CMT news

Centre for Media Transition newsletter - Rules, risk and responsibility | Issue 3/2026 From ACMA’s powers and the challenge of regulating repeat misconduct (yes, KIIS), to what new eSafety data reveals about children using AI companions — it’s a packed edition.

Sacha Molitorisz shares some reflections from the recent public lecture and symposium celebrating UTS Professor David Lindsay’s contributions to copyright, privacy, cyberlaw, and digital regulation in Australia

Derek Wilding examines the latest developments in Kyle Sandilands’ dispute with KIIS FM, ACMA’s powers, and the challenges of regulating repeat misconduct

Alena Radina explores what the latest eSafety findings tell us about children’s use of AI companions' uptake among children, the risks they pose, and the emerging regulatory responses in the UK and Australia

Centre for Media Transition newsletter | Defending, verifying and bundling news - Issue 2/2026

Derek Wilding explores the complications surrounding the latest adjudication from the Australian Press Council and the deluge of commentary from The Australian opposing it.

Florencia Melgar – Editorial Standards Manager at SBS – reminds us of the importance of verification, not just to counter disinformation, but also to raise standards. She describes the developing trend for balance to replace accuracy, “as if unverified claims were factual counterpoints”

Monica Attard examines the alarming emergence of news as a loss leader at The New York Times.  

Centre for Media Transition newsletter - News funding, X fines and Kim Williams on AI | Issue 1/2026

In this month’s episode of Double Take, we bring you a keynote address from ABC Chair Kim Williams who opened our industry event last year on AI and Journalism.

Sacha Molitorisz previews the second Jill McKeough lecture from UTS Law Professor, David Lindsay which will examine the policy impasse on copyright law and policy, resulting from the advent of generative AI; how we can balance Generative AI and human creativity?

Derek Wilding gives us a glimpse into CMT’s latest report, that focusses on the ‘back-end’ of direct news funding interventions.

Michael Davis discusses a European Commission decision to fine X for violating the Digital Services Act in December 2025.

CMT Researcher Julie Eisenberg explores how public interest news is recognised in government policies both in Australia and globally.

The Year in Media Transition is back and on Double Take! Sacha Molitorisz speaks with Joe Hildebrand and Sashka Koloff on declining trust, hallucinations and sex robots.

Kieran Lindsay explores the second High Court challenge against the teen social media ban.

Sacha Molitorisz presents CMT's 2025 showreel

Monica Attard unpacks the latest BBC turmoil and what it signals for the ABC as public broadcasting becomes a proxy battlefield.

Dr Alena Radina looks at new claims about Russia “grooming” AI models. 

Derek Wilding digs into the proposed Australian content obligations for streaming services. 

Prof Derek Wilding discusses our policy submission to the review of the Australian Code of Practice on Misinformation and Disinformation, including a proposal to remove misinformation from the scope of the code.

CMT Newsletter | Issue 20/2025

Sacha Molitorisz considers some recent high profile regulatory action against digital platforms, including Amazon’s US$2.5 billion settlement with the US Federal Trade Commission for failing to disclose to customers they were being signed up for the Prime streaming service.

Prof Derek Wilding looks at what’s left of the Pentagon press corps in the US and its link to the media scene in Australia.

Centre for Media Transition newsletter | Issue 19/2025

Kieran examines the definitional hair-splitting underlying the public discussion about which platforms will fall under the social media ban, and queries whether the regulatory approach is genuinely responsive to risk.

Derek investigates ACMA’s latest decency breach finding against the Kyle and Jackie O show, and asks why we seem to be back at the beginning of the enforcement path.

Elon Musk’s announces Grokipedia, his AI-generated alternative to Wikipedia, in the context of alarming drops in user traffic to both Wikipedia and news websites.

Even with some divestments in regional markets, and even by Australian standards, this is looking like an extraordinary level of media concentration.  

Michael Davis talks to Robin Mansell, Professor Emerita at the London School of Economics and Political Science and Scientific Director of the International Observatory on Information and Democracy. They discuss how a broader ecosystem based approach to problems of information integrity are needed.

Centre for Media Transition Newsletter | Issue 18/2025