Election 2025
Why the Coalition’s social media blitz bombed
Six years after helping Brexit over the line, Kiwi agency Topham Guerin was back in the game, this time hired by the Liberals to turbocharge their social media.
But as Joseph Carbone reports in The Australian, what worked for Boris flopped in Brisbane, with Peter Dutton not only losing the election, but also his own seat.
While both major parties flooded platforms in a bid to court younger voters, the Coalition’s content, a mix of meme-heavy chaos and tone-deaf gimmicks, missed the mark.
Social Media
Social media giants turn a blind eye to anti-abuse tech
A former ASIO agent has built a tool that blocks online abuse in under a second, but the big social media platforms aren’t interested.
Shane Britten’s SocialProtect, born from a personal tragedy, is already helping AFL and NRL clubs.
But as Jared Lynch writes in The Australian, Meta, X and others have refused to cooperate.
Television
Lisa Wilkinson takes aim at Ten over Logies fallout
Lisa Wilkinson didn’t hold back at a regional book festival, blaming a trio of senior women at Network Ten for their role in the infamous Logies speech that derailed a high-profile trial and her own career trajectory.
As Nick Wilson writes in The Daily Mail Australia, Wilkinson told a crowd in Taree that three executives had read her speech praising Brittany Higgins before she took the stage, yet none took responsibility when the backlash hit.
Television
Gaming, YouTube and global powerhouses join children’s content summit
The Australian Children’s Content Summit is returning to Coffs Harbour this August, this time with a digital twist.
For the first time, YouTube creators and gaming insiders will share the stage with traditional broadcasters to explore the future of kids’ entertainment.
As David Knox reports in TV Tonight, heavy hitters from around the globe are also locked in, including executivess from the BBC, ITV, CBC, Amazon Kids+, and Warner Bros. Discovery.
Podcasts
Mediaweek Australia introduces new podcast ‘Newsmakers’
In the cutthroat world of talk radio, authenticity is currency, and Mark Levy’s got it in spades.
As the new voice of 2GB’s powerhouse morning slot, following in the footsteps of broadcasting titan Ray Hadley, Levy knows exactly what he’s stepped into.
But as he tells Mediaweek Australia in the debut episode of the Newsmakers podcast, he’’s not looking to fill anyone’s shoes, he’s making his own tracks.
Acast scores exclusive ad rights to The Athletic podcasts in Australia
Acast has inked a global deal with The Athletic, taking over ad sales for the sports media giant’s podcasts from 1 June.
As Sarah Patterson writes in Radio Today, The agreement covers both audio and video, giving Acast the keys to monetise one of the most diverse sports podcast line-ups around.
From F1 to footy, The Athletic’s shows like The Totally Football Show, No Dunks and The Race F1 Podcast have already built strong Aussie fanbases.
AI
Cbus allegedly missed out on Musk’s xAI payday, whistleblower claims
Elon Musk’s AI firm xAI, now valued at around $80 billion, was at the centre of a missed opportunity for Aussie super fund Cbus, according to a lawsuit filed in California.
As Angelica Snowden writes in The Australian, the claim, brought by former Brookfield execuive Josh Raffaelli, alleges Cbus lost out on $US25 million in potential gains when a planned investment was slashed without proper cause.
Raffaelli says Brookfield’s private equity boss downgraded the xAI investment from $US25m to just $US5m, redirecting it to a different fund, despite Cbus being signed up to both.
Gaming
Roblox rakes it in while Aussie watchdogs lag behind
Dean’s shelves are stacked with gaming greats, but his son Sam only wants one thing: Roblox.
He’s not alone, over 97 million players log in daily, nearly half of them under 13, turning the game into a multi-billion dollar playground powered by virtual cash.
As Jackson Ryan reports in The Guardian Australia, with users averaging $25 a month, concerns are mounting over how in-game purchases are marketed, and how young users understand them.
Film
SPA joins global push to protect local storytelling
Screen Producers Australia has backed a worldwide petition urging governments to stand firm on cultural and creative sovereignty, joining more than 100 film and screen organisations calling for stronger protections.
As Kyle Laidlaw writes on TV Blackbox, the petition argues for preserving local content laws to ensure creators’ rights are upheld and audiences keep seeing their own stories reflected on screen, rather than just global hits.
SPA also renewed pressure on the Australian Government to introduce content quotas for streamers, warning that continued delays are leaving the local industry in limbo.
Companies
Microsoft’s Steven Worrall jumps ship to lead Telstra InfraCo
Microsoft’s local boss Steven Worrall is heading to Telstra, taking the reins of its $15 billion InfraCo division as the telco doubles down on AI and infrastructure.
He’ll replace outgoing CEO Brendon Riley, overseeing assets like data centres, towers and a $1.6 billion fibre network, ironically, one Microsoft signed on to use last year.
As Jared Lynch writes in The Australian, Worrall officially starts on September 1 and will report directly to Telstra CEO Vicki Brady.