Social Media
Trump hints Murdochs may join TikTok deal
Donald Trump has floated Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch, along with Michael Dell, as possible players in a TikTok takeover.
In a Fox News interview, Trump joked about Lachlan’s “unusual name” and called the group “American patriots” who would “do a really good job.”
As Alan Suderman reports in The Sydney Morning Herald, it’s the latest twist in the uncertain future of TikTok’s US operations, with the Murdochs’ names now in the mix.
Albanese takes social media laws to UN
The Daily Telegraph’s Vanessa Marsh writes that Anthony Albanese will showcase Australia’s move to lift the social media age limit from 13 to 16 at a UN event in New York this week.
Leaders from Greece and Fiji are set to attend the forum, Protecting Children in the Digital Age, where Albanese will pitch the reforms as a global model.
The PM says interest is already high, calling it “a really important meeting” on child safety and online harm.
Former Meta exec faces bankruptcy after book
Ex-Facebook policy chief Sarah Wynn-Williams is reportedly near bankruptcy after publishing Careless People, her memoir alleging Meta’s ties to China and its treatment of teens.
UK MP Louise Haigh says Meta is “silencing and punishing” her with $50,000 fines for breaching a gag order, while the company insists she was sacked for poor performance.
The Guardian’s Michael Savage writes that Wynn-Williams still testified before the US Senate, claiming Meta worked with Beijing on censorship – an accusation the company denies.
Television
Nine locks in 2025 ratings win
Steve Jackson writes in The Australian that Nine has secured a year-long lead in metro prime-time, topping every key demo on both broadcast and BVOD.
Including regional audiences puts Nine ahead nationally in two core categories, sealing its dominance with advertisers for 2025.
Seven, however, still takes the crown on total viewers and grocery buyers 18+.
Millionaire Hot Seat return puts Deal or No Deal in doubt
Channel 10 has confirmed Millionaire Hot Seat will be back in 2026 with Rebecca Gibney hosting, a move that leaves the future of Grant Denyer’s Deal or No Deal hanging.
Insiders has told TV Blackbox’s Kevin Perry that no new episodes of Deal or No Deal are locked in for next year, with only three fresh instalments currently going to air each week alongside repeats to stretch out existing stock.
That said, the show’s ratings lift since shifting to 7pm has given it a glimmer of hope – executives could still ramp up production if they decide it’s worth another roll of the dice.
Former SBS chair pushes for gambling ad opt-out
The Guardian’s Henry Belot writes that Ex-SBS chair George Savvides is urging commercial networks to let viewers block gambling ads, arguing audiences deserve protection from what he calls “an addictive and destructive product.”
Savvides, who stepped down in July, also wants the Albanese government to back a parliamentary inquiry’s call for a full ban on gambling advertising after a transition period.
SBS has already led the way, trialling an opt-out function on its streaming platforms in 2024 and confirming earlier this month it will become permanent in 2026.
Advertising
Pepsico backs purpose-led push
Pepsico is leaning into long-term brand building with new purpose-driven campaigns for Pepsi and Gatorade.
Gatorade’s Fuel Tomorrow initiative has been localised after research with La Trobe University showed 40 per cent of Aussie teens are likely to drop out of sport, often due to confidence pressures.
As The Australian’s Danielle Long writes, the campaign aims to tackle that decline and tie the brand to positive social impact.
Companies
Google, Canva and Amazon top young Aussies’ job wish list
Employment marketplace Hatch’s 2025 Hotlist shows Google, Canva and Amazon are the top picks for young Aussies chasing culture, stability and career growth.
Forbes’ Shivaune Field writes that Gen Z and millennials say innovation and purpose drive their choices, with brands seen to have social or environmental impact ranking higher.
Biggest turn-offs? Unclear career paths, high turnover and job ads that don’t match reality.
Canva confirms $22.5m MagicBrief deal
Canva has officially confirmed it paid $22.5 million for Sydney-based ad analytics startup MagicBrief, with the figure revealed in newly lodged ASIC filings.
As Bronwen Clune writes in Capital Brief, the deal was first announced back in June.
The documents describe MagicBrief as a strategic fit for Canva’s long-term plans, adding more muscle to its advertising capabilities as the design giant positions itself for future growth.
Journalism
McKenzie and Bartlett on courtroom partnership
The Age’s Nick McKenzie describes himself as a “nightmare of a client.” His long-time lawyer, Peter Bartlett, doesn’t disagree – but insists it was all part of the job.
In a conversation with Crikey’s Daanyal Saeed, the pair spoke about a relationship that bucked the usual journalist–lawyer dynamic.
McKenzie acknowledged that reporters often push for maximum detail, while lawyers are tasked with pulling them back.
Mediaweek’s Newsmakers chatted with McKenzie earlier this year about the stress that comes with investigative journalism:
News Corp hits record digital audience in August
News Corp Australia has posted its biggest digital audience yet under Ipsos iris, pulling in 18.54 million Australians in August. That’s four in five people online, with traffic up nearly 5% month-on-month.
The latest Ipsos iris data also shows users aren’t just landing and leaving – engaged reach hit 147 page views per person across the publisher’s network.
Ipsos iris, endorsed by the IAB, measures online behaviour across 22 million Australians aged 14+, tracking activity on smartphones, tablets and desktops.
Radio
Marty Sheargold hits stage after Triple M exit
Radio Today’s Sarah Patterson writes that Sheargold is back on the comedy circuit with his Red Card Tour, seven months after leaving Triple M following controversial on-air remarks.
The 54-year-old says early retirement left him “bored shitless” and promises a show covering modern life and middle age.
It follows an ACMA ruling that his comments breached decency standards, leading to a censure of several Triple M stations.
AI
OpenAI plans teen-safe ChatGPT
OpenAI is developing a teen-focused version of ChatGPT with stricter safeguards, including blocking sexual and self-harm content and limiting sensitive conversations.
As Forbes Anastasia Santoreneos writes the company has been consulting experts but hasn’t set a launch date.
Parental controls will arrive first, letting parents link accounts, set blackout hours and receive alerts if their teen is in “acute distress.”