Unmade Media
By Tim Burrowes Apr 04, 2025
Welcome to an end-of-week update from Unmade.
In today’s audio-led post we share the panel discussion from the launch of the Edelman Trust Barometer.
‘Is it fragmented? Absolutely. Is it going to improve? I can’t see it’
In a key statistic, of the four key Australian public institutions surveyed, public trust in media is the worst, with just 37% now saying they trusted the media. That was behind government (47%), business (54%) and non-governmental organisations (56%).
The podcast features the event’s introduction from Tom Robinson, CEO of Edelman Australia, ahead of the panel led by Unmade’s Tim Burrowes.
The discussion featured:
- Terry Flew, Professor of Digital Communication and Culture, The University of Sydney and Co-Director, Centre for AI, Trust and Governance;
- Kim Portrate, previously CEO of industry body Think TV;
- Gen Z strategist Milly Bannister, founder and CEO of the ALLKND charity focusing on mental health for young Australians;
- Jared Mondschein, Director of Research at the United States Studies Centre.
The questions tackled included the challenges to societal cohesion as trust in institutions fades, geopolitical headwinds, and why the next generation is losing trust so badly.
Portrate, who departed Think TV at the end of the year amidst obvious divisions between her TV network stakeholders, told the room: “Is it fragmented? Absolutely. Is it going to improve? I can’t see it. Not in the current environment and not when you’ve got the competitive pressure and don’t abide by any of the legislation that protects the population at large.”
Publisher – Unmade + Mumbrella
tim@unmade.media
