The focus on the ABC raises questions about the motives behind the inquiry, and how it might benefit anti-ABC crusaders, including Pauline Hanson.

The current discourse about the diminishing role of, trust in, and respect for facts, data, and analysis is often hamstrung by the use of conflicting language and unclear or undefined terms. Without a common language with which to discuss the problem, which we are calling Truth Decay, the search for solutions becomes more difficult.

This review was undertaken by the Editorial Policies team as an exercise to identify and compare the story choices being made by the ABC, the SBS and the free-to-air commercial services in key morning (radio) and evening (television) news bulletins.

The ACCC encourages submissions responding to this issues paper from market participants, including media content creators/journalists, media outlets, digital platforms, advertisers, consumers, small businesses and industry associations.

Throughout the world, people are taking direct action to tackle environmental problems – from Standing Rock in the United States, to the Carmichael coal mine in Australia, to the community groups standing against oil and gas exploration in Aotearoa New Zealand.