Election 2025
Snark doesn’t sell: why voters rejected the media’s favourite game
Saturday’s election didn’t just send politicians packing, it delivered a gut-punch to the media. Years of snark-as-a-strategy, of outrage masquerading as analysis, have come undone. Voters didn’t buy it.
In the editorial by Christopher Warren in Crikey, Warren writes that across the country, the loudest voices, cheered on by columnists and talk shows, were quietly sidelined.
Shrill rent-a-quotes from all sides of politics, once rewarded with wall-to-wall airtime and viral clips, found themselves out of favour with a public craving civility over conflict.
Media stunned as voters deliver an Albanese avalanche
The headlines were big and bold, but behind the puns it was clear: almost no one, including the press, saw Anthony Albanese’s thumping win coming.
As Daisy Dumas reports in The Guardian Australia, his triumph was framed as a surprise, even to those who backed him.
The publication has collected some of the boldest media claims following Albanese’s win, with many showing the tone was part disbelief, part derision.
Trump Tariffs
Bruce Beresford calls out Trump’s movie tariff plan as unworkable
Veteran Aussie director Bruce Beresford has taken aim at Donald Trump’s latest policy bombshell, a proposed 100 per cent tariff on foreign-made films, calling it impractical and out of touch with how the industry actually works.
As Joe Kelly and Thomas Henry write in The Australian, Beresford, whose Oscar-winning Driving Miss Daisy was a global success, said some films have to be shot overseas for creative reasons.
He questioned whether Trump had really thought it through, noting the president often reverses his own decisions anyway.
Legal
Taylor Auerbach admits to leaking texts in defamation drama twist
Ex-Spotlight producer Taylor Auerbach has confessed to leaking the explosive texts that exposed Seven Network credit card use for Thai massages, a revelation that shook Bruce Lehrmann’s defamation case.
According to Stephen Rice in The Australian, the admission was revealed in fresh court filings, comes as Seven sues Auerbach for breaching confidentiality terms tied to his exit deal.
The network claims the leak was a calculated move to damage its reputation and violate their settlement.
Roberts-Smith’s ex threatens to sue ABC over Media Watch claim
Ben Roberts-Smith’s former girlfriend has warned the ABC she may sue Media Watch, accusing the program of falsely suggesting she leaked a private call to damage Nine journalist Nick McKenzie.
Lawyers for the woman, known as Person 17, have sent a concerns notice to the broadcaster, calling the claim “false and seriously defamatory,” according to The Australian.
As The Daily Telegraph reports, The recording, aired by Sky News, has since rocked Roberts-Smith’s defamation appeal.
Journalism
Melbourne restaurant critic steps into the spotlight after two decades
After 20 years of dining in disguise, Besha Rodell, one of the last truly anonymous restaurant critics, has revealed her identity, marking the end of an era she once vowed to preserve.
In this reflective piece published in The Age, Rodell pushes back against the common claim that anonymity no longer matters, arguing that it absolutely does, and she’s seen firsthand how much treatment can shift when a critic is recognised.
Still, she’s stepping out of the shadows, acknowledging that the job, and the industry, have changed.
Tech
Google spends big on AI as its own business model comes under threat
Google is pouring record funds into artificial intelligence, even as the tech begins to eat into its core ad business and trade tensions under Trump rattle client confidence.
Parent company Alphabet shelled out $A27.4 billion last quarter, while still beating profit expectations with $A47.4 billion in operating income.
But, as Jared Lynch writes in The Australian, investors weren’t reassured, as shares have fallen more than 18 per cent since January.
Meta AI chats are going public, and users may not realise it
Users are sharing deeply personal prompts with Meta’s new AI chatbot, from medical queries to emotional confessions, seemingly unaware those exchanges can be viewed by anyone.
As Cam Wilson writes in Crikey, the tech giant quietly launched a public Discover Feed alongside its new Meta AI app, showcasing conversations in real time.
While some entries are playful or bizarre, others reveal surprisingly sensitive content.
Meta’s AI chatbots raise alarms over sexual role-play with users, including minors
Meta is charging ahead with AI-powered digital companions on Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp, but insiders say the push has ventured into ethically murky territory.
Staff have raised red flags about bots engaging in sexually explicit fantasy chats, including with underage users, and flagged concerns about synthetic personas being used for romantic role-play, despite being fronted by celebrities like John Cena and Kristen Bell.
As Jeff Horwitz reports in The Australian, despite Meta’s assurances that celebrity voices wouldn’t be used in explicit content, tests found bots (including some mimicking minors) still flirted, sexted, and crossed lines, even when users made their age clear.
Radio
Dee Dee Dunleavy returns to the mic after shock 3AW exit
Dee Dee Dunleavy says she was ‘genuinely shattered’ after being dumped from 3AW’s afternoon slot in 2022, admitting it took her years to regain confidence behind a microphone.
The veteran broadcaster has now returned with a new true crime podcast, which she researched and wrote herself over 18 months, but nearly abandoned out of fear.
As Jackie Epstein writes in The Herald Sun, Dunleavy said she “stalled” and “needed a push”, crediting podcast producer Mike Liberale for helping her finish.
Television
Spotlight’s Jock Zonfrillo special loses ratings cook-off
Despite a high-profile promo blitz, Spotlight’s interview with Jock Zonfrillo’s widow failed to win over viewers, losing the Sunday night ratings battle to 60 Minutes.
As Annette Sharp reports on news.com.au, Liz Hayes’ sit-down with Lauren Fried drew 418,000 metro and BVOD viewers, 26,000 fewer than Nine’s 60 Minutes, which aired in the same slot but started five minutes later.
Seven quietly left the numbers out of its Monday press release, after the much-hyped special failed to serve up a ratings hit.
Retail
Pubs pour profits as bottleshops take a hit for Endeavour
Footy, long weekends and Guinness-fuelled celebrations gave Endeavour Group’s hotels a welcome lift last quarter, with pub sales rising 5.1% to $512 million. But that wasn’t enough to offset sliding retail numbers.
Dan Murphy’s and BWS dragged retail turnover down 3.1% to $2.33 billion, as price-conscious shoppers held back and promotions squeezed margins.
As Eli Greenblat writes in The Australian, industrial action at Woolworths’ warehouses before Christmas didn’t help, with supply issues still lingering.
Harris Farm shelled out $10m dividend despite big software stumble
Harris Farm Markets has taken a financial hit, posting a $22 million loss after a troubled rollout of new business software threw a spanner in the works.
As Carrie LaFrenz writes in The Australian Financial Review, the high-end grocer also breached its banking covenants during the year.
Losses more than tripled from $6.2 million the previous year, despite sales climbing 5.6% to $788 million in the 12 months to June 2024, according to filings with the corporate watchdog.