Media Watch – Season 2026
Episodes
Monday 2/2/2026
Nine newspapers served up Australian Open coverage, but did the ball fall wide of the line? Did the media amplify the Trump administration's narrative around the Minnesota killings?
Monday 9/2/2026
The alleged Australian terror attack that almost barely caused a whimper: Did the media miss the story? The radio doctor quietly profiting from the supplement he promotes on air. Plus The Art of Distraction by Andrew Hastie.
Monday 16/2/2026
A leadership refresh proves the ultimate banquet for Canberra journalists. ASIO rebukes Four Corners which aired accusations of intelligence failures leading up to the Bondi Beach massacre. Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Monday 23/2/2026
The royal formerly known as Prince Andrew was front page news (almost) everywhere. From political outsider to second-place contender, One Nation's polling surge demands a deeper look at their policies.
Monday 2/3/2026
Missiles fly across the Middle East, as the world's media makes tough decisions about what conflict to cover. Ukraine fades from view as the hazards intensify for reporters on the ground.
Monday 9/3/2026
The conflict in Iran marks a new chapter in AI-generated war imagery; The Kyle and Jackie O split marks the $200 million collapse of a high-stakes radio gamble.
Monday 16/3/2026
Journalists scramble to verify the tragic death of school children in Iran. Scared or safe? Dubai influencers caught in Iran's crosshairs mysteriously change their tune.
Monday 23/3/2026
Allegations of violence made against media mogul Antony Catalano amid the steady decline of his regional news empire. Google AI summaries mean opportunity for big news players, and Armageddon for the little guys.
Monday 30/3/2026
Algorithm addiction: Court finds Google and Meta apps were like drugs of addiction. Predators online: US court finds Facebook distributed child sexual material. Plus Doctor who? Australian Story puffs up a discredited orthopaedic surgeon.
Monday 13/4/2026
Media blockade: Trump opens a second front, declaring war on CNN's Iran reporting. Plus docu-series 'Aussie Gold Hunters' has been a hit with audiences around the world, but are they serving up real treasure or just fool's gold?
Monday 20/4/2026
Hungary's new leader vows to restore independence to his country's media following years of dismantling by Viktor Orban. The Racing NSW logo disappears from the pages of the Sydney Morning Herald's form guide.
Monday 27/4/2026
Kyle and Jackie foes: Court case documents reveal the behind-the-scenes spats were as unsavoury as their breakfast banter. A renewable energy expose by Seven's flagship investigation program Spotlight found to have omitted key facts.
Monday 4/5/2026
Seven's latest home reno show My Reno Rules promises its audience big prizes, but are viewers really told just how much these "free" giveaways cost?
Monday 11/5/2026
From flight trackers to walking down the plane aisle, no effort was spared to capture the so-called 'ISIS brides' returning home.
Monday 18/5/2026
Seven misidentified an ISIS Bride, even after she notified them they had the wrong photo. How GB News leveraged politician-hosts to shake up British elections. Plus the WA shed-home business that used their inside connections for free coverage.
Monday 25/5/2026
Amid budget fallout, small businesses fight tax changes with memes and a little creative license. Charlie Teo fights against restrictions with a little help from a sympathetic media.
Monday 1/6/2026
Why the juiced-up athletes at the Enhanced Games weren't about selling athletic glory, but pharmaceuticals. The West Australian reports a "blood feud" between Liberal Andrew Hastie and accused war criminal Ben Roberts-Smith.
Monday 8/6/2026
Turmoil at CBS continues with the firing of longtime '60 Minutes' reporter Scott Pelley, One Nation's playbook of bypassing traditional media for social channels has seen it surpass major parties in popularity.
Monday 15/6/2026
The role of Elon Musk in the Belfast riots show again, how his platform X, is used to stoke outrage. Plus a preference-flow graph in the Australian Financial Review includes political parties you've never heard of.
Monday 22/6/2026
A planned cull of wild horses has The Daily Telegraph chomping at the bit to voice its disapproval. 60 Minutes fails to give its audience the full picture when covering two child-abduction cases.
Monday 29/6/2026
Karlito's Way: Karl Stefanovic loses his job after embracing a controversial anti-Islam activist. Giggle Gagged: The ABC rejects an opinion piece by business woman Sall Grover.
Monday 6/7/2026
Australian media spare no detail in its coverage of a Thai teen's murder. BHP shows off its shiny electric truck and spins its green credentials. Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce manage to keep their public wedding very private.
Monday 13/7/2026
The spectacle of an Iranian state funeral, covered by international reporters. ABC takes the stand at the Antisemitism Royal Commission, answering claims of antisemitic bias. Plus a glossy magazine's AI mishap.
Monday 20/7/2026
A Tasmanian minister whips up discontent on his socials following an inconvenient question. AI "news" websites publish robotic slop after pilfering content from real journalists.
Monday 27/7/2026
The ABC scrubs two Four Corners episodes after concerns about the veracity of sources. Plus Queensland's Courier Mail forced to backpedal claims that EVs are a significant source of toxic tyre dust.
Monday 3/8/2026
The peptide black market hiding in plain sight on social media, and why regulators are struggling to keep up. Sunrise incorrectly reports Volodymyr Zelenskyy has resigned with no one seeming to notice.
Monday 10/8/2026
The unmasking of a high-profile celebrity agent convicted of rape has sparked questions around suppression orders and who receives them. Plus 'Judaism' removed from the Census? The News24 presenter who had to backtrack on her claims.
Monday 17/8/2026
Troubles are mounting for Meta as a court case exposes its role in a mental health crisis. Another "Outback" doco caught staging scenes while receiving public funding.
Monday 24/8/2026
Did the media drop the ball covering the unfolding Swans saga this week? The Australian asks its readers to brace for a 30% rent hike, but is that what the experts really said? Plus unroyal welcome for Harry and Meghan.
Monday 31/8/2026
Images of the flood tragedy in the Himalayas circulated the globe, except in China, where state-owned media tightly controlled what people saw.
Monday 7/9/2026
How the media fell for government spin, and celebrated a film funding cut, as a funding 'boost'. The Beetaloo gas project finds a cheerleader in the NT News, with very little scrutiny.
Monday 14/9/2026
Drug-use revelations levelled at One Nation's Victorian leader sparks debate about 'gotcha' journalism. The hard-right AfD won a German state election by weaponising mainstream media attacks. Plus a News24 presenter pranked.
Monday 21/9/2026
The ACMA found Four Corners breached impartiality rules over its War Memorial investigation. But were the findings justified? News Corp does away with council reporters and replaces them with AI. Plus missing Mitch McConnell.
Monday 28/9/2026
Trump's media ban of CNN, Politico and MS NOW prompts a rare show of solidarity between rival outlets. A corruption inquiry lifts the veil on a media campaign to undermine a fugitive developer's political enemies. Plus Fremantle fever in the West.
Monday 5/10/2026
The thwarted hijacking of the flydubai plane sparks conspiracies among online truthers eager to fill the information void. A year into the search for Gus Lamont, Seven gives flight to a debunked theory he was taken by an eagle.
Monday 12/10/2026
A superannuation expert fails to declare her financial links to the industry in her regular media outings. Plus News Corp's regular 'On this day' history column has a habit of getting creative with the facts.
Monday 19/10/2026
Plymouth Brethren accused of a covert campaign to sway the 2025 federal election, the documentary dividing Israel and enraging the country's highest office, and big pharma's made-for-media research on everyday headaches.
Monday 26/10/2026
Ben Roberts-Smith breaks his silence, coinciding with his new merch brand launch. An undemocratic deep freeze of Samoa's only daily newspaper. The Australian highlights errors in the Bureau of Meteorology's climate records.
Monday 2/11/2026
The ABC's The Business becomes yet another casualty in the long-running deterioration of business reporting for mainstream audiences. Plus news of Virgin's new menu item takes off.