SBS has been declared Australia's most trusted news brand, according to the annual global Digital News Report 2024 by the University of Canberra and Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism. The report provides comparative data on media usage across 47 countries, including Australia, and has charted the declining trust and growing misinformation within news and social media ecosystems in recent years.

The University of Canberra conducted the Australian research for the global report, examining Australians' attitudes towards news and journalism. SBS World News' nightly TV bulletins and comprehensive digital offerings, along with SBS Audio's multilingual radio and digital/podcasting services in over 60 languages, serve millions of diverse Australians.

"As SBS prepares to move into our 50th year, this report is a strong validation of the work our teams do across all news platforms to provide accurate, impartial and trustworthy news and information to all Australians. With more people consuming their news through social media platforms, the presence of trusted brands in that space is more crucial than ever," said Mandi Wicks, SBS News Director.

The Digital News Report noted the growing concern about misinformation in Australia, which rose to 75% from 64% in 2022. Audiences are reporting greater difficulty in identifying untrustworthy information. The use of artificial intelligence in news is also increasing, with newsrooms grappling with the influence of AI during the Voice Referendum in 2023 and similar challenges expected in 2024, with AI having the potential to influence domestic and geopolitical issues.

"We work hard each day to preserve the trust our audiences have in us. Our producers serve communities in more than 60 languages, and that is enabled because of the deep connections and trust we've built and nurtured which often means we tell the stories that others don't or can't," said Pamela Cook, Acting Director of SBS Audio.

"Trust in news has been declining during the past few years, news avoidance has been increasing, and misinformation and disinformation pervade our social feeds and threaten to undermine our democratic way of life. The role is increasingly falling to news publishers to report on the news of the day, to combat 'fake news' and to moderate hate speech on their social media profiles, comments which are often AI generated via bots," added Wicks.

As the media landscape continues to evolve, the role of trusted news brands like SBS becomes increasingly vital in providing reliable information to the public, especially in the face of growing misinformation and the influence of AI in news dissemination.