Australia’s democracy is the 6th oldest in the world yet despite having an independent electoral system that’s the envy of the western world, vulnerabilities are beginning to crack.

2024 was dubbed a “super election year”, with more than half the world’s population eligible to vote in elections.

Former political editor Michelle Ainsworth travelled on a Winston Churchill Fellowship to the US, the UK and Finland. She hoped to explore why trust in democracy was declining while audiences are turning away from traditional news sources.

This is the first episode of Truth, Trust and Democracy, a new seven-part series that examines polarisation in politics and the media, the spread of misinformation and disinformation via social media and the impact of generative AI in elections.

Later episodes will look at the role of publicly funded broadcasters and local journalism, fact checking and media literacy.

This episode includes interviews with:

Marty Baron, former Editor of the Washington Post and author of “Collision of Power”

Agustina Callegari, Global Coalition for Digital Safety, World Economic Forum

Tom Rogers, former Australian Electoral Commissioner

Publications cited:

Edelman Trust Barometer 2025

WEF 2025 Global Risks Report

Strengthening Australian Democracy - Dept of Home Affairs

AEC Democracy Rules website

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