Business of Media
‘It’s been a hard journey’: Julian Assange supporters celebrate his release
Beyond Julian Assange’s family, few have been celebrating the past 24 hours more than the dedicated band of supporters that grew out of vigils and protests for him over the past two decades, reports The Guardian’s Ben Quinn.
“In all the years that I have supported him, I have learned not to be surprised by anything,” said Emmy Butlin, a Greek-born Londoner who was a linchpin of the unofficial campaign to free Assange that worked in tandem with the broader push to oppose his extradition.
“It’s been a hard journey, at times full of grief, but we have a tremendous sense of achievement. It’s been marvellous to be surrounded by people who share your dreams and your ideas,” she said.
Antoinette Lattouf’s mediation with ABC fails, dispute to go to Federal Court
Journalist and presenter Antoinette Lattouf’s termination dispute against the ABC will go to trial after mediation talks ended in a stalemate on Tuesday, reports Nine Publishing’s Calum Jaspan.
Lattouf, who was sacked three days into a five-day casual contract as a presenter on ABC Radio Sydney in December, is seeking damages from the broadcaster, as well as getting reinstated on air and an apology. Those demands were rejected.
She said she was disheartened after the mediation meeting at Sydney’s Law Courts Building came to an unsuccessful end, according to a post on social media platform X. The meeting lasted less than an hour.
New York Times to move podcasts behind paywall
The New York Times is working to move its top podcasts behind a paywall, according to people familiar with the matter, as the company seeks fresh revenue from the format, report The Wall Street Journal’s Anne Steele and Alexandra Bruell.
The publisher is exploring making only the three most recent episodes of The Daily available to nonsubscribers, and making new episodes of its Serial show exclusive to subscribers for an initial period. The plans are still evolving and might change.
News Brands
Alex Jones’ bankruptcy trustee plans to liquidate far-right platform Infowars
A court-appointed bankruptcy trustee has signaled intentions to liquidate assets belonging to Alex Jones, including the media platform Infowars, as part of the conspiracy theorist’s bankruptcy proceedings, reports The Guardian’s Kari Paul.
The proposed liquidation is meant to help pay $1.5bn in lawsuit judgments Jones owes for repeatedly calling the 2012 Sandy Hook elementary school shooting a hoax.
Presidential debate carries great opportunity – and risk – for CNN
Donald Trump is set to debate President Biden in a CNN studio on Thursday, the former president’s first appearance on the cable channel since a contentious town hall last year that preceded the abrupt exit of the network’s previous chief executive, reports The Wall Street Journal’s Isabella Simonetti.
The event is expected to generate big ratings for CNN, whose prime-time viewership has been sinking. But it also will open it up to criticism, given its control over the format of the debate and its history of tense exchanges with Trump officials during the former president’s administration.
On Monday, Mark Thompson, CNN’s chief executive, urged staffers not to get caught in the crossfire in the run-up to the debate.
Television
Stuff the British Stole in development as drama series
Stuff the British Stole is in development as a six-part scripted heist caper, reports TV Tonight.
Wooden Horse, which has produced two seasons, is co-producing the project with Warner Bros International Television Production Australia.
According to the producers, it will take “a provocative and sharply observed deep dive into the complexity of history, and identity, in our modern world through an irreverent and wryly humorous lens.”
Bindi Irwin takes a cheeky swipe at brother Robert
He may be the future golden boy of television but in Bindi Irwin’s eyes, Robert will always be her little brother and she’s ready to prove it, reports News Corp’s Aisling Brennan.
Robert was announced as one of the front runners for a Gold Logie for his first year co-hosting I’m A Celebrity … Get Me Out Of Here! on Monday, making him the youngest male ever to be nominated for the prestigious Gold Logie.
To celebrate, his older sister Bindi posted a throwback picture of herself clutching her own 2008 silver Logie on Instagram as a way of supporting her younger brother by encouraging fans to vote for him.
Nat Barr reveals she’s being treated for skin cancer
Sunrise host Natalie Barr shared some personal news on-air this morning, revealing she’s currently undergoing treatment for skin cancer, reports News Corp’s Nick Bond.
“I had a pimple on my nose that wouldn’t go away, plus I reckon it had been couple of years since I had a skin check, so I went the dermatologist,” Barr told viewers, in a segment that showed her attending a clinic to seek treatment.
“He said it was skin cancer — this tiny little dot on my nose. The good thing is I got it really early, and there’s not much treatment,” she said.