Lives depend on accurate, timely and trusted information in a disaster. People seek out information from a variety of sources, including traditional media, such as radio. They use traditional media to verify information flooding in on social media platforms. It is within this context that the quality of information broadcast by traditional media can be compromised by the relationship between journalists and emergency managers. This study examines the role trust plays in the strengths and weaknesses of the relationship that at times, in the pressure-cooker environment of a disaster, can be fraught with tension or simply non-existent, such as in the case of Hurricane Katrina. I explore the relationship through an analysis of policy documents, prior studies, and a series of in-depth interviews with senior media and emergency management practitioners in Australia and the UK as case studies. Two publicly funded national broadcasters — the BBC in the UK and the ABC in Australia — are making significant inroads into building positive, working relationships with emergency managers, specifically designed to warn and inform communities under the threat of a disaster. This study explores specifically how those initiatives operate and explores the role of trust in this process. In the case of the ABC, the relationship has provided senior journalists with a seat at the table of disaster management, privy to often confidential deliberations. The result has been accurate, timely broadcasting of essential information thereby creating a more resilient community in the face of catastrophe. This study is a stepping stone to further discussion and debate on how best to develop a trusting relationship between the media and emergency managers, both of whom share the common goal of serving society.