Media
Albanese government sharpens push on big tech news payments
The Australian’s James Dowling writes government has taken another small step toward revamping Australia’s news bargaining rules, releasing a consultation paper that aims to pull global platforms back into paying for local journalism.
The plan retools the Morrison-era code and targets any platform earning more than $250 million from Australian users.
NRMA cancels Christmas bash
As Yoni Bashan reports in The Australian, the NRMA has quietly pulled the pin on its famous Christmas party, ending one of the media industry’s longest-running and most chaotic traditions.
They’ve done so out respect for 80-year-old Suzanne Rees, the holiday-maker who died on Lizard Island last month, after being left behind by the cruise ship she was on.
What does the NRMA have to do with this? Well, they own the vessel.
BBC to apologise to Trump
According to The Australian’s Alex Farber and Tom Witherow, the BBC is gearing up to offer Donald Trump a personal apology as it tries to short-circuit his threatened one-billion-dollar lawsuit.
But, hang on a second…
Another BBC program has now been accused of selective editing.
According to The Guardian’s Michael Savage, the broadcaster’s program Newsnight has now been accused of editing a Trump speech in a way that made it appear that he made a more explicit call for violent protest ahead of the Capitol riots.
EU probes Google over buried media commercial content
The European Commission has opened an investigation into whether Google Search is pushing sponsored and advertiser-backed content from news publishers so far down the results page that it effectively disappears.
The Guardian’s Lisa O’Carroll reports that officials say Google’s anti-spam systems may be sweeping up legitimate commercial material, causing media companies to lose visibility and revenue.
AI
Disney tees up major Disney+ revamp
The Hollywood Reporter’s Tony Maglio reports that Disney used its latest earnings call to flag the biggest reset of Disney+ since launch, with Bob Iger saying the platform is getting a major tech and product overhaul.
Through its Epic Games partnership, Disney+ will introduce “game-like features” that push the service beyond straight streaming.
The company is also working on gen-AI tools that will let fans create short-form content using Disney IP, hinting at a far more interactive future for the platform.
Study shows listeners can barely spot AI-made music
Dylan Smith from Digital Music News reports Deezer has rung the alarm bell after new research showed most adults can’t tell human-made music from AI output.
The platform says it is now dealing with 50,000 AI-generated tracks landing on its doorstep every single day, a volume that is reshaping how it polices quality and authenticity.