How does media in Australia work

Freedom of the press and a diverse media landscape are important hallmarks of healthy democracies — where citizens and journalists have the power to express themselves, obtain and publish information without fear of interference or reprisals from the ruling government. Although freedom of the press is not guaranteed by the Constitution, Australia ranks in the top 40 countries on the World Press Freedom Index. So, what is the role of the media in a democracy? How are commercial media and publicly funded broadcasters in Australia different? And what sets them apart from the state-sponsored media found overseas?

Credit: AAP Image/Joel Carrett