Election 2025
YouTube carves out a win as election debate highlights big tech double standard
During this week’s federal election leaders debate, Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton put on a show of standing firm against big tech.
As Cam Wilson writes on Crikey, both claimed they were tough on social media companies, in a performance clearly designed to win cheap political points.
Despite bipartisan support for the Online Safety Act’s new teen social media restrictions, YouTube, has been quietly handed a major exemption, leaving rivals fuming.
Clive Palmer’s ad blitz drives political spend to record highs ahead of election
Political ad spend has skyrocketed in the lead-up to the May 3 election, thanks largely to Clive Palmer’s Trumpet of Patriots party outspending both major parties combined.
Nielsen and RCS Media Monitoring data shows Palmer tipped in $16.3 million over six weeks, leaving the Liberals and Labor trailing with $5.9 million and $5.5 million respectively.
As James Manning reports in The Australian, despite a growing shift to digital, traditional media remains the big winner.
Parties chase youth vote as generational marketing takes over election campaigns
With Millennials and Gen Zs now outnumbering Boomers, political advertising this election has shifted sharply towards younger audiences.
As Angus Holland writes in The Age, from TikTok clips to podcasts with influencers and DJ sets in nightclubs, major parties are spending big to meet voters where they scroll, swipe and stream.
The rise of youth-focused messaging marks a broader change in political marketing, where traditional voter segmentation is being replaced by generational branding strategies.
Fowler candidate’s offensive social media posts uncovered
The Liberal Party’s candidate for Fowler, Vivek Singha, has issued an apology after ABC News uncovered offensive posts from his social media accounts.
As Fiona Willan reports on ABC News, the posts included derogatory comments about Indigenous Australians and a personal attack on Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek.
The controversy, stems from posts made during the Voice to Parliament debate.
AEC crackdown highlights risks for political advertising and satire
The Australian Electoral Commission has warned satirical Senate candidate Belinda Gread over election posters mimicking official Liberal Party material.
As Daanyal Saeed writes in Crikey, in a letter sighted by the politician, the AEC flagged that Gread’s use of Liberal branding could breach electoral laws against misleading voters.
The case spotlights how tightly controlled political advertising must be, especially when branding, logos and party affiliations come into play.
How trustworthy are influencers when it comes to covering the election?
Influencers were once seen as the domain of makeup tutorials and lifestyle content, but now they’re helping shape political conversations, and advertisers are paying attention.
As Jessica Bahr reports for the SBS, for the first time, content creators like Milly Rose Bannister and Hannah Ferguson were flown to Canberra to cover the federal budget, bringing serious issues to TikTok and Instagram audiences.
Instead of traditional articles, these creators delivered budget breakdowns via reels, stories and short-form videos, sparking real engagement among younger voters.
Legal
Nick McKenzie’s court appearance could reshape trust in national media
Australia’s highest-stakes media battle is entering its final act, as investigative journalist Nick McKenzie takes the stand in Ben Roberts-Smith’s appeal against his historic defamation loss.
As Stephen Rice writes in The Australian, McKenzie, who never testified during the original trial, now faces scrutiny over secret recordings suggesting he accessed privileged information.
The clash between Australia’s most decorated soldier and one of its most awarded journalists has become a high-profile test of credibility, not just for individuals, but for media institutions.
Television
Tensions flare as sport and media figures clash ahead of Brisbane 2032
Network Ten newsreader and former Hockey Australia director Sandra Sully has pushed back against claims from John Coates after he criticised her move to seek an Australian Olympic Committee board role.
As Andrew Webster and Jessica Halloran report in The Australian, Sully says her approach was professional and based on a decade of leadership experience across two Olympic cycles.
As the AOC prepares for a major era leading into Brisbane 2032, the tussle highlights how media identities with strong sporting credentials are becoming key players off the field.
Amanda Laing’s Nine return signals bigger push to unify streaming and broadcast
Amanda Laing is back at Nine after six years with Foxtel, stepping into the newly created role of Managing Director, Streaming & Broadcast.
As David Knox writes on TV Tonight, her remit spans Stan, 9Now, TV and radio, giving her sweeping control as CEO Matt Stanton reshapes the media giant’s future.
Laing’s appointment is already sending ripples through the industry, with major commercial and content strategies now expected to be more tightly aligned.
Radio
ARN’s AI voice creator speaks out on ‘presenter’ Thy as bigger questions remain unanswered
The company responsible for creating the AI voice of ARN ‘presenter’, Thy, has responded to public criticism about the on-air use of artificial intelligence.
Released quietly on the Anzac Day public holiday and posted to the ElevenLabs platform, the AI voice technology company used to create Thy, wrote:
“Thy was created with ElevenLabs’ AI voice technology. She’s based on an ARN Media employee who works in finance and gave consent for her voice to be used. Within an hour of uploading the voice samples, the synthetic version was live.”
NOVA Entertainment unveils bold new branding with ‘’Don’t Think, Just Nova’
NOVA Entertainment has launched a bold new brand platform for Nova FM under the banner ‘Don’t Think, Just Nova’, developed in partnership with creative innovation agency R/GA Australia.
The campaign repositions Nova as a spontaneous and joyful alternative in a crowded and algorithm-driven media landscape, and signals a confident, creatively distinct play to advertisers and media buyers alike.
Social Media
Facebook’s Australian ad revenues climb despite slow market conditions
Facebook’s Australian ad revenues have risen to $1.46 billion, despite a challenging market.
As Sam Buckingham-Jones writes for The Australian Financial Review, Meta’s Australian subsidiary, which encompasses Facebook, has seen a $110 million boost in revenue from the previous year.
However, a significant portion of this, $1.25 billion, has been paid to Meta’s international entities for services, a sum that’s up $100 million from 2022.
Tech
Skype’s decline signals shift in digital communication
Skype’s decline is a clear marker of the changing landscape in digital communication, and by extension, the advertising opportunities tied to it.
As Adrian Horton writes for The Guardian, once the go-to platform for long-distance calls, it was overtaken by more seamless, professional alternatives like FaceTime and Zoom, which offered higher-quality video and integrated services.
Microsoft’s decision to shut down Skype on May 4 and integrate its features into Teams speaks to the growing dominance of streamlined, business-centric platforms.
Retail
Are Australian’s falling out-of-love with makeup giant Mecca?
Beauty retailer Mecca’s dominance in the Australian market is being questioned by some, as consumer frustrations about product quality rise.
As Angelica Snowden writes for The Daily Telegraph, beauty enthusiasts have been taking to social media criticising the company’s products and quality.
Despite having a massive presence, Mecca’s success is partly due to the delayed arrival of competitor Sephora, which allowed Mecca to solidify its hold on the beauty market.