australia which led to a censorship of journalism related to the voice referendum\u201d.<\/p>\n
Despite the gloomy outlook, Reuters Institute\u2019s Digital News Report 2023 found that overall trust in news in Australia has actually increased by 2% in 2023.<\/p>\n
The bad news that, even with the increase, these numbers show that only 43% of Australians trust the news.<\/p>\n
As the report notes: \u201cIn this context, these events serve as a reminder of the critical role that media plays in shaping public opinion and discourse and the ongoing need for transparency, impartiality, and a commitment to the highest ethical standards from publishers.\u201d<\/p>\n
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