Meanjin is set to shut down after 85 years, with the board of their publisher, Melbourne University Press, saying that it’s a purely financial decision. 

But is financial viability the metric that a literary magazine should be judged against? Former editor Jonathan Green takes us into the finances of running a literary magazine, and Ben Eltham explains why he's organising a protest to save Meanjin.

And Anthropic, the developers of a major generative AI model, have agreed to pay $US 1.5 Billion in a settlement with authors and publishers who brought a class action suit against the company: $3000 per work, for 500000 works. Jennifer Mills, board member of the Australian Society of Authors, explains what this will mean for Australian writers.

Our track of the week is What Is The Reason For It? by David Byrne [Ft. Hayley Williams]

Tropfest, the biggest short film festival in the world, has been resurrected six years after it was last staged. With a slew of sponsors and partners, the new Tropfest must contend with a world which has embraced short-form video as a sort of default mode of expression online. Founder John Polson shares his vision for the return of the festival in uncertain times.

And Iranian documentary maker Shirin Barghnavard is part of ABC Radio National's Top 5 Arts residency, as a PhD candidate at Edith Cowan University. She shares her story of making films under government surveillance, and in diaspora. 

Our track of the week is Overdrive by Siobhan Cotchin. 

After a challenging 12 months, which saw the exit of the CEO and artistic director and a ten million dollar operating deficit, Opera Australia has announced a new leadership team: new CEO, new Chair, and a new director of music, with the artistic director role now split between music and opera. Dr Caitlin Vincent, author of Opera Wars, looks at what we should expect from the company in the coming years and why one of Australia's most prestigious arts organisations has struggled with leadership and with their finances.

And Campbell Addy is one of the most in-demand photographers of his generation, with a portfolio that includes names like Beyonce, Naomi Campbell, and Tyler, the Creator. He takes us behind the scenes of a magazine cover shoot and explores the intersection of art and fashion ahead of his exhibition, I Love Campbell, at the Ballarat Foto Biennale.

Our track of the week is Dream 11 / Moth-Like Stars Pt 2 by Max Richter.

Headlines this week include:

The White House targets the Smithsonian and Kennedy Center

Melbourne International Film Festival prize winners

Ali Tahayori awarded the NSW Visual Arts Fellowship (Emerging)

More than 50 writers pulled out of the Bendigo Writers Festival over the weekend, as did the festival's official bookshop, after organisers sent a code of conduct to some speakers less than 2 days before the festival was due to begin.

The code included advice that speakers 'avoid language or topics that could be considered inflammatory, divisive, or disrespectful'. It also included the Universities Australia definition of anti-Semitism.

Randa Abdel-Fattah, one of the festival headliners, explains why she was one of the first to withdraw. And journalist Alex McKinnon shares his reporting about behind-the-scenes lobbying ahead of the event.

And in the middle of Poetry Month and with voting for the Top 100 books set to kick off in September, poet and author Maxine Beneba Clarke shares her favourite poems of the Century so far and reflects on the enduring power of the form

Our track of the week is The Highway Knows by Molly Tuttle.

Last week, the productivity commission published their interim report on Harnessing data and digital technology. Among the ideas under consideration is a 'fair dealing exception' that would cover the text and data mining that is used to train generative AI models.

The creative sector has been swift and vocal in their feedback, with key organisations across the country rejecting the idea. Professor Stephen King, one of the report's authors explores the thinking that informed the suggestion. And Simon Kennedy, president of The Australian Association of Voice Actors & Nicholas Pickard, executive director of public affairs and government relations at APRA AMCOS share the industry's response.

And it's awards season in Darwin, with major prizes in visual art, music and fashion awarded over the last week. Rudi Bremer, the host of RN's Awaye, was on the ground and she brings us all the details and the action from this celebration of First Nations art.

Our track of the week is Didn't Play Mull of Kintyre by Jerrah Patston

Two online game platforms, Steam and Itch.io, have removed hundreds or thousands of games that are tagged as including adult content. They've said that the move was necessary because they were at risk of losing access to the financial institutions like Visa, Mastercard, and Paypal, that allow them to process transactions. Rainey Reitman and Kath Albury explain why those payment companies have gotten involved, and what would it mean for financial groups to become the moral arbiters of art and commerce.

And Sarah Lloyd and Ben Alldridge, two of the finalists of the Beaker Street Science Photography Prize, take us behind the scenes as they capture images of microscopic slime mould and bio-fluorescent quolls.

Our track of the week is While I Got Time by Jessica Mauboy

What will the arts look like in Australia in a decade? And what could it look like with a plan and strategy that’s looking that far into the future? A new paper is recommending a 10 year national arts and culture strategy and a ministerial council that brings together federal, state and local representatives. Kate Fielding, CEO of A New Approach, explains why the Government should learn from their approach to sport and take a long view on the arts.

And from illegal tags to corporate commissions, the public sentiment around street art has changed significantly over the last three decades. Tim Phibs looks back on the changing face of street art in Australia as he launches a new public installation in Newtown.

Our track of the week is Kanana by Bumpy

Stories mentioned in the headlines:

Siang Lu wins Miles Franklin Literary Award for Ghost Cities

Director and production company clash over film re-release featuring AI-generated ending

French Culture Minister Rachida Dati to be tried for corruption

Amy Sherald Cancels Her Smithsonian Show, Citing Censorship

Sydney Writers Festival launches year-round program

Winning a film festival prize can launch an independent movie far beyond the festival circuit, leading to critical attention and international distribution deals. But in a space as subjective as the cinema, how does a jury pick their winner? Two members of the MIFF Bright Horizons jury, director Charlotte Wells and composer and musician Caitlin Yeo, share their perspectives.

And earlier this year Taylor Swift bought back the rights to her masters, after spending years re-recording her early work. But even before the purchase, her actions have inspired others, including Australian musician Pete Murray, who has recently recorded a new version of his hit single Better Days, with more to come. ABC digital reporter Megan Macdonald explains why some musicians have had to head back into the studio to claim back their own songs.

Our track of the week is 3am by Sleepazoid 

Stories mentioned in the headlines:

Questions around CBS' decision to cancel The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

Affair exposed at Coldplay concert

Vale Andrea Gibson

'Make it stop' — Auckland moviegoers boo AI video depicting Māori and Russell Crowe

After a fourth round of layoffs have hit Microsoft's games division, what does it mean for the industry at large? And with comments from competitors like "I don't think Gamepass can co-exist with other models, they'll either kill everyone else, or give up," is Gamepass a boon for consumers or a death knell for artists? Jody Macgregor, weekend editor at PC Gamer, gets us up to speed

And with 7.8 million dollars, spread across 20 projects in its first round of funding, the Creative Futures Fund has a goal of supporting ambitious work. The fund's director Wendy Martin discusses the philosophies and practicalities behind the decisions.

Our track of the week is Gone A Long Time by Billy Strings.

Stories mentioned in the headlines:

UNESCO approves world heritage listing for WA's Murujuga rock art

KPop Demon Hunters soundtrack dominating music charts

Gao Zhen pleads not guilty in trial

Khaled Sabsabi is once again Australia's representative to the 2026 Venice Biennale, after the Board of Creative Australia reversed their previous decision to rescind his invitation. Elizabeth Ann Macgregor, the former director of the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, says that Instead of shying away from controversy, a strong agency would embrace it and work to engage the public. But after an independent review that spoke a lot about risk management, what will happen to Creative Australia's appetite for risk?

And Emily Kam Kngwarray is one of Australia's most renown artists and one of the most expensive. This week, a major collection of Kngwarray's art opens at the Tate Modern in London. Featuring more than 70 pieces, it's the first exhibition of this scale of her work in Europe. Danielle MacLean, director of Emily: I am Kam, explores the life, the Country, and the politics behind the art.

Our track of the week is Something About A Cake Shop by Stiff Gins.

Stories mentioned in the headlines:

Sean Combs, aka Diddy, found guilty on two charges, but acquitted on three others

Gareth Sansom wins the Sorrento Art Prize

Museum of West African Art announces first public exhibition

Actor Julian McMahon dies at 56

Actor Michael Madsen dies at 67