PODCAST · technology
Time for Trust
by Prof Terry Flew
Governments, the economy and civil society depend on the public’s trust to work effectively – but this trust is declining in an age of polarisation and misinformation. The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned that this “malady of mistrust” is as damaging as COVID or climate change. We don’t talk much about trust – but we certainly notice when it breaks down, in corporate scandals or political coups. But in a time when many are losing faith in our most vital institutions, how can the bonds of trust be rebuilt? In Time for Trust, Terry Flew will explore these themes with leading experts on trust, from academics and journalists to community leaders, both from Australia and around the world. Professor Flew holds a prestigious Laureate Fellowship from the Australian Research Council. He’s particularly interested in “mediated trust” – that is, forms of trust and mistrust as they are expressed in and through the digital media technologie
Episodes
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Cringe posts and vanity metrics – Are corporate leaders losing our trust?
The 24-hour news cycle and the endless scroll of social media means a single controversial headline can shatter your organisation’s credibility in seconds. And yet leaders can’t avoid the need for communication either, especially if they’re trying to build brand credibility and consumer trust....
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Thrive or expire - Martin Betts on why AI will make or break universities
AI is unavoidable in 2026, but higher education is caught between plummeting public trust and fear of disruption. In institutions where original thought is rewarded, how do you embrace an AI driven world? Martin Betts is the co-founder of HEDx, and has worked in the higher education sector for…
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Degrees or dysfunction? Julie Hare on the multiple crises facing Australian universities
How well do you remember your uni days? Chances are, whatever picture that came to mind - the lecture theatres, campus life, the idea of a place built to protect independent thought - is a few steps removed from the more complicated reality. These days, that picture competes with leadership...
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Offline until 16? Julian Sefton-Green on UK and Australian social media age restrictions
The UK has followed Australia’s lead by banning social media for under-16s. In a parting move made by the Starmer government, it’s left public opinion divided. We all want children to be safe online. But is this global movement a necessary stand against Big Tech, or does it ignore how the modern...
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Communication 2.0: Jim Macnamara on the untapped power of organisational listening
Communication is a two-way street. Or at least, it’s meant to be. So why don’t organisations ever seem to really listen to us? Jim Macnamara, the Distinguished Professor of Public Communication at the University of Technology Sydney, is a pioneer in the field of organisation listening, and he...
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Institutions, innovations and ideas: Sir Geoff Mulgan on trusting government after AI
Why are companies racing to build dancing robots when human dancers are fighting harder than ever to earn a living? Why does it feel like technology is becoming rapidly more powerful, but so few people seem to actually gain anything from it? Institutions large and small are central to all...
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Rethinking the risks, rights, and regulation of young people on social media
As governments around the world move to restrict young people’s access to social media, a fundamental question emerges: do bans actually protect children or create new risks? Growing concern about youth mental health and the power of tech companies has driven policies such as Australia’s under-16...
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The parasocial power of podcasting – How podcasters are gaining trust
“Podcasting is the medium of the moment.” But should we trust the creators and their content? With more than 600 million global listeners, podcasting is now central to journalism, commentary, and public debate. Many audiences see podcasts as more authentic and more intimate than radio…
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How Hollywood packages the truth – Is film undermining trust?
Is cinema a vehicle of truth or does it promote false beliefs? Associate Professor of Film Studies Bruce Isaacs doesn’t believe in historical truth in the film image. “I don't think cinema looks for that. What it seeks to show is a kind of aesthetic truth. Films straddle this very interesting...
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Dr TJ Thomson on how AI is making it harder to trust visual journalism
Dr T.J. Thomson is an associate professor and Australian Research Council DECRA Fellow at RMIT, where he co-leads The News, Technology, and Society Network. His research is united by its focus on visual communication. He’s the author of a number of books and edited colllections, including…
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Prof Karin Wahl-Jorgensen on how boutique media are leveraging audience trust
Karin Wahl-Jorgenson is Professor, Cardiff School of Journalism, Media and Cultural Studies, Cardiff University where she has also been University Dean of Research Environment and Culture. She is the incoming President-Elect of the International Communication Association. Her research has been...
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Prof Andrea Carson on fake news, fact-checking and front pages
Professor Andrea Carson joins Terry for a wide-ranging discussion about trust in politics and the media which reports on it, from mis- and dis-information to the fate of fact-checking units and how our front pages impact Australian elections, along with the impact of AI and social media on our...
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Prof David Nieborg on whether we can trust platform companies
In recent years, an increasing amount of cultural production has transitioned to platforms like YouTube, Instagram and TikTok. But can we trust these platforms to do the right thing by their creators and users – and what happens when these companies come into conflict with national governments…
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Prof Terry Flew on how AI is changing communications
On Wednesday 20 August 2025, Prof Terry Flew delivered a guest lecture in Charles Sturt University's 'Thoughts On The Beyond' series, celebrating 50 years of communications scholarship at the university. Entitled 'AI and Communication: Trust, Ethics, Justice and Policy', the talk outlines some of...
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Prof Alexandre Lefebvre on the liberal values that underpin social trust
Alexandre Lefebvre, Professor of Politics and Philosophy in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at the University of Sydney, argues that liberalism isn't just a political ideology having to do with individual rights, parliaments, and courts. He says its core values permeate throughout much of...
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Prof Nick Couldry from the LSE on how social media has failed society
Nick Couldry is Professor of Media, Communications and Social Theory Emeritus and Professorial Research Fellow in the Department of Media and Communications at the London School of Economics and Political Science. As a sociologist of media and culture, he approaches media and communications from...
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Lizzie O'Shea on why digital rights are human rights
In recent years, many major companies, both in Australia and around the world, have conspicuously failed to protect their customers’ data, leading to personal details being shared on the dark web. Global platform companies have facilitated the spread of disinformation and misinformation, while...
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"A flashing warning light": discussing the 2025 Edelman Trust Barometer
The 25th anniversary edition of the Edelman Trust Barometer revealed that Australia has slipped into distrust territory with a profound global shift to acceptance of aggressive action and deepening fears giving rise to a widespread sense of grievance. We were delighted to co-host the launch of…
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Tom Robinson on trust's decline and the rise of grievance
As we’ve discussed extensively on the podcast, trust in public institutions is declining. But how do we know this, and how do we measure how much things have changed? The international communications firm Edelman has been tracking this issue for 25 years, and its Edelman Trust Barometer has…
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Prof Heather Ford on how to build AI systems we can trust
As AI continues to make its way into more aspect of life, some interesting trends about how the public feels about these new, increasingly pervasive services have been observed. The developers of AI promise that their systems will produce reliable, comprehensive, and bias-free results. But…
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Prof Jörg Matthes on how to combat digital hate
We have a lot of threats to trust around the world. These include misinformation, political polarisation, the spread of hate online, and declining trust in political and social institutions. We also know that much of this has happened as more and more people worldwide have developed social media...
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Prof James Arvanitakis on why Americans trust Donald Trump
One of the major challenges of our time is political polarisation and the dangers it presents to social cohesion. Recent editions of the Edelman Trust Barometer have identified a weakening of Australia’s social fabric, a decline of trust in key institutions, and a lack of unity behind a shared...
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Tom Burton on building trust by making governments deliver
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....
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Prof Philip Napoli on how ‘pink slime’ is filling the void left by local news
For some years now, local newspapers have been closing down in the United States. The problem’s especially pronounced in regional areas, where ‘news deserts’ have emerged as the last local journalists shut up shop. More recently, hundreds of new websites that claim to contain local news have...
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Assoc Prof Benjamin Moffitt on the potential perils of populism
In 2024, forty countries are holding elections, representing 41% of the world’s population. In some respects, it’s a banner year for democracy – but also, a year in which many commentators and political scientists have charted the rise of right-wing populist movements – some of which seek to...
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Prof Siva Vaidhyanathan on how platform companies corrode democracy
What really happens when we Google something? When we post to Facebook or Instagram, how much are we sharing alongside that snap of our family holiday, or our latte art? More broadly, how are these companies’ attempt to privatise our public square impacting democracy – and even the nature of...
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Lorena Allam on Indigenous truth-telling and the media
Lorena Allam is descended from the Gamilaraay and Yawalaraay nations of north-west NSW. She has been the Guardian's Indigenous affairs editor since 2018, following a long career as an ABC journalist. She also worked with the Australian Human Rights Commission on its landmark report about the...
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Prof Julianne Schultz AM on why we need independent publications – and a strong national broadcaster
Social cohesion is spiralling, with a survey last year finding that Australians’ sense of belonging, national pride and trust were reaching all-time lows. Citizens are turning off the news in record numbers, undermining the media’s role in safeguarding democracy. And dozens of regional newspapers...
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Peter Lewis on building trust by improving the public square – and fixing 'Q&A'
Our first guest, journalist, author, pollster, commentator, and activist Peter Lewis, has written extensively about the lessons from Australia’s Voice referendum for understanding how trust relates to participation in public life, and distrust to disengagement. Peter brings a long and varied…
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Introducing Time for Trust
Governments, the economy and civil society depend on the public’s trust to work effectively – but this trust is declining in an age of polarisation and misinformation. The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned that this “malady of mistrust” is as damaging as COVID or climate change. We...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Governments, the economy and civil society depend on the public’s trust to work effectively – but this trust is declining in an age of polarisation and misinformation. The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned that this “malady of mistrust” is as damaging as COVID or climate change.
We don’t talk much about trust – but we certainly notice when it breaks down, in corporate scandals or political coups. But in a time when many are losing faith in our most vital institutions, how can the bonds of trust be rebuilt?
In Time for Trust, Terry Flew will explore these themes with leading experts on trust, from academics and journalists to community leaders, both from Australia and around the world.
Professor Flew holds a prestigious Laureate Fellowship from the Australian Research Council. He’s particularly interested in “mediated trust” – that is, forms of trust and mistrust as they are expressed in and through the digital media technologie
HOSTED BY
Prof Terry Flew
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Time for Trust have?
Time for Trust currently has 30 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Time for Trust about?
Governments, the economy and civil society depend on the public’s trust to work effectively – but this trust is declining in an age of polarisation and misinformation. The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned that this “malady of mistrust” is as damaging as COVID or climate change. We...
How often does Time for Trust release new episodes?
Time for Trust has 30 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Time for Trust?
You can listen to Time for Trust on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Time for Trust?
Time for Trust is created and hosted by Prof Terry Flew.
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