This Month
Musk triumphs over Australian government on stabbing videos
The ruling raises questions about whether the eSafety Commission has sufficient powers to do its job or if it bungled its case against Elon Musk’s X.
- Nick Bonyhady
Showtime! Media CEOs’ last stand with Foxtel over future of TV
Years of lobbying by free-to-air networks and Foxtel have come down to this week, when two crucial pieces of legislation are set to go before the Senate.
- Sam Buckingham-Jones
Labor goes to war with Meta in far-reaching inquiry
Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg and X owner Elon Musk could be called on to face federal parliament, as part of a new inquiry into social media algorithms.
- Tom McIlroy
Billionaire Kerry Stokes takes it all very personally
In the media business, he who controls distribution, controls all.
- Mark Di Stefano and Myriam Robin
Seven, WIN turn off ‘loss making’ Ten in Mildura
A joint venture between Seven West Media and WIN will shut down at the end of June, cutting off the aerial signal to Network Ten in parts of regional Victoria.
- Sam Buckingham-Jones
April
Delete your accounts! A disingenuous crusade against Elon Musk and X
Hypocrisy lays at the heart of the increasingly moronic battle between Australia and the tech billionaire.
- Updated
- Mark Di Stefano
Top silk approached to represent Musk in eSafety fight
Top Sydney silk Bret Walker SC will represent Elon Musk in his battle against Australia’s eSafety Commission; seven arrested in counter-terror raids after church attack. How the day unfolded.
- Updated
- Gus McCubbing
‘Enemy of the people’: Musk lashes out at Lambie
X owner Elon Musk has continued his attacks on Australian politicians ahead of a Federal Court hearing on Wednesday about violent content on the platform.
- Tom McIlroy
Limits of social media laws highlighted by Musk’s mockery
The billionaire X owner’s mocking of demands that footage of the Sydney church stabbing be taken down has highlighted how ineffective Australia’s laws are, experts said.
- Updated
- Tom McIlroy
March
Bet365 under investigation by AUSTRAC
The decision to investigate comes more than a year after AUSTRAC announced an independent audit of the bookmaker’s operations.
- Zoe Samios
- Exclusive
- Media & marketing
Onerous demands and threats: Inside Facebook’s secret media deals
Confidential until now, details of two agreements struck by Meta for news provide a glimpse into what the social media giant gained for its funding.
- Sam Buckingham-Jones
Labor moves to force Meta news payments
The Facebook owner’s decision to stop paying Australian publishers would cost about $70 million a year and end dozens of jobs once existing contracts expire this year.
- Ronald Mizen
February
- Exclusive
- Social media
X faces ‘big trouble’, fines if it does not change, warns Rowland
“There is going to be someone who turns around and says ‘how did governments allow this to happen?’ We’re not going to be that government”
- Ronald Mizen
January
Harder, faster: Kim Williams takes lessons from News Corp to ABC
Pushing deep, structural change at News Corp put Kim Williams offside with editors early on in his short tenure there. How will he lead as ABC chairman?
- Sam Buckingham-Jones
December 2023
Google, Meta warned: Negotiate new media deals or face mediation
Many of the News Media Bargaining Code deals struck in 2021 are up for renewal next year. The government says it will designate platforms like Meta and Google.
- Sam Buckingham-Jones
- Exclusive
- Retail
The six locations where AusPost is testing the end of daily letters
The government is expected to sign off on dropping such deliveries potentially as early as this week, as part of a restructure of Australia Post.
- Patrick Durkin
November 2023
Michelle Rowland has a gambling (industry) problem
In politics, where being seen to do the right thing is just as important as actually doing it, Michelle Rowland has left herself exposed.
- Ronald Mizen
Labor edges away from gambling ad ban
In a speech to the National Press Club in Canberra, Communications Minister Michelle Rowland noted some sporting codes relied heavily on online gambling revenue.
- Ronald Mizen
Platforms face crackdown on AI deepfakes and revenge porn
Communications Minister Michelle Rowland is pushing ahead with plans to stamp out dangerous hate speech and malicious activity on the internet.
- Tom McIlroy
- Opinion
- Telecommunications
Why the Optus CEO had to go – and quickly
The telco’s outage points to much deeper problems in Australia’s readiness to cope with cyberattacks and tech failures affecting critical infrastructure.
- Jennifer Hewett
