Truth, trust and the algorithm: can democracy keep up?

Truth, trust and the algorithm: can democracy keep up?

From The National Security Podcast by ANU National Security College

April 16, 2026 · 38 min

About this episode

The episode explores the impact of misinformation on democracy and social trust in Australia.

How are everyday Australians experiencing misinformation in their daily lives, and why does it feel increasingly overwhelming? How are platforms and algorithms shaping what we see? What impact is this having on trust in institutions, political decision-making and social cohesion? What does a healthy democratic information space look like?   In this episode, Tanya Notley and Ika Trijsburg join Sally Bulkeley in conversation to explore the convergence of misinformation, media literacy and democratic resilience.   Dr Tanya Notley is Professor in the School of Arts and Institute for Culture and Society at Western Sydney University, and a leading expert in digital inclusion and media literacy. She is a founding member of the Australian Media Literacy Alliance. Ika Trijsburg is Director of Urban Analytics at the ANU Institute for Infrastructure and Society and Head of Democracy and Diplomacy at the Municipal Association of Victoria. She leads the Disinformation in the City project across five Australian universities. Sally Bulkeley is the former Deputy Head of the ANU National Security College.   TRANSCRIPT Show notes: ·     ANU National Security…

People in this episode

Host: Sally Bulkeley

Guests: Tanya Notley, Ika Trijsburg

Topics covered

  • misinformation
  • media literacy
  • democratic resilience
  • trust in institutions
  • political decision-making
  • social cohesion

Keywords

  • misinformation
  • democracy
  • media literacy
  • trust
  • social cohesion
  • political decision-making
  • algorithms

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Western Sydney University, ANU Institute for Infrastructure and Society, Municipal Association of Victoria, Australian Media Literacy Alliance, ANU National Security College

More episodes of The National Security Podcast

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The National Security Podcast podcast page.