The irony of Nine CEO Matt Stanton complaining that the government’s changes to the News Bargaining Incentive legislation is “distorting the market” is almost beyond parody. The entire scheme - which essentially strong arms tech platforms into entering into bargaining agreements - is extreme government interventionism deliberately designed to distort a market that media companies are losing. If the media industry can’t accept this scheme as a gift horse, then the government should just pull it off the table and admit its attempt to “distort the market” couldn’t achieve reasonable consensus. The debate over the past two days has been farcical. Last night a friend commented to me how poorly the government had handled the legislation, and I asked what changes he believed were ill-considered. He admitted he wasn’t sure on the details, just that it had been very poorly received. Of course, it has. News and Nine both feel aggrieved their si

Sidebar Sports will sit where sport meets culture, co-founder Jimmy Smith says after launching the weekly vodcast. "It's sports, it's entertainment, it's the internet, it's the comment section," Smith told Influencing. It’s not about downloads, though, for Smith.  “Success is turning this into something. I know that good things take time, but you can actually make things happen. You just have to be really patient with it. So for me, it's probably about [creating] that sense of community. “If they're sending us a meme or a sports clip or something, they got this feel sidebar; it's starting that vernacular [conversation] and then growing it, making people feel they can be part of it, coming each week, joining the journey." Smith set up the vodcast with former professional rugby union player Conor Dolan after years of conversations about the intersection of sport and pop culture. "A lot of our conversations with mates were going from sport to culture. We could be at a Sydne

IBAC blows up Andrews-era union deal, putting new Premier on notice Victoria’s integrity watchdog has delivered a bruising assessment of secret negotiations between the Andrews government and the firefighters’ union, describing “serious and concerning” conduct even as it stopped short of corruption findings. The fallout is now landing on Premier Ben Carroll, who is trying to draw a line under the Andrews legacy while facing renewed questions about governance, transparency and union influence in Labor heartland Victoria. Covered by: The Age, The Australian, Herald Sun, Australian Financial Review, The Australian, The Age. Bondi inquest aftermath: Minns accused of “in-principle” mental health fix The NSW government has accepted most recommendations stemming from the Bondi Junction stabbing inquest, but is being criticised for only backing “in principle” a key proposal to expand supported accommodation for people at risk of psychosis. The debate goes to whether reform i

The Times of India received the highest share of the Union government's print advertising expenditure between FY2020-21 and FY2024-25, according to data tabled in the Lok Sabha by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. The newspaper received Rs 78.22 crore, followed by Dainik Jagran (Rs 59.14 crore) and Hindustan Times (Rs 47.80 crore). Overall, the Centre spent Rs 910.4 crore on print advertisements during the five-year period.  

Sony Sports Network has unveiled its 'Festival of Sports' campaign, bringing a packed lineup of live sporting events from August 15 to November 29, 2026 across Sony Sports Network and Sony LIV. The campaign will feature India's tours of Sri Lanka and New Zealand, the Women's T20 Asia Cup 2026, and the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games, where Indian athletes and the men's and women's cricket teams will compete. Through an integrated on-air and digital campaign, the network aims to celebrate the festive season with some of the year's biggest sporting events.  

Odia Journalism Day was observed across the state on Tuesday, with constitutional leaders paying tribute to the contribution of journalists while the Central University of Odisha (CUO) marked the occasion through a seminar highlighting grassroots reporting. The Department of Journalism and Mass Communication at CUO observed the day during the second session of its three-day National Seminar-cum-Workshop on "Journalism at the Grassroots: Trends and Challenges in Media Reporting in the Age of AI and Social Media." Journalists from Nabarangpur, Jeypore, Koraput, Sunabeda, Semiliguda, Damanjodi and Laxmipur interacted with students, sharing their experiences and discussing the challenges and importance of grassroots journalism. Odisha Governor Dr. Hari Babu Kambhampati, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik extended greetings to journalists on X, praising their commitment to truth, impartiality and public service. The leaders described journalism a