Media Roundup: Max's bold play, Murdoch 'no longer kingmaker', Roberts-Smith appal twist, eSafety faces text, and Bluey's puberty blues
See the top industry stories trending today.
Election 2025
Parties collect voter data through postal vote
Australia's major parties are using postal vote applications as a front to collect voter data, with both Labor and the Liberals directing people to party-branded websites that harvest personal details before passing users to the official Australian Electoral Commission site.
As James Massola and Mike Foley write in The Sydney Morning Herald, despite offering no functional advantage over the AEC's service, these sites request names, addresses, emails and phone numbers, gold for campaign advertising.
The practice is legal thanks to a long-standing exemption from the Privacy Act, which lets political parties collect and retain data without disclosing how it will be used.
Murdoch media no longer moves the middle
The Murdoch empire, once a kingmaker in Australian politics, is losing its influence where it used to count most: the swinging centre.
With a shrinking audience and splintered media landscape, News Corp's electoral sway now looks more like legacy than leverage.
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As Christopher Warren writes in Crikey, In chasing subscriptions and engagement, its outlets have increasingly catered to their loudest, most loyal readers, not the undecided voters advertisers and strategists actually want to reach.
Legal
Roberts-Smith appeal twist could drag ex-Nine barrister into court
The legal saga between Ben Roberts-Smith and Nine has taken a dramatic new turn, with lawyers for the former soldier signalling they may call Federal Court judge and ex-Nine barrister Nicholas Owens to the stand, if they're allowed to reopen the failed defamation appeal.
At the heart of the move are fresh claims that Nine journalist Nick McKenzie improperly obtained intel on Roberts-Smith’s legal strategy, including from his ex-wife and her friend.
As Stephen Rice writes in The Australian, a Sky News Australia recording of McKenzie discussing the leak has triggered new allegations of misconduct and a push to revisit the case.
Social media
eSafety faces test as X fights takedown over anti-trans tweet
Australia's online safety watchdog is under pressure as Elon Musk's X and Canadian activist Chris Elston challenge a takedown notice over a controversial tweet targeting a trans Australian health expert.
As Josh Taylor reports in The Guardian Australia, the case marks a high-profile test of eSafety's power to police global platforms under local laws.
The tweet, which misgendered the subject and linked transgender identity to mental illness, was ruled by eSafety to be cyber abuse in breach of the Online Safety Act.
Streaming
Max makes a bold play for Aussie streamers
Warner Bros. Discovery has officially switched on Max in Australia, with global streaming chief JB Perrette confident the platform will hit profitability within three years, and open to acquisitions if the deal fits.
As Sam Buckingham-Jones writes in The Australian Financial Review, the Max launch ends Foxtel's two-decade grip on HBO content, shifting cultural powerhouses like Succession and Game of Thrones to a direct-to-consumer model.
In a saturated market led by Netflix, Prime Video and Disney+, Max is banking on brand equity and bundling to win share, and, crucially, to unlock new digital ad inventory.
Companies
CoStar closes in on Domain as Nine eyes a post-property play
Domain is one step closer to an offshore takeover, with the Nine-controlled listings platform entering an exclusive due diligence window with US giant CoStar Group.
As Ben Wilmot writes in The Australian, The $2.8 billion bid, if successful, will see one of Australia’s major classifieds players move into American hands, and give Nine a $1.4 billion war chest to reshape its media strategy.
The deal marks a potential shake-up for the local property advertising market, where Domain and REA Group dominate.
Tech
Simon Molnar's Flagship brings retail adtech to the shop floor
Flagship, the retail analytics start-up founded by Simon Molnar, younger brother of Afterpay's Nick Molnar, has banked $US3.8 million in fresh funding as it gears up for a US expansion.
As Joseph Lim writes in The Australian, already used by brands like RM Williams, the platform blends eComm-style metrics with real-world retail, promising insights down to the ROI of a window mannequin.
The pitch to retailers is clear: treat physical stores like digital storefronts.
Retail
Independent grocer hits back at 'price gouging' claims
Ritchies boss Fred Harrison has slammed recent political rhetoric targeting supermarkets, calling out the use of the term "price gougers" as unfair and inflammatory.
As Eli Greenblat writes in The Australian, the veteran grocer, who leads Australia's largest independent supermarket chain, says the language is fuelling mistrust in the sector and undermining the hard work of thousands of retail workers.
Speaking after the Prime Minister's weekend press conference, Harrison said supermarkets have become an easy scapegoat.
Woolworths sharpens prices as scrutiny heats up
Woolworths has tightened the pricing gap with Aldi to its lowest point in two years, according to fresh analysis from JPMorgan.
As Carrie LaFrenz writes in The Australian Financial Review, the investment bank’s latest pricing survey found the supermarket giant made deeper cuts in March than Coles, a move seen as both a bid to win back market share and get ahead of the ACCC's final report on grocery competition.
The pricing study, which tracks around 100 home brand items, showed Woolies' average premium over Aldi dropped to 7.8%, down from 11.7% in August last year.
Books
ABC grows up with Bluey as brand stretches into teen territory
The ABC is evolving Bluey beyond the pre-school set, with plans to launch a puberty guide and a potential teen spin-off in partnership with Ludo Studios.
As David Knox writes in TV Tonight, as its original audience edges into adolescence, the broadcaster is looking to extend Bluey's cultural and educational influence, and capture attention in a more competitive, commercial media landscape.
Puberty Bluey: A Tween Girl’s Guide to Growing Up is due later this year, blending the show's playful tone with age-appropriate info on body changes, emotions, friendships and more.
- Sydney Morning HeraldThe AgeYouTubeSBSThe GuardianABCSeven NetworkNetflixFoxtelNineHBOSevenWoolworthsNews CorpBen Roberts-SmithGame of ThronesDomainThe AustralianThe Sydney Morning HeraldGoogleTwitterFacebookInstagramDisneyThe Australian Financial ReviewACCCREA GroupMAXBlueyParamountTikToksky news australiaNick McKenzieNine EntertainmentSuccessionMetaprime videoElon MuskWarner Bros DiscoveryXAfterpayAldiPrivacy ActLudo StudiosJPMorganCoStarAustralian Electoral CommissionJB PerretteMurdochFlagshipSimon MolnarNick MolnarRM WilliamsNicholas OwensChris ElstonOnline Safety ActRitchiesFred Harrison
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