Today
Drumgold ‘delighted’ as judge finds inquiry biased
A court has found the inquiry by former judge Walter Sofronoff was infected by bias because of his contact with Janet Albrechtsen, a journalist from The Australian.
- Michael Pelly
- Exclusive
- Media & marketing
Onerous demands and threats: Inside Facebook’s secret media deals
Confidential until now, details of two agreements struck by Meta for news provide a glimpse into what the social media giant gained for its funding.
- Sam Buckingham-Jones
- Opinion
- Media bargaining code
The time has come for parliament to fire its cannon – at Meta
The owner of Facebook is an unavoidable partner for many businesses. Our response to their refusal to pay for news will be watched closely around the world.
- Michael Miller
Yesterday
The Australian considers moving with The Times in new radio play
A proposal to expand The Australian’s daily podcast The Front is going upstairs at News Corp; Barrenjoey’s two-sided Southern Cross deals.
- Sam Buckingham-Jones
Kylie Minogue, Jimmy Barnes’ record label wants more money from radio
Mushroom Group pays $14 million a year to promote Aussie artists, but that is steadily falling as streaming and social media change the music industry.
- Sam Buckingham-Jones
This Month
- Analysis
- Media & marketing
Meta opts to fight the type of journalism it once lauded
The company behind Facebook and Instagram had its best quarter in Australia ever. It’s decided to put more value in the latest viral meme than quality content.
- Sam Buckingham-Jones
AFR pair nominated for journalist of the year award for PwC scoop
Neil Chenoweth and Edmund Tadros have been named as finalists in the Graham Perkin Journalist of the Year award for their big story on the PwC tax scandal.
It’s war - Meta pulls out of news deal
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese blasted Facebook owner Meta’s announcement it would stop paying news publishers, saying it was “not the Australian way”.
- Sam Buckingham-Jones and John Kehoe
- Updated
- Media & marketing
Southern Cross’ big shareholders in push to oust board and executives
Chairman Rob Murray has defended his side’s handling of a takeover offer from rival ARN Media, and says ARN is not sharing critical information.
- Updated
- Sam Buckingham-Jones
February
‘This is awful’: Entire New Zealand TV newsroom shuts, 200 jobs axed
US owner Warner Bros. Discovery said subsidising endless losses in a declining ad market “is not sustainable”.
- Sam Buckingham-Jones
Tabcorp to pull form guide sponsorship from three News Corp papers
After decades as a cash cow of capital city newspapers, racing form guides in Adelaide, Darwin and Hobart may disappear after their major sponsor pulled out.
- Sam Buckingham-Jones
Execs keep falling in love at this Brisbane storage firm
National Storage REIT has been investigating an affair at the top of the organisation. The company was alerted to a second relationship among senior staff last year.
- Mark Di Stefano
The three billionaires backing Kerry Stokes’ new free newspaper
Dominant in Western Australia, Kerry Stokes wants more of the east coast audience. The Nightly has backing from mining, energy, betting and property giants.
- Sam Buckingham-Jones
PwC, Qantas journalism boosts Financial Review
Editor-in-chief Michael Stutchbury says there’s no evidence of news fatigue after a strong end to 2023 and record readership in January and February.
- Sam Buckingham-Jones
Australian media’s $70m lifeline ends in months. Meta isn’t picking up
Australian newsrooms face a $70 million-a-year hole in operations if Meta walks away from news bargaining code deals that start to expire in three months.
- Sam Buckingham-Jones
Barnaby Joyce to be diagnosed with a sleep disorder on live TV
The former Nationals leader has insomnia and sleep apnoea; plus: former Oz editor Chris Dore’s first target; Tabcorp open to its own free-to-air TV channel.
- Sam Buckingham-Jones
‘Scandalous’: free-to-air networks lash TV makers for demanding a cut
Whether TV network apps appear on new TVs is an “existential” threat to broadcasters, CEOs told senators. Tech giants are demanding to clip the ticket.
- Sam Buckingham-Jones
Stephen Conroy becomes death, destroyer of CEOs
The former Labor powerbroker keeps showing up ringside to sudden resignations in the corporate world.
- Mark Di Stefano
Nine CEO predicts gambling ads will be spared blanket ban
Mike Sneesby says the Albanese government is unlikely to block all online wagering advertising, which would be a $300m hit to TV networks.
- Sam Buckingham-Jones
Dating shows make big money for contestants, networks
The Bachelor and other relationship reality shows attract large audiences and are cheap to make.
- Teresa Xie and Immanual John Milton
