Lauren Deighton, ripe’s editor-in-chief. Lauren Deighton has spent much of her career helping others tell their stories, and now she’s launching one of her own. The founder of marketing agency Brandscend is preparing to unveil ripe, a new digital publication celebrating the best of regional Australia through food, travel and local discovery. “Ripe is set to become the go-to guide for discovering the best places to dine, sip, stay and explore across regional Australia,” editor-in-chief and founder Deighton says. “We want to inspire Australians to explore their own backyard, support local businesses, and celebrate the towns and communities that make this country so special.” The platform will showcase regional hospitality venues, accommodation, tours and experiences, alongside curated itineraries designed for every type of traveller, from road-trippers and foodies to luxury-seekers and retirees. “We understand that baby boomers may seek different experiences than mill

Kevin Blyton, founder of the Capital Radio Network, passed away aged 66 last Sunday, October 19 at Cooma Hospital following a heart attack. Blyton bought 2XL, his first radio station,  in 1978 at the tender age of just 19, laying the foundations for what would become one of Australia’s largest independent radio networks. The Capital Radio Network eventually grew to include XLFM and SNOW FM in the Snowy Mountains, 3GG in Gippsland, 2CA and 2CC in Canberra, GNFM and EAGLE FM in Goulburn, and 6iX in Perth, alongside digital stations including 60s Music and 70s Music. Blyton was also inducted into the Commercial Radio Hall of Fame in 2013, recognised for his lifetime of work and advocacy for regional broadcasters. Outside broadcasting, Blyton expanded the Blyton Group into tourism and hospitality, acquiring the Charlotte Pass and Selwyn Snow Resorts, the Kosciusko Chalet Hotel, and the Snowy Mountains Airport in Cooma.  

Daily Cargo News (DCN) is Australia's longest-running daily national news publication and publisher Lindsay Reed talks about how it celebrates its enduring legacy while embracing modern media trends.  The publication's rich history dates back to 1891 when it was originally known as the Daily Commercial News to serve the dynamic shipping and maritime logistics industry. "We're very proud of that," Reed told Influencing Insider.  “It's been going in some format or other ever since 1891 and while there was a brief hiatus during wartime, which saw shipping data published retrospectively, DCN has consistently provided crucial information to its audience.” Today, the publication has fully embraced the digital age, with its online platform serving as the "absolute hub" of its operations, says Reed.  DCN publishes seven or more daily news stories throughout each day, covering the shipping and maritime logistics industry, on its website and via an 8am newswire. Beyond daily news,

Guardian Australia’s Ben Smee, (pictured) along with SBS’s Jennifer Luu, Jodie Noyce and Chloe Angelo, are the joint winners of the Queensland Journalist of the Year Award. The Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance announced the winners of the 2025 Queensland Clarion Awards, celebrating journalistic excellence across the state. The Journalist of the Year Award went to Guardian Australia’s Ben Smee, and SBS’ Jennifer Luu, Jodie Noyce and Chloe Angelo for their groundbreaking investigation In the Box: Inside the Isolation Cells where Australian Kids are Imprisoned. Judges described the documentary as “a powerful example of public interest journalism at its best”. “This investigation into children being locked up in Queensland watch houses combined compelling vision and high production values with well-researched and impactful storytelling,” they said. “In the Box captured the attention of the viewer, had an impact, and helped lead to change.” Marking the 30

Journalist and communications professional, Paul Wallbank, has today joined The Daily Telegraph, Influencing can confirm. Wallbank’s role at the publication will be as NSW Business Reporter. “I'm genuinely delighted to have the opportunity to get back into reporting. While I was enjoying being in comms, the chance to go back into business journalism was too good to pass over,” Wallbank told Influencing.  The new role follows his departure from the Australian Computer Society in August, where he was first Senior Technology Editor for a year from June 2019, before working as ACS Media and Communications Manager between June 2020 and his departure.  Wallbank spent the two months after departing ACS working at his own communications company, Brilliant Communications.  During the two months, Wallbank said, he’d received several opportunities, and this new job ticked all the boxes. “The interviews went well, and I felt I would fit in well with the team.”  Wallbank

Welcome to Monday and hope you all had a fine weekend. Let's hope PM Albo had a good restful weekend too because this week will be a challenge as he meets, as the Daily Telegraph puts it this morning, 'The Donald', at the White House today.   Several of the dailies carry the picture of our man stepping on board the RAAF jet which took him to the US, alongside a steward who seems a bit more cheerful than the PM. There's no shortage of advice today prior to that crucial meeting and both the Murdoch and Nine papers give plenty of it. The Australian carries an exclusive lead by political editor Geoff Chambers with a good headline, ('Trump tariffs trauma takes off as PM jets out') and that's a story about how businesses are warning the tariffs spree ignited by Trump "are the greatest threat to the global trade system in a century".  In a separate story which begins on the front and dives inside is a piece by ex-foreign minister Alexander Downer who reckons Trump will be mo