The Year in Media Transition 2025

The Year in Media Transition is now on Double Take. In this episode, Sacha Molitorisz unites journalist, broadcaster and podcaster Joe Hildebrand with ABC's managing editor of standards and compliance Sashka Koloff for an energetic conversation about one of the biggest forces reshaping journalism (and the world) right now: artificial intelligence. 

Drawing on the CMT’s 2025 report GenAI and Journalism: Towards Common Principles, the episode explores why Australian media organisations are moving carefully, adopting AI in small, deliberate steps rather than rushing headlong into automation. Joe and Sashka unpack what this cautious approach says about trust, risk, and responsibility in journalism. 

The conversation digs into how AI is already being used behind the scenes. From the ABC’s ring-fenced ABC Assist tool, built on 15 years of trusted content, to NewsCorp and others developing their own proprietary models, newsrooms are experimenting while trying to protect editorial integrity. 

It’s not all optimism. The trio tackle hard questions about how AI can undermine public trust, the environmental costs of large-scale AI systems, and the urgent need for clear rules and regulation. They propose that AI literacy is no longer optional for journalists, and that ethical boundaries must be clearly defined and enforced. 

One message comes through loud and clear: technology may change, but journalistic standards cannot. 

Spotify: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/centre-for-media-transiti/episodes/The-Year-in-Media-Transition-2025-e3cdr0h

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-year-in-media-transition-2025/id1696897373?i=1000741573896

References:

1. http://www.uts.edu.au/research/centres/centre-media-transition/projects-and-research/gen-ai-and-journalism-toward-common-principles