Election 2025
Channel Seven’s leaders’ debate script leaks
The final leaders’ debate may have ended with a win for Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, but behind the scenes, it raised bigger questions for broadcasters about live content integrity.
As Crikey’s Daanyal Saeed reveals, the publication received a copy of Seven political editor Mark Riley’s debate script hours before Sunday night’s broadcast, a leak that also reached at least two other newsrooms.
While Riley largely stuck to the prepared lines, small deviations didn’t mask the fact that key questions, including ones on cost of living and Welcome to Country ceremonies, were publicly known before the 8:10pm start time.
Labor shifts YouTube ad dollars to defence as key seats come under pressure
Labor’s digital media strategy is firmly in defensive mode, with YouTube ad spend heavily concentrated in must-hold seats across Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia.
As Clare Armstrong reports in The Daily Telegraph, of the top 20 electorates targeted through Google-owned platforms, only four are seats Labor hopes to gain, the rest are all about holding ground.
The party has pumped the most into Wills, where Greens pressure is intensifying, spending $175,725 on YouTube between 16 March and 25 April, $44,225 of that in the final 10 days alone.
Television
ABC faces questions over editorial independence after chairman’s intervention
The ABC has found itself under scrutiny after Media Watch alleged that chairman Kim Williams stepped in to help comedian Austen Tayshus secure airtime on Regional Radio to promote his national tour
As Max Melzer writes for Sky News Australia, host Linton Besser labelled the move a “grave lapse of judgement” during Monday night’s broadcast.
Since July, Tayshus, best known for his 1983 hit Australiana, has racked up over 90 minutes of free coverage across 11 ABC segments.
CBS faces editorial backlash as 60 Minutes battles corporate interference
Tensions are boiling over at CBS’s 60 Minutes in the US, with veteran host Scott Pelley using Sunday night’s broadcast to issue a pointed defence of journalistic independence.
The rebuke comes as Paramount Global, CBS’s parent company, pushes ahead with a proposed sale to Skydance Media, a move still awaiting federal approval.
According to Jessica Glenza in The Guardian, the fallout includes the resignation of long-time 60 Minutes producer Bill Owens, who departed last week over fears that corporate oversight was compromising the program’s editorial freedom.
Journalism
Trump launches attacks on US media as polling tensions rise
Donald Trump has launched a tirade against major US media outlets over unfavourable polling results, accusing The New York Times, ABC, The Washington Post and Fox News of “election fraud”.
As Vanessa Marsh and Tiffany Bakker write for The Daily Telegraph, the US President has also accused the media giants of suffering from “Trump Derangement Syndrome.”
The criticism was aired on Truth Social after polls showed his support well below 40 per cent.
Legal
Judge shuts down Roberts-Smith claims as Nine’s legal team stays off the hook
Ben Roberts-Smith’s push to revive his defamation appeal has hit another wall, with a Federal Court judge rejecting claims Nine reporter Nick McKenzie “threw his lawyers under a bus.”
As Stephen Rice reports in The Australian, Justice Nye Perram ruled the misconduct allegations against MinterEllison were irrelevant and “unmoored” from any proper legal argument.
Roberts-Smith’s team had served a wave of subpoenas targeting Nine’s legal advisers, most of which have now been dismissed or heavily curtailed.
Social Media
The double-edged sword of AI ‘mates’
AI companions and chatbots, once novelties, now mimic humanity with alarming speed. Their utility is apparent, yet so too are the initial signs of potential danger.
In Peter Hartcher’s opinion piece for The Age, he highlights the tragic case of 14-year-old Sewell Setzer.
His devotion to an AI, Dany, led him to take his own life after she urged him to “come home.” His mother’s lawsuit against the chatbot company underscores the devastating consequences of such digital attachments.
Events
SXSW Sydney announces first keynote speaker
SXSW Sydney has announced its first keynote speaker for 2025, Meredith Whittaker, President of Signal.
A leading figure in the global conversation on artificial intelligence, privacy, and internet policy, Whittaker will join an impressive line-up of speakers for the SXSW Tech & Innovation Festival, celebrating innovators and emerging local talent from Australia’s tertiary education sector.
Streaming
NRL keeps a wary eye on DAZN tensions ahead of billion-dollar rights play
As the NRL prepares to take its next broadcast rights package to market, it’s closely monitoring turbulence at new Foxtel owner DAZN.
The sports streamer is locked in a dispute with France’s top football league after clubs voted to rip up a major broadcast deal, sparking concerns about deal stability.
As Calum Jaspan writes in The Age, while the French stoush doesn’t directly impact Foxtel, the drama comes at a sensitive time for the NRL, which is aiming to significantly lift the value of its next rights deal from 2028 onwards.
Tech
Big Four bank customers exposed as stolen passwords flood dark web
Tens of thousands of login credentials from Australia’s Big Four banks are circulating freely among cybercriminals.
According to Ange Lavoipierre on ABC News, new research has revealed they’re putting customers at real risk of financial loss despite strong anti-fraud protections.
Cybersecurity firm Dvuln revealed that more than 31,000 sets of stolen credentials, including those from CommBank, ANZ, NAB and Westpac customers, are being traded on Telegram and the dark web.
Retail
What Aussie businesses can learn from Bunnings’ retail media push
Bunnings’ entry into Australia’s $3 billion retail media market marks a significant shift in the retail landscape.
As Nicole Miranda writes on Inside Retail, the company has established Hammer Media, a dedicated division designed to monetise its advertising inventory across both digital and physical platforms.
This move aligns Bunnings with industry leaders such as Woolworths’ Cartology and Coles 360, aiming to leverage first-party data to offer targeted advertising solutions.
Jo Horgan talks longevity and leadership as Mecca continues to thrive
Jo Horgan, founder of Mecca, has praised the advantages of running a private company, rejecting ongoing speculation about a potential exit.
As Angelica Snowden writes in The Australian, in a recent podcast, she emphasised how being private allows for bold, long-term decisions that align with her entrepreneurial mindset.
Mecca’s growth to nearly $1 billion in revenue, fuelled by exclusive partnerships with luxury brands and a loyal customer base, has sparked interest in its future.