Journalism
Breaking down the media spin on the Gaza protest
Crikey’s Daanyal Saeed’s taken a red pen to the weekend’s front pages, analysing how different outlets framed Sunday’s massive pro-Palestinian protest on the Harbour Bridge.
With more than 100,000 marchers and a last-minute green light from the Supreme Court, the event was peaceful, but politically charged.
Some papers led with disruption, others with humanitarian urgency. Crikey noted the divide: while certain mastheads zeroed in on the bridge closure and Premier Chris Minns’ warnings, others spotlighted Gaza’s crisis and the protest’s scale.
News Corp takes New York attitude west with The California Post
News Corp is betting big on the West Coast, launching The California Post, a new daily newspaper that brings the New York Post’s punchy tabloid DNA to Los Angeles.
According to Alex Weprin in The Hollywood Reporter, think brash front pages, celebrity gossip, and that trademark “common-sense” edge, now filtered through a distinctly Californian lens.
The new title will be helmed by Nick Papps and supported by a statewide team of reporters, with backup from the Post’s national newsroom.
Legal
Former Nine journalist faces fresh child abuse charges
Disgraced ex-A Current Affair reporter Ben McCormack is back in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons, facing a fresh wave of child abuse material charges in Queensland.
According to Blake Antrobus in The Australian, his case was briefly mentioned in Brisbane Arrests Court on Monday.
McCormack has been hit with 65 counts of using a carriage service to transmit or promote child abuse material, along with charges for failing to meet reporting obligations and providing false information.
Television
MAFS experts admit bad behaviour still slips through
Despite tougher checks for Married At First Sight 2026, experts Alessandra Rampolla and John Aiken say there’s no guarantee the drama will stay off the police radar.
Speaking to Sky News Australia’s Isabella Rayner at the Logies, Rampolla admitted some contestants hide parts of their past or only show their true colours once filming starts.
Nine has implemented stricter vetting standards after last season’s wall-punching scandal, but the wildcard factor remains.
AI
Deepfake Albanese used in AI crypto scam ads
A creepy deepfake of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has popped up in a new batch of scammy AI-generated ads on YouTube, sparking fresh calls for tighter regulation and faster platform response.
As Sam Buckingham-Jones reports in The Australian Financial Review, the fake clip features a stiff-faced Albanese, sporting an American accent, and spouts nonsense about earning $25,000 a month through some mystery crypto scheme.
The ad then redirects viewers to a spoofed CTV News site promising free cash for citizens.
Business
Paramount streaming boss steps back after big run
Tom Ryan, the longtime head of Paramount Streaming, is stepping down from his post but will stay on in an advisory role as the company reshapes its streaming division following the Skydance merger.
Ryan, who co-founded Pluto TV and later led both Pluto and Paramount+ under the Paramount umbrella, leaves behind a legacy of major growth, from $1.8 billion in 2020 to $7.6 billion in 2024, including the division’s first profitable global quarters.
According to Joe Otterson in Variety, Ryan sent a note to staff in which he reflected on taking “bold ideas” to global scale.
Entertainment
Wolves flee as Scarlett Johansson yells
OK, in all honesty, great liberties are being taken with the inclusion of this story. However, when we tell you how the Mediaweek team howled upon reading this, forgiveness is assured. We think (hope).
In a very 2025 twist, American farmers are turning to drones, rock music and Hollywood drama to keep wolves away from their cattle.
As Cameron Henderson reports in The Sydney Morning Herald, these sky-bound scarecrows don’t just shine lights, they blast AC/DC, gunshots, fireworks and even clips from Marriage Story, including the infamous Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver fight scene.