NEWSPAPER PUBLISHING – AUSTRALIA

AFP search of journalist’s home illegal

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Michael Pelly, Andrew Tillett
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 10 : 16-Apr-20

Australian Federal Police commissioner Reece Kershaw says News Corp journalist Annika Smethurst could still face criminal charges despite a landmark High Court ruling on the legal validity of a search warrant. The court has unanimously ruled that the warrant used to search her home in June 2019 was invalid as it was too imprecise and "impossibly wide". However, the court narrowly rejected an application for an injunction requiring the AFP to return or destroy data that it seized in the raid.

CORPORATES
NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, HIGH COURT OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL POLICE

Catalano’s Australian Community Media to suspend some print titles

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Zoe Samios
The Sydney Morning Herald – Page: Online : 15-Apr-20

Australian Community Media has responded to the coronavirus-induced downturn in the advertising market by suspending publication of some non-daily regional print newspapers. Four of its printing facilities will also be closed until late June. ACM’s joint owner Antony Catalano says he recently approached Communications Minister Paul Fletcher about financial support for regional media groups. Catalano contends that consolidation in the regional media sector is necessary.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN COMMUNITY MEDIA

High Court to rule on warrant AFP used to raid journalist Annika Smethurst’s Canberra home

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Elizabeth Byrne, Matthew Doran
abc.net.au – Page: Online : 15-Apr-20

The issue of press freedom will come under scrutiny again on 15 April, when the High Court decides on the validity of a search warrant used in a media raid in June 2019. News Corp journalist Annika Smethurst has challenged the legal validity of the search warrant issued to Australian Federal Police officers who raided her home in Canberra. Her lawyers have argued amongst other things that the law under which the warrant was issued was invalid because it breached the implied constitutional right to freedom of political communication. The ABC has unsuccessfully challenged the search warrant used in a separate raid on its Sydney premises.

CORPORATES
HIGH COURT OF AUSTRALIA, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL POLICE, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION

Tech titans told: strike news deal now

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Leo Shanahan
The Australian – Page: 19 : 6-Apr-20

News Corp Australasia’s executive chairman Michael Miller says technology companies are the big winners from increased demand for the content of news publishers. Miller believes that the federal government will need to bring forward its November deadline for the digital giants to secure a revenue-sharing deal with traditional media companies. The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission is due to release a progress report on the issue in May, and chairman Rod Sims has warned that it may intervene if the report shows that sufficient progress has not been made.

CORPORATES
NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM

Nine targets $266m in cost cuts as virus hits

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Lilly Vitorovich
The Australian – Page: 15 : 31-Mar-20

Nine Entertainment Company aims to reduce its costs by $266m in calendar 2020, including $102m in the first half. Amongst other things, the media giant expects its broadcasting division to achieve cost savings $130m if the entire NRL season is cancelled; this would be split across the 2019-20 and 2020-21 financial years. Nine has also advised that the coronavirus lockdown has prompted strong growth in subscriptions and usage of its Stan and 9Now streaming services.

CORPORATES
NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, STAN ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, 9NOW

News cuts paywalls to free up virus reporting

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Leo Shanahan
The Australian – Page: 19 : 30-Mar-20

News Corp Australia will offer 28 days’ free access to the online editions of its metropolitan newspapers for people who take out a new subscription during the next fortnight. They will also be offered a 50 per cent discount for the following month. News Corp Australasia’s executive chairman Mich­ael Miller says this will allow people to stay connected and informed during the coronavirus pandemic. He adds that the federal government has deemed the news media to be an essential service during the crisis. However, Miller has conceded that the print editions of some community newspapers may need to be suspended.

CORPORATES
NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS

How newsrooms are adapting to report the COVID-19 crisis

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Max Mason, Natasha Gillezeau
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 33 : 23-Mar-20

Australia’s media industry has responded to the coronavirus pandemic by implementing measures to protect staff and reduce the infection’s spread. This includes working from home, splitting staff into several rotating teams and using technologies such as video conferencing. Meanwhile, consumers are turning to trusted sources of information about the virus, with news and current affairs shows dominating the list of the 20 highest-rating TV programs in the last week. The websites of traditional newspaper publishers have also experienced a spike in traffic, while Guardian Australia editor Lenore Taylor says the online-only publisher’s site had record traffic every day during the last week.

CORPORATES
NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, THE GUARDIAN AUSTRALIA, JUNKEE MEDIA PTY LTD

News vow: we won’t miss an edition

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Leo Shanahan
The Australian – Page: 21 : 23-Mar-20

The coronavirus pandemic has prompted a surge in sales and subscriptions for print and digital newspapers are consumers seek trusted sources of information in an era of ‘fake news’. News Corp Australasia’s executive chairman Michael Miller says the media group’s mastheads will continue to be published during the crisis, and none will miss any editions. Miller has held talks with more than 60 business leaders and advertisers in Australia over the last week, giving assurances that News Corp will continue to support them during the crisis.

CORPORATES
NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS

Nine to give sport, movies the chop

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Lilly Vitorovich
The Australian – Page: 19 : 27-Feb-20

Nine Entertainment Company has reported a 2019-20 interim net profit of $101.9m, which is 41 per cent lower than previously. The result was marred by write-downs totalling $75.2m. The Nine Network’s underlying earnings fell by 36 per cent to $103.5m and revenue was six per cent lower at $531.2m, while earnings from its digital and publishing assets rose by seven per cent to $46.7m. Nine CEO Hugh Marks has flagged cost cuts of $100m at the Nine Network over the next three years.

CORPORATES
NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED

News Corp underpaid super

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Lilly Vitorovich
The Australian – Page: 19 : 25-Feb-20

News Corp Australia says that about 2,500 current and former employees have not received their correct superannuation entitlements due to payroll system errors. A spokesman says that most of the affected employees were underpaid by less than $250, and they are collectively owed around $1.5m. The underpayments were discovered during a review of News Corp’s super contributions, which also revealed some instances of wages being overpaid.

CORPORATES
NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS