Journalism
Social media now trumps traditional news for Aussies
Australia’s media habits are getting a digital makeover.
For the first time, more Aussies are turning to social media than to traditional news outlets for their daily headlines, according to the 2025 Digital News Report from the University of Canberra’s News and Media Research Centre.
But as Amanda Meade reports in The Guardian Australia, while TV news still clings to the top spot at 37%, platforms like Facebook, YouTube, X and TikTok are now collectively pulling ahead of legacy media.
Technology
Canva buys MagicBrief to boost its enterprise play
Canva is beefing up its marketing muscle, snapping up Sydney start-up MagicBrief in a move aimed squarely at enterprise growth.
As Joseph Carbone writes in The Australian, the acquisition adds strategy, analytics and creative planning tools to Canva’s already hefty visual suite, as it looks to lock in more big-budget business customers.
MagicBrief, co-founded by former Eucalyptus exec George Howes and Dan Nolan, lets marketers plan, compare and optimise campaigns, all in one slick platform.
Social Media
X Corp pushes back on New York’s Hate Speech law
Elon Musk’s X has launched a legal swing at New York, filing a lawsuit over a new law that demands transparency from social platforms about how they tackle hate speech.
The law, known as the Stop Hiding Hate Act, kicks in this week and asks big tech players to spell out their content moderation practices and report on efforts to manage extremism, disinformation and other digital toxins.
As Nick Robins-Early write in The Guardian, X’s legal team argues the law breaches the first amendment by forcing platforms to speak in ways they may not choose to, particularly when it comes to publishing sensitive internal processes.
YouTube launches Open Call to fast-track creator brand deals
YouTube is taking its creator-brand matchmaking to the next level.
As Alex Weprin writes in The Hollywood Reporter, Unveiled at Cannes Lions, Open Call is the platform’s latest swing at democratising branded content, this time by making the process faster, looser and more accessible for both brands and creators.
The tool plugs into YouTube’s existing BrandConnect program and lets advertisers submit briefs directly to eligible creators in the YouTube Partner Program.
Television
10 News restructures back-end teams ahead of digital launch
10 News is shifting a few chess pieces behind the scenes, with a quiet restructure affecting newsroom staff in Perth, Adelaide and Brisbane.
According to David Knox in TV Tonight, eight roles, reportedly editorial, have been offered redeployment to Sydney or Melbourne, with redundancies on the table for those who opt out.
The network insists it’s not cutting headcount or scaling back local coverage. Instead, it’s streamlining how editing and media management are handled across states, aiming for a more efficient, centralised system.
Sam Taunton leans into the laughs after The Project gets the axe
Sam Taunton isn’t wasting time mourning The Project.
Instead, as Joshua Haigh writes on news.com.au, the comedian is mining its cancellation for material, taking aim at his own newly unemployed status during a recent stand-up set.
“Everyone f**king knows you’ve lost your job and it’s crazy,” he joked, laying bare the brutal honesty of family reactions.
AI
Meta AI’s Discover Tab turns private chats into public cringe
Meta’s latest AI experiment is less cutting-edge and more public spectacle.
As Jason Koebler reports in 404 Media, the company quietly rolled out a “Discover” tab in its AI app that showcases real user prompts and conversations, yes, actual chats with the bot, for all to scroll through.
Think: a feed of strangers asking for poems, travel itineraries, or bizarre fan fiction, now available for your entertainment (or second-hand embarrassment).
Amazon flags AI-driven job cuts as generative tools expand
Amazon boss Andy Jassy has hinted that AI could slim down the company’s corporate headcount in the coming years, as generative tools become more deeply embedded across its operations.
According to Rachel Dobkin in The Independent, in a memo to staff, Jassy said the tech is now in play “in virtually every corner” of the business.
From beefing up Alexa’s ability to answer complex queries to sharpening inventory forecasts and robot efficiency in warehouses, Amazon is betting big on AI to boost speed, cut costs and streamline how it works behind the scenes.
xAI chases fresh billions as cash burn ramps up
Elon Musk’s AI venture xAI is back in the fundraising ring, reportedly seeking another US$4.3 billion in equity, on top of a separate US$5 billion debt push already underway.
According to Carmen Arroyo and Jill R Shah in Bloomberg, investors were told the clock is ticking, with debt commitments now due.
Despite raising a hefty US$14 billion since launching in 2023, xAI has already chewed through most of it.
Retail
Mosaic Brands faces liquidation after massive debt pile
Mosaic Brands, the former powerhouse behind Aussie favourites like Rivers, Millers and Noni B, is now staring down the barrel of liquidation.
The retail giant, which claimed to be Australia’s biggest specialty fashion retailer with around 1,000 stores, has been in voluntary administration since October last year.
According to Sarah Simpkins in The Daily Telegraph, recent ASIC documents, the group’s debts have ballooned to a staggering $367 million.