Media
ABC under fire over Writers Week boycott claims
The Australian’s Steve Jackson reports that Aunty is facing fresh scrutiny after denying there was “no evidence” senior journalists boycotted Adelaide Writers Week in support of author Randa Abdel-Fattah.
At Senate estimates, Liberal senator Sarah Henderson was unconvinced, quipping that the absences were not exactly family emergencies.
Questions raised over ad opposing Herzog visit
A paid newspaper ad criticising Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s planned Australia visit is under scrutiny, with doubts emerging about the accuracy and consent of some Jewish signatories named.
As Megan Gorrey and Annika Smethurst report in The Sydney Morning Herald, the open letter, organised by the Jewish Council of Australia, ran in several papers, and claimed support from around 700 Jewish Australians via an online petition and declaring Herzog “not welcome” during the Gaza war.
Senate takes aim at Stan Sport Winter Olympics paywall
Trying to watch the Winter Olympics turned into a subscription maze, according to Liberal senator Jane Hume, who vented her annoyance at Senate estimates over coverage locked behind Stan Sport.
As David Knox writes in TV Tonight, Hume said she stayed up late to watch cross-country skier Maddie Hooker, only to be told the event had shifted off free-to-air and required a paid Stan Sport upgrade, even for existing Stan customers.
Paying extra to see one of only a handful of Australian events left her unimpressed.
Online
REA brings property search into ChatGPT
As Jared Lynch reports in The Australian, REA Group has jumped early on AI distribution, launching a dedicated real estate app inside OpenAI’s ChatGPT.
It is a clear play to modernise how Australians search for property and to stay ahead of global tech platforms circling the classifieds market.
UK regulator nudges Apple and Google on app store rules
As the BBC’s Liv McMahon writes, Apple and Google have agreed to tweak how their app stores operate in the UK after a nudge from the competition watchdog.
Think fewer house rules, more daylight.
The Competition and Markets Authority says both companies will stop favouring their own apps and be clearer about how third-party apps get approved. It follows last year’s finding that the pair effectively run a duopoly in the UK app economy.
Google offers voluntary exits as AI focus sharpens
As Hugh Langley writes in Business Insider, Google is quietly thinning parts of its commercial ranks, offering voluntary exit packages to some staff within its global business organisation.
In a note to employees, chief business officer Philipp Schindler said that selected teams may elect to leave with severance.
The tone was upbeat but pointed. 2025 was strong, he wrote, but the pace is fast, and the stakes are rising.