Mediaweek

Simon Ryan has seen this industry from both sides of the table. He used to run things inside a legacy global holding company - now he's the one building a business, giving those same networks a headache.  Kind of poetic, honestly. He's the founder of RyanCap, which he built fast and sold to Cosmo Five in Paris in about three years. So when he talks about why the big guys are struggling, he's...

Antoinette Lattouf has become one of the defining figures in Australia’s media and political landscape - not just because of the Federal Court case against the ABC, but because of the broader questions it raised about journalism, power, and what happens when reporters become the story themselves. In this episode of Mediaweek’s Newsmakers , Lattouf speaks candidly about the legal battle...

There are journalists who cover the news, and then there are those who somehow end up standing in the middle of history as it unfolds. Michael Usher has spent the better part of three decades doing exactly that. From the chaos of 9/11 in New York to the Iraq War, the London bombings, royal weddings, federal elections and some of the most defining moments in modern television news, Usher has built...

Securing millions of eyeballs during prime time looks great on a network press release. However, monetising those streaming audiences at the speed of live television, presents a completely different challenge. Behind the screen, Connected TV (CTV) and programmatic advertising serve as the vital plumbing that turns those viewers into revenue. This unseen engine dictates exactly which ad plays to wh...

Tom Malone didn’t set out to run a national audio network, but he sure built his career like someone who might. In this episode of Mediaweek’s Newsmakers , the Tapt Media CEO traces his path from newsroom floor to the top job, unpacking the decisions, discipline and industry shifts that now sit behind the launch of the new independent audio business. See omnystudio.com/listener for pri...

The term ‘thought leader’ is often loosely applied across marketing and media, but at its most effective, it plays a defined role in shaping brand direction and influence. That’s the focus of the latest episode of Newsmakers, featuring  Jenny Haggard,  Head of Global Brand Strategy and Thought Leadership Lead at Spotify. In the episode, Haggard outlines how the role ope...

He’s been described as a comedic dark genius. But beneath Anthony Jeselnik’s acerbic wit lies a mind shaped by the power of literature. Fiction, to be precise. In fact, Jeselnik’s appreciation for the written word is so great that he’s even started a book club. Called ‘The Anthony Jeselnik Book Club’ - the only prerequisite for membership is … well, nothi...

For years, the media industry considered out-of-home advertising the blunt instrument of the media mix. Planners bought giant billboards and hoped people would drive past. Those days are officially over. MOVE 2.0 has finally launched. The new $20 million measurement tool leaves its cage to shift the industry from simply buying panels to genuinely understanding people. In the latest edition of the&...

What do you get when you invite six of ad land’s most powerful women into a room to talk candidly about what it means to be a woman in the industry? It might sound like the start of a riddle. After all, coordinating the diaries of six CEOs and senior leaders is no small feat. Amazingly, Mediaweek managed to do just that. In the aftermath of International Women’s Day, the Newsmakers pod...

Marc Fennell  has a knack for finding the stories that make you double-take. From art heists to stolen colonial artifacts, he has carved out a niche as Australia’s preeminent chronicler of the weird and the wealthy. His latest project,  Australia’s Greatest Conman , dives into the surreal world of  John Friedrich  and the National Safety Council. Marc joined  M...

Veteran news anchor Mark Ferguson joins Mediaweek’s Newsmakers to reflect on his journey from a teenage cadet in Tamworth to the face of 7NEWS Sydney . Ahead of his 60th birthday, Ferguson opens up about the pivotal moments, global assignments, career risks, and lessons learned across four decades in Australian television news. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What happens when a journalist who’s spent decades in the newsroom goes head-to-head with a futurist who believes AI could save it? In the very first Mediaweek’s Newsmakers Debate , Joe Hildebrand and Rita Arrigo face off over one of the biggest questions in modern media: Is AI destroying journalism, or helping it evolve? It’s a fiery, funny, and surprisingly hopeful exchange abo...

There aren’t many journalists who can say they’ve gone from covering crime scenes to coaching CEOs - but Shelly Horton can. After three decades in the media, she’s swapped newsroom chaos for the boardroom floor, turning her sharp instincts and trademark humour into a mission: helping leaders find their voice and women find their power. In this episode of Mediaweek’s Newsmak...

For Simon Cahill, the intersection of music and technology has never just been work - it’s been a lifelong obsession. From tinkering with VCRs as a kid to helping launch SXSW Sydney, he’s built a career that reflects the same passions that once kept him glued to Saturday morning music shows. In this chat, Cahill details the golden thread that seems to have woven his career together, an...

Mitch Churi is a broadcaster who’s never been afraid to put himself out there. From squatting in a KIIS FM studio clucking like a chicken in front of Kyle and Jackie O , to winning awards and hosting national shows, Mitch has carved out one of the most colourful journeys in Australian radio. When ARN cut him loose earlier this year, he didn’t sit still. Instead, he doubled down on what...

Clair Weaver’s path to journalism wasn’t the usual one. At 19, she was flying long-haul as a flight attendant, wondering what might come next. But she already knew the answer: journalism. She studied remotely through the UK’s National Council for the Training of Journalists and cut her teeth at a local Hertfordshire paper, before moving on to the Watford Observer and then the fas...

Majella Hay is undoubtedly one of the most powerful women in Australian television. She’s the Director of Content, Unscripted at the Seven Network, which means She’s the driving force behind shows like My Kitchen Rules , Australian Idol and Farmer Wants a Wife . But in this conversation, Majella doesn’t just talk formats and ratings.  She opens up about balance, about what i...

Morgana O’Reilly is no stranger to playing complex, messy women. And, she’s been everywhere - from Neighbours and Wentworth to The White Lotus .  Now she’s stepping into one of her most haunting roles yet in Playing Gracie Darling. She stars as Joni, a child psychologist forced to return to the hometown where her best friend vanished during a séance, only to discover...

Nick McKenzie has exposed war crimes, brought down politicians, and forced entire institutions to face the truth. Now, Australia’s most awarded investigative journalist joins Newsmakers to talk power, pressure - and why journalism still matters. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One of America's most distinctive and daring voices, The Atlantic's Hanna Rosin , is headed to Sydney this month, and she's not coming quietly. Ahead of her appearance as keynote speaker at the 2025 Women in Media National Conference, Rosin sat down with Mediaweek for a conversation that pulls no punches: on masculinity in crisis, gender roles in reverse, journalism under pressure, and what it mea...

To broadcaster David Koch , Pinstripe Media was always more than a business, it was a family legacy. In this episode of Newsmakers , David Koch unpacks the decision to sell the small business and personal finance content company he built with his family, and what it means to hand over the reins to the next generation. Best known as the steady hand behind the Sunrise desk for more than two decades,...

This week on Mediaweek’s Newsmakers , our guest doesn’t just cover controversy, she often  is the controversy. Maureen Callahan is one of the sharpest, boldest, and most unfiltered voices in modern media. Her bylines span Vanity Fair , Spin ,  Daily Mail (where she’s now a columnist), and  New York Post , where she’s critic-at-large. Her writing? Unapologetic...

After more than four decades in the radio industry and 15 years at the helm of the Australian Radio Network's (ARN) content strategy, Duncan Campbell is stepping into a new chapter, but he's not switching off the mic entirely. In the latest episode of Mediaweek's  Newsmaker's podcast, ARN's outgoing Chief Content Officer speaks candidly about how he got his start, the real story behind signin...

In this deeply personal episode of Mediaweek’s Newsmakers , host Natasha Lee sits down with longtime friend and veteran entertainment journalist Jonathon Moran . More than just an interview, this conversation blends shared history with honest reflection, as JMo opens up about his career, his battles, and the power of vulnerability and the launch of his new book Mental As Anyone. A touching l...

In this episode, we sit down with someone who barely needs an introduction in media circles,  Neil Shoebridge. With more than 30 years under his belt across journalism, publishing, and corporate communications, Neil has seen (and shaped) it all. Now co-founder of SKMG, he shares sharp, no-spin insights on media strategy, brand storytelling, and what really goes on in a corporate crisis. Wheth...