Is this true? Why media literacy matters to our democracy

Democracy relies on an informed public. But knowing who and what to believe is becoming harder. News and opinion blur together. Algorithms influence what reaches us. AI can manufacture convincing content. Research shaping public debate can be funded by organisations that stand to benefit from its findings.

And who owns our media, influences which stories, voices and perspectives reach us. This is not simply a media problem. It is a democratic one.

Globally, the warning signs are concerning. In 2025, nearly one in four countries experienced democratic regression. International IDEA has also found press freedom declined in 43 countries between 2019 and 2024, the broadest deterioration it has recorded since its dataset began in 1975.

Australia has one of the most concentrated media markets in the world. Whilst it remains a strong democracy, democracy does not look after itself. It requires scrutiny, accountability and citizens capable of asking a deceptively simple question: Is this true?

Follow the information. Follow the money

A report lands in the news claiming overwhelming support for a new policy. The statistics might be accurate, but before accepting the findings, there are other questions worth asking: Who paid for it? Was it independent research? Commissioned by government? Funded by an industry that stands to benefit from the outcome? Produced by an advocacy group campaigning for change? In other words, is this true?

Funding doesn't automatically make research unreliable. But it is crucial context. The same applies to the media we consume.

Who produced it? Who paid for it? Who owns the outlet publishing it? What interests are involved? Who benefits from the way the issue is presented? And what might we not be hearing? Information doesn't exist in a vacuum. Understanding who is behind it and why it exists is fundamental to deciding how much weight we give it.

Who owns the media matters

Media ownership is a crucial part of that equation. Ownership doesn't determine whether an individual story is true or false. But media organisations have enormous power to decide what becomes news, which stories are pursued, which issues receive sustained attention, whose voices are heard and how events are framed.

Australia's news landscape is highly concentrated, which makes media diversity particularly important. ACMA monitors not only who produces and controls news, but the diversity of viewpoints and sources Australians actually encounter.

When our information comes through a limited number of powerful voices, we need to understand who those voices are and what interests surround them. And only then are we equipped to ask, "is this true?"

Is this news or opinion?

Opinion has always had a legitimate place in journalism. The problem is when we can no longer easily distinguish it from news.

A reported story, an opinion column, a politician's video, an influencer's commentary, sponsored content and industry-funded research can now appear one after another in the same feed at pace.

That makes understanding what we are consuming critical.

University of Canberra research found Australians themselves want more facts and accuracy, less bias and opinion, greater transparency and accountability, more verification, and greater independence from commercial and political interests in news.

Before accepting what we see, we need to ask: is this reporting? Analysis? Opinion? Advertising? Advocacy? And what evidence supports it? In other words, is this true?

Who holds power to account?

Journalism has traditionally been called the Fourth Estate because of its role in scrutinising governments and other powerful institutions.

Journalists ask difficult questions, investigate decisions, examine public spending and challenge those exercising power.

The internet has also strengthened what is sometimes called the Fifth Estate: citizens, independent journalists, community publishers and others who can scrutinise governments, institutions and the traditional media itself.

That has enormous democratic potential. But it only works if we can distinguish fact from fiction.

A newspaper isn't automatically right because it employs journalists. A Facebook post isn't automatically wrong because it came from Facebook. Both should withstand scrutiny.

The media should hold politicians and institutions accountable. Citizens should hold politicians and media accountable. A free press and a critical, media-literate public are not opposing ideas. Democracy needs both. We all need to be asking, is this true?

Why this is urgent

The way Australians consume information is changing quickly.

In 2025, social media overtook online news websites as a main source of news for the first time according to the University of Canberra's Australian survey. Yet only one in four Australians reported having received formal education about how to use and understand news.

Elections are approaching. Victoria votes on 28 November 2026, while NSW goes to the polls on 13 March 2027.

Voters will be presented with competing claims about housing, hospitals, crime, education, energy, roads and cost of living. They will come from politicians, journalists, commentators, lobby groups, corporations, influencers and ordinary people online.

Some will be reporting. Some will be opinion. Some will be advertising. Some will be carefully researched. Some will be misleading. Some may be completely false.

Media literacy is therefore not about telling people what to believe. It is about giving people the tools to work it out for themselves. Who said this? Who paid for it? Who owns the platform publishing it? Who benefits? Where is the evidence? What might be missing? What do other credible sources say? And above all: Is this true?

At SoBo Regional Communications, we're exploring how practical media literacy education could help young people and regional communities develop the skills to answer that question for themselves. Because an informed public isn't simply good for democracy.

It is essential to it. Get in touch for more information.