Only 50% of Australians trust our governments, according to the Edelman Trust barometer from March this year. And even fewer of us trust the media – just 40%. Furthermore, 59% of Australian worry that government, business leaders, journalists & reporters are deliberately trying to mislead people. And in a time of rapid change, none of these four institutions is trusted to integrate innovation into society. Clearly, our institutions have much to do if they’re going to rebuild this trust, and take society with them. 

Today’s guest,Tom Burton, has spent his career across all four of the institutions that Edelman surveys – primarily the media, where he held senior editorial and publishing roles with The Sydney Morning Herald and The Mandarin. He was Canberra bureau chief for The Australian Financial Review, and until recently, served as that newspaper’s government editor, and also worked as a ministerial adviser and for the Australian Media and Communications Authority, as well as a US NGO, the Centre for American Progress.

Tom Burton argues that by focusing on delivery and embracing digital transformation, governments across the political spectrum can become highly effective and be perceived as such. But in order to achieve this, government, the media and academia will all need to lift their game.

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