General trust in news dropped from 50 per cent to 44 per cent in 2019.

Australian Broadcasting Authority found more than 85 per cent of Australians thought commercial sponsors were very influential or somewhat influential in news coverage.

The Free TV Code of Practice currently requires broadcasters to present news fairly and impartially, and to distinguish factual material from commentary and analysis.

In radio, current affairs programs are not required to be impartial but a licensee must provide reasonable opportunities for “significant alternative viewpoints” when dealing with controversial issues of public importance.

In media’s ‘Wild West’, news consumers struggle to find truth, trust and transparency