Lattouf v ABC
Federal Court weighs punishment for SMH and Age editors over Lattouf coverage
The fallout from Antoinette Lattouf’s unfair dismissal win has taken a sharp new turn.
Just 30 minutes after the Federal Court ruled the ABC unlawfully sacked her, Justice Darryl Rangiah was back on the bench, this time grilling The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age over whether they breached a suppression order in their reporting on the case.
According to Steve Jackson in The Australian, the court order, issued in February, barred any naming of individuals who had complained to the ABC about Lattouf’s employment.
ABC boss admits Lattouf legal fight was a costly misfire
ABC managing director Hugh Marks has admitted the broadcaster’s million-dollar courtroom battle with Antoinette Lattouf was “not a good use of taxpayers’ money” after the Federal Court ruled her termination was unlawful.
As Isabella Ross reports on ABC.net.au, Marks labelled the whole saga “regrettable” and conceded the legal spend was money that “shouldn’t have been spent.”
The ABC now owes Lattouf at least $70,000 in compensation, but the broader damage bill could climb far higher once legal fees are tallied.
ABC fallout continues as Lattouf case leaves leadership in ruins
The Lattouf saga has become more than just a legal headache for the ABC, it’s a full-blown organisational mess.
As Karl Quinn writes in The Age, while the broadcaster’s $70,000 payout and $1 million legal bill are hefty, the real cost is reputational.
Since the case blew open, a string of senior execs including David Anderson, Chris Oliver-Taylor and Stephen Ahern have walked. Only radio boss Ben Latimer is still standing.
Journalism
Murpharoo exits PMO as post-election shake-ups begin
The first domino has fallen in the post-election staff shuffle, with Katharine Murphy, better known around the traps as “Murpharoo”, calling time on her stint as Anthony Albanese’s press secretary.
As Kishor Napier-Raman and Gemma Grant write in The Age, after just 18 months in the job, the former Guardian Australia political editor was spotted saying her goodbyes to the press gallery on Wednesday morning.
Her departure marks the start of what’s expected to be a steady churn of staffers rethinking their next moves post-poll.
Television
Stan scores Premier League as Optus quietly exits the pitch
Stan is stepping onto the Premier League turf this August, striking a deal that sees it take over the local broadcast rights while Optus foots part of the bill.
As Zoe Samios and Sam Buckingham-Jones report in the Australian Financial Review, the three-year arrangement is said to cost Nine Entertainment around $60 million a year, but Optus, oddly enough, is still shelling out $40 million annually, despite surrendering the rights.
Insiders say there’s a transition plan in place to ease customers across during the early months of the season.
Lisa Wilkinson resurfaces in The Project farewell clips
The Project is in farewell mode this week, and in a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment, Lisa Wilkinson made a surprise return… sort of.
As Joshua Haigh writes news.com.au, Wednesday’s episode included a few flashback clips of Wilkinson’s celebrity interviews, including her cheeky 2020 sit-down with Robbie Williams, complete with a bleeped-out punchline and her signature laugh.
Notably, none of the current panellists acknowledged Wilkinson directly.
Seven reshuffles primetime after Honeymoon Island stalls
Channel 7 is wasting no time hitting the reset button after Stranded on Honeymoon Island failed to find its footing.
As Aaron Ryan writes on TV Central, the reality series kicked off with just over 500,000 national viewers on Monday, but by Tuesday, the audience had tumbled to 376,000.
The steep drop has triggered a quick rethink at the network, with Seven now rejigging its primetime lineup from next week in a bid to stem the ratings slide.
Social Media
Platforms, not kids, will carry the weight of social ban enforcement
Under Australia’s upcoming social media age ban, under-16s who sneak onto platforms like Instagram, TikTok or Snapchat won’t be penalised, the tech giants will.
As Natalie Brown and Jessica Wang report for news.com.au, eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant confirmed this week that enforcement will fall squarely on the platforms themselves, not the teens dodging restrictions.
The legislation, due to kick in from December 10, will block access to major social apps for anyone under 16, regardless of parental consent or existing accounts.
Rugby Australia rolls out AI tool to scrub social media abuse
Rugby Australia is stepping up its defence, off the field, with a new AI tool designed to wipe out online abuse before it hits players’ screens.
As Kayla Olaya writes in The Age, the tech, developed by Social Project, automatically detects and deletes harmful comments in real time across social platforms.
Following a successful two-month trial across major accounts including the Wallabies and Wallaroos, the system is now being made available to every player in the rugby ecosystem, from grassroots juniors to top-tier professionals.
Film
Aaron Sorkin returns to Facebook with new Social Network film
Aaron Sorkin is diving back into the murky waters of Facebook, with a new film in the works at Sony that revisits the tech giant’s darker chapters.
It’s not quite The Social Network 2, but a spiritual successor rooted in the fallout rather than the founding. Sorkin is reportedly taking the director’s chair this time around.
As Benjamin Lee writes in The Guardian, the new film draws on ‘The Facebook Files’, The Wall Street Journal’s bombshell investigation that exposed how internal research on the platform’s impact, on everything from mental health to political extremism, was buried.