Media Watch - Season 27 / Year 2025

Sam Newman's Nazi boost; Daily Tele's stunt backfires; Seven's horoscope horror. Presented by Linton Besser.

'Jack The Ripper' revelations come back from the dead and the media keep forgetting. Seven puffs up golden boy Basil Zempilas in the WA elections. Plus Murdoch family infighting casts doubt over the company's future.

Marty Sheargold's jibe at the Matildas proves the final straw for Triple M bosses. A foreign interference scoop proves a dud. Plus Sky's Steve Price attempts his own Media Watch-style investigation.

Commercial TV networks go all in on Cyclone Alfred coverage, Labor scores a win with misreported housing numbers, plus Trump takes control of the White House press pack - giving supportive outlets new prominence.

The explosive laden caravan turns out to be a con job. Clive Palmer tries to provoke outrage and succeeds at The Age. Political commentator and one-time Liberal Party candidate depicted as an average punter on news website.

Claims by The Australian that Yallourn coal plant will have its life extended come under scrutiny. Andrew 'Twiggy' Forrest's fight against Meta over scam ads. AI shopping ads give surprise fashion advice on Seven's website.

Labor invites social media influencers into budget lockup, Star journo Nick McKenzie caught on secret recording, plus There's a bear in there: an un-bear-lievable tale from The Australian.

Miracle sports water: Seven gives oxygenated water too much oxygen. Travel insurance tales: 1Cover's warm embrace by news outlets. Plus radio rebels rebuked: Another ACMA gong for Kyle and Jackie O.

Billionaire gives back: Adrian Portelli's cash splash whips shoppers and the news media into a frenzy. Plus reins of power - racing industry criticism curiously goes missing.

Poll position: A shock SMS poll result boots a Labor heavyweight, but raises questions. Plus an old-school comedian reaches out to an old acquaintance - ABC Chair Kim Williams - for help scoring interviews.

Election surprise: Labor's landslide win - why some media failed to sway voters. SBS's new family DNA show, with a big-pocketed partner backing it. Plus a touching greyhound racing story in the Herald Sun shows the tail wags the dog.

Holy smoke: How the election of a new Pope caught some in the media off guard. Nine's travel lift out showcases a new destination a little too far off the beaten track. Plus WA media gives the cold shoulder to its new NRL team.

One of Australia's most decorated soldiers loses another battle in his long running defamation case, 2GB fluffs up a scandal about children dressing up as animals plus the NRL appoint Seven's news boss to run the Perth Bears.

The Coalition's chaotic split given the Mills and Boon treatment by the media, Trump silences a lonely bastion of journalistic integrity in Asia, and The Chicago Sun-Times reading suggestions a little too far outside the box.

Live from censorship central, it was Dubai week on Nine's Today show. A front page story about a transgender child at a sports carnival filled with errors. Plus why a controversial ABC Gaza interview was taken offline.

What the Trump-Musk fallout tells us about the social media megaphones they own, charities left empty handed after being involved in a Channel 7 show and commercial news overlook a tragic custody death in the NT.

LA protests cast a shadow over press safety in the age of Trump; The drone advocate who happens to also be a drone investor; Plus a prominent reporter's secret trip bankrolled by a major defence company.

As the US bombs Iran, the fog of war descends over the media; A wild car chase on the streets of Melbourne given the hero treatment; plus The Herald Sun splash that got Tony Mokbel bashed and led to a big pay day.

Journalist Antoinette Lattouf has won her blockbuster legal showdown, so what does it mean for trust in your ABC? Plus from Donut Day to Free Chicken Day, the proliferation of 'National Food Days' helps sneak food ads into our news diets.

Outrage over the Adelaide Advertiser's racy treatment of a tragic killing. The automotive journalists who engaged in a financial engagement with the carmaker they were reviewing. Plus an AFR article's anti-red tape screed that conveniently leaves out an important fact.

Much room for mushrooms: What to make of the all-you-can-eat buffet of mushroom headlines, podcasts and TV specials. Plus a breakfast show's fast-food love-in prompts unsavoury questions.

A press picnic with the release of convicted criminal Salim Mehajer. China extends a warm welcome to Albanese, but not the journalists with him. Plus Sunrise's foot doctor with credentials that don't quite foot the bill.

In defence of a free press, South Park links arms with an unlikely ally in Rupert Murdoch. As photos of hunger shock the world, even those taking them begin to starve. Plus the AFR struggles to disclose its sponsored content.

A Sky News report falsely sounds the alarm on migration anarchy in Europe; The new tech behind the Government's social media ban has the gambling lobby rubbing their hands; The Daily Telegraph splashes the wrong kid across its tabloids.

Seven News brings us burger news that looks a little pre-assembled. A Herald Sun splash about a senior Victorian Liberal and his wife prompts outrage. A Daily Mail society listicle has not gone down well with those included.

SBS's debate on masculinity ruffles feathers ; Animal rights reporting faces a new threat ; Snake video amnesia

Stop the Boeings: 2GB's Ben Fordham fires up his listeners with questionable migration numbers. Sky News' big interview with Benjamin Netanyahu fails to deliver. Plus the tech news outlets that fell for an AI writer.

ATO whistleblower Richard Boyle escapes jail time, but protections still fall short. A tragic youth suicide gets the full Courier-Mail treatment. Plus a retirement village so good it made the news.

Victoria's machete bins face scrutiny over their hefty price tag. Reporters urged to embrace the beauty of a one-sided story. Plus reports on refuelling anxiety are making headlines, but is this story running on empty?

Stand-up, stood down: ABC America's axing of Jimmy Kimmel underscores how media giants are bowing to the new America. Plus a tourism reporter showcases the whale-watching industry on 7 News, but who's paying for the splash?

Sky's latest opinion show 'Freya Fires Up' self-combusts after a controversial bacon incident. Nine Radio's silence on a scandal involving a key advertiser. Plus Spoof Goof: 'Planet America' mistakes a comedy video for news.

Kerry Stokes quits, amid planned merge with Southern Cross Media. Worried about misinformation? You're the problem, according to tech overlords. Kidman and Urban's divorce hasn't stopped press from going into overdrive.

Trump's involvement in the Gaza ceasefire deal coincides with the Nobel Peace Prize announcement. A top motoring journalist at The Australian with a car marketing side hustle. Plus proposed changes to Freedom of Information will result in less freedom for less information.

Donald Trump's attempt to neuter independent reporting at the Pentagon prompted a press walkout that didn't initially involve one Australian outlet. Plus a spectacular podcast bust-up between an ABC star and a co-host tied to Melbourne's underworld.

Albo's Trump success was a surprise for those who anticipated failure. A popular electronics company doing under the table deals with online reviewers. Plus a Swisse supplement story revealed to be a mea culpa to an unhappy advertiser.

News Corp's Back Australia campaign calls for a return to local manufacturing, yet some of its sponsors are decidedly offshore. Southern Cross Austereo using AI to source and script news. Plus 10 News+ minus 30 minutes.

New York's new millennial mayor turns the Big Apple into a Pinko-Lady, offering a masterclass in political campaigning in the twilight of traditional media. A technology journalist pinged for gaming gadget reviews that are undisclosed ads. Live-streaming giant Disney+ exploits a loophole allowing it to run gambling ads during live sport that others aren't allowed.

BBC backlash: As the BBC grapples with its Trump-editing scandal, the spotlight has also swung onto the ABC. But is the criticism fair?