In a MediaLand special we dissect the ruling for Antoinette Latouff in her case against the ABC this morning. 

This morning the judgement in the case of Antoinette Lattouf vs the Australian Broadcasting Corporation was handed down in the Federal Court of Australia.  

Justice Darryl Rangiah ruled that Australian Broadcasting Corporation contravened the Fair Work Act by terminating the employment of the applicant, Antoinette Lattouf, for reasons including that she held a political opinion opposing the Israeli military campaign in Gaza. 

Her lawyers had also argued that her national extraction and race had played a role in her termination, however Justice Rangiah ruled the executives involved were not motivated by these factors. 

The ABC consistently denied she was unlawfully terminated during the hearing process. 

The judge ruled that the ABC must pay Ms Lattouf compensation of $70,000. He also ruled that a further hearing will take place in the future to decide on pecuniary compensation. 

Guests: Michael Bradley, Director of Marque Law and media commentator 

More Australians than ever are getting their news from social media with the big platforms expanding their online reach over that of Aussie newsrooms. We're also becoming more and more worried about misinformation but, depending on our political persuasions, we disagree about where it's coming from. The University of Canberra’s News and Media Research Centre’s digital media report for 2025 lays our news consuming souls bare.  

It's been a week for strange PR apologies, or non apologies. Three Australian companies illustrate how not to do it. 

And it's Christmas for audio statisticians! The radio stars aligned this week with three sets of data showing us how Australians are listening. 

Guest: Associate Professor of Communication at the University of Canberra Dr Caroline Fisher ck on the global media industry

It's been a week of cuts for TV with Network Ten axing the Project, ABC cancelling Q&A and Foxtel spiking The Back page. What's the future for current affairs television in Australia and can anyone make it pay? 

Aussie reporters have been in the firing line in Los Angeles this week prompting a big conversation about correspondents and their safety in the United States. 

And it's a very special 50th birthday to the SBS! 

Guest: Louise Rugendyke, National TV Editor for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age. 

This week, Viv and Tim speak to Greg Hywood in the week he's announced his retirement from his role as Independent Chair at Free TV.  The former Fairfax CEO and newspaper editor has been in journalism and publishing since the 1970s when he started at the Australian Financial Review. He presided over period of intense cost cutting at Fairfax in the early 2010s and was CEO as the merger with NINE was put in place. He shares his views on whether that merger has worked and the state of publishing and commercial media in 2025. 

In another blow to music television, Foxtel has announced that MTV Hits, Nick Music, MTV Club, MTV 80s, and CMT music channels will stop playing at the end of June.

TikTok has announced it is launching safety and wellness features including guided meditation sessions. 

George Clooney is bringing Broadway to America and the world's living rooms in a live streaming event of Good Night and Good Luck.

Guest: Greg Hywood, Retiring Independent Chair of Free TV, former CEO of Fairfax and Editor and Publisher at the Australian Financial Review, Sydney Morning Herald and The Age. 

This week Netflix lifts the veil of secrecy and enters ratings war in Australia and a potential class action law suit adds to mounting pressure on Google’s advertising business.

Commercial TV spending on ‘light entertainment’ is skyrocketing but drama and kids’ programming remain in the doldrums, and the publication of a TV salary rich list shows age of big bucks for broadcast stars might be coming to an end.  

Guest: Dr Anna Potter, Professor in Digital Media and Cultural Studies in QUT’s School of Communication and a Chief Investigator in the Digital Media Research Centre 

The Coalition break-up has been like media Christmas this week but is the hour by hour reporting as interesting to audiences as the journalists producing it? 

New gender pay gap reporting on public broadcasters SBS and ABC shows plenty of work still to be done. 

How we teach kids media literacy in Australia in 2025 and why Europe is pouring millions of euros into it. 

Will 2GB and 3AW be up for sale?

Guest: Bryce Corbett, Creator of Newshounds, the media literacy program for primary-school kids and Director of the Squiz Kids daily news podcast for kids. 

The challenges facing incoming Communications Minister Anika Wells and Arts Minister Tony Burke. 

The BBC will stop broadcasting and move to fully online by 2035 - will Australia follow suit?

From 'mommy bloggers' to product floggers - how influencers became a gendered word.

Guest: Lauren Meisner, Founder and Director of youth media brand, Centennial World 

Election wash-up: has Newscorp's ability to influence election outcomes waned? Adam Bandt's parting shot: the media don't take the climate crisis seriously. 

Donald Trump's film industry tariffs could drive content onto streaming services - and push up their profits.  

Mushroom mania - how the Erin Patterson trial took over the podcast world - and why newsrooms are pivoting to this format. 

Why an ad for soy milk has just been banned. 

• Guest: Maria Rae, former court reporter, true crime podcast producer and senior lecturer in politics and policy at Deakin University.  

In the final week of the election campaign the media's attention turned to debating Welcome to Country ceremonies, some decrying Neo-Nazi behaviour while running Trumpet of Patriot ads calling for an end to the practice.

The journalist's union calls for an investigation into allegations ABC Chair Kim Williams pushed local stations to give air time to comedian Austen Tayshus. 

Denis Muller examines how well the media held political parties and candidates to account during the campaign and how relevant election newspaper editorials are in the era of influencers.

And AI DJ Thy wins her time slot in the ratings. 

Guest: Denis Muller, Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Advancing Journalism, The University of Melbourne

Will the US be able to force tech giants Meta and Google to break up their businesses? Divestment trials are underway but the outcome may never be enforced. 

The major commercial media companies have launched a “Stand up to hate” campaign, showcasing Kyle Sandilands as a signatory. So who is behind the campaign?  

The world’s media dedicated a lot of time and attention to marking the death of the pope. Not everything went according to plan.

• Guest: Alan Sunderland, former Editorial Director of the ABC