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SBS Australia
11-07-2025
- SBS Australia
Blood, rats, self-harm: The disturbing truth about police cells where children are held
This article contains distressing content. Tiny, windowless cells with no access to fresh air, or open-air cells infested with rats and insects. Exposure to blood, other bodily fluids and faeces. Fluorescent lights kept on 24/7, making it difficult to sleep. There are sometimes no doors on the showers or toilets, so female prisoners are exposed to male prisoners, while girls are exposed to adult prisoners or boys. The conditions are so poor that some prisoners deliberately injure themselves to be transferred to hospital. There have long been human rights concerns surrounding Queensland's police watch houses, where children are held indefinitely. Source: Supplied / Queensland Police Union These are some of the conditions many detainees — including children — are facing in Queensland's police watch houses, a damning review has revealed . Watch houses are police holding cells — they're designed for adults, but in Queensland, children as young as 11 are also held here indefinitely, while awaiting trial or transfer to a youth detention centre. The internal review into the state's watch house system was launched by the Queensland Police Service (QPS) last August, following an increase in complaints. It also came after media reports of human rights concerns, including a joint investigation by The Feed and Guardian Australia which showed — for the first time — footage of children being locked inside isolation cells, allegedly for punishment. The review has highlighted issues that have been overlooked for years, facilities crumbling into disrepair, ill-equipped staff and an environment that is "unsafe for minors". "Watch-houses are not equipped to provide the space, privacy, natural light or support needed for children's physical and psychological well-being," the report said. "This can result in heightened anxiety, distress and an increased risk of self-harm." Children locked up for weeks There are 63 watch houses in Queensland — in 2024, more than 78,000 prisoners passed through them. Watch houses are not designed to hold people for more than 72 hours — however, children are sometimes held there for weeks on end. The review found children who were remanded or sentenced spent an average of 161 hours (over 6 days) in the watch house — and stays of more than 14 days were not uncommon. "The Review found that longer prisoner stays in watch-houses can lead to increased rates of non-compliance by prisoners and increase in self-harm events," the report said. A perfect storm of factors has led to children being locked up for longer — including a lack of beds in the overflowing youth detention centres, under-resourced courts, Queensland's strict bail laws and a crackdown on youth crime. For years, human rights groups have called for the release of children from watch houses, while oversight bodies have criticised the long-term detainment of children. Debbie Kilroy is the chief executive of Sisters Inside, an advocacy group for women and girls in prison. "Queensland's watch houses are dangerous, degrading, and unfit for any human being, let alone children," Kilroy said. "Right now, even as this report is being circulated, children are sitting in concrete boxes under fluorescent lights, with no schooling, no privacy, and no access to fresh air. This is not a question of capacity—it is a question of cruelty. "We must divest from police. We must shut down watch houses. And we must get our girls out." Vulnerable groups at risk While the review stressed "watch-houses are not suitable places for vulnerable groups" – including women, girls and children – there was an increase in the length of stays for these groups between 2021 and 2024. People in watch houses have higher rates of health issues compared to the general population — including mental health concerns, suicidal ideation, disabilities and substance abuse. The review also acknowledged women and girls in custody are often survivors of domestic violence, sexual abuse and trauma. It said: "The watch-house environment is largely designed with adult men in mind, leaving female prisoners with insufficient access to gender-responsive healthcare services". Staff find it challenging to assess prisoners' health needs, and there are often no on-site health services available. There's been a rise in complaints about watch houses, including the behaviour of watch house staff. The review found a quarter of the allegations are related to assault or excessive use of force, with around one in four relating to child prisoners. However, it noted: "the vast majority of total complaints … were unsubstantiated". Government and police accept recommendations The watch house review has made 34 recommendations, including urging the Queensland government to consider a maximum length of stay for watch house prisoners. Other recommendations include enhancing bail processes to minimise the use of watch houses and revising the training of staff. Both the Queensland Police Service and Queensland government have accepted the recommendations. Police Minister Dan Purdie has announced $16 million in funding to upgrade watch house facilities. He also said the watch house has become a more dangerous place to work. "One in seven staff and police who work in watch houses [are] the victim of assault, which is greater than that on the front line," Purdie told reporters on Thursday. "We will work with the police methodically and diligently to ensure that we have a strategy moving forward to ensure our police have a safer place to work and the facilities they need, to do their job and keep Queenslanders and themselves safe." Police deputy commissioner of regional services, Cameron Harsley, acknowledged significant work needs to be done to overhaul the watch house system. "The watch house officers … are doing a tireless job in challenging situations with very difficult people that we manage in watch houses, but we do that to keep our community safe and keep those that are at most danger to our community off the streets of Queensland." Readers seeking crisis support can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14, the Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467 and Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800 (for young people aged up to 25). More information and support with mental health is available at and on 1300 22 4636. If you or someone you know is experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, domestic, family or sexual violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or visit If you or someone you know is feeling worried or unwell, we encourage you to call 13YARN on 13 92 76 and talk with an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander Crisis Supporter. Aboriginal Counselling Services can be contacted on (02) 4707 7989.
Economic Times
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Economic Times
July 11, 2025: Love Horoscope for All Zodiac Signs — Find Out How Capricorn Moon and Taurus Venus Influence Your Romantic Future
Synopsis Love & Relationship Horoscope Today – 11th July 2025: Venus is in the Taurus sign, the Moon will transit into the Capricorn sign, and Mars is still in the Leo sign. Today brings a passionate yet pragmatic energy to love. Your emotions may be expressed with calm determination. Your romantic pursuits will benefit from patience and purpose. You can have strong desires, but also the need to align those desires with long-term values. The Feed Love Horoscope Today, 10th July 2025, Daily Love Predictions for All Zodiac Signs: Capricorn, Taurus, Leo, and Scorpio can be lucky today Love Horoscope Today – 11th July 2025: The transits today blend fire and earth elements. You need to balance impulsive romance with mature emotional expression. Venus in the Taurus sign continues to offer sensual pleasure. The Moon's transit into the Capricorn sign asks you to focus more on relationships. Meanwhile, Mars in the Leo sign ignites passion and romantic daring. ARIES Love & Relationship Horoscope Today – 11th July 2025:The Moon's transit into the Capricorn sign urges you to approach your relationship goals seriously. Mars in the Leo sign makes it hard to resist grand romantic gestures. Venus in the Taurus sign adds sensual depth to your interactions. It asks you to value substance over Love Horoscope Today suggests focusing on consistency rather than impulsivity. Your fiery nature is drawn to action. Having a grounded approach will yield better results when planning for long-term Love & Relationship Horoscope Today – 11th July 2025:Venus is now comfortably in your sign. Your charm is magnetic and sincere. The Moon in the Capricorn sign boosts your ability to communicate emotionally. Your communication would have both depth and clarity. Mars in the Leo sign adds spice, but you need to balance between home and Love Horoscope Today is ideal for deepening relationships. It can help in attracting someone whose values align with yours. Your sensual energy is high. You should take the lead with authenticity. GEMINI Love & Relationship Horoscope Today – 11th July 2025:The Sun and Jupiter in your sign bring you attention and energy. The Moon in the Capricorn sign slows down emotional expression. Venus in the Taurus sign encourages introspection. Mars in the Leo sign helps you articulate your needs more Love Horoscope Today indicates a need to reflect before reacting. You may have a desire for emotional security. Your usual instinct wants you to keep things light. Allow your heart to lead Love & Relationship Horoscope Today – 11th July 2025:Mercury in your sign makes you eloquent in love. The Moon in your Seventh House, Capricorn, invites serious talks around commitment and trust. Venus in the Taurus sign stabilises your emotions. Mars in the Leo sign gives you the courage to be bold in expressing Love Horoscope Today helps you in blending sensitivity with strength. Whether you're partnered or single, you can have meaningful conversations. This can lead to romantic Love & Relationship Horoscope Today – 11th July 2025:Mars in your sign keeps your passion levels high. The Moon in the Capricorn sign asks you to channel that energy responsibly. Venus in the Taurus sign grounds your desires. It can urge you to show affection through meaningful actions rather than just Love Horoscope Today reveals a strong potential for growth in relationships. You need to be both fiery and reliable. You can get more attention from others. You should use it Love & Relationship Horoscope Today – 11th July 2025:The Moon in the Capricorn sign supports your natural inclination toward emotional structure. Venus in the Taurus sign helps you express love in grounded and thoughtful ways. Mars in the Leo sign activates hidden desires but may also bring out old Love Horoscope Today invites you to blend inner reflection with outer action. You can reconnect with a partner. You can open your heart to someone who reflects your emotional Love & Relationship Horoscope Today – 11th July 2025:Your ruler, Venus, is in the Taurus sign. This can bring focus to emotional bonds. The Moon in the Capricorn sign may make expressing those emotions tough. Mars in the Leo sign adds a spark in social settings. The day is good for romantic Love Horoscope Today urges you to balance your emotional sincerity with playfulness. Relationships thrive well when you match your charm with Love & Relationship Horoscope Today – 11th July 2025:Venus is transiting from the Seventh House in the Taurus sign. This brings love into focus. It can urge you to compromise and value stability. The Moon in the Capricorn sign enhances communication and structure in relationships. Mars in the Leo sign intensifies your need for romantic Love Horoscope Today shows potential for lasting emotional breakthroughs. Your usual depth is well-matched by today's grounded energy. Use the day to heal, not just Love & Relationship Horoscope Today – 11th July 2025:Mars in the Leo sign supports adventurous love. The Moon in the Capricorn sign encourages emotional responsibility. Venus in the Taurus sign enhances physical intimacy and comfort. This might lead to stronger romantic Love Horoscope Today asks you to embrace love without sacrificing excitement. If you are willing to slow down, romantic evolution is Love & Relationship Horoscope Today – 11th July 2025:The Moon is transiting from your sign. You may feel more emotionally aware than usual. Venus in the Taurus sign promotes loyalty and sensuality. It is an ideal day for romantic bonding. Mars in the Leo sign intensifies intimacy, urging you to be more Love Horoscope Today supports emotional openness. The transits today encourage you to soften your guard. Let love unfold through patience and Love & Relationship Horoscope Today – 11th July 2025:Rahu in your sign keeps your energy evolving. The Moon in the Capricorn sign activates introspective feelings. Venus in the Taurus sign grounds your romantic desires. Mars in the Leo sign challenges you to connect more actively with your Love Horoscope Today encourages emotional honesty. This is not a time for superficial affection. You should seek connections that nurture your values and respect your Love & Relationship Horoscope Today – 11th July 2025:Saturn in your sign continues to guide your emotional growth. The Moon in the Capricorn sign stabilises your romantic outlook. Venus in the Taurus sign enhances your emotional generosity. Mars in the Leo sign motivates you to take brave action in Love Horoscope Today is good for meaningful romantic foundations. You need to clarify what you want or deepen what you have. Your sincerity and structure will bring you closer to lasting by: Anand Sagar Pathak of For feedback, write to hello@ read: Daily Horoscope, July 2025 Daily Numerology Horoscope, July 2025
Sydney Morning Herald
01-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘It's looking pretty grim': What's the future of TV news in Australia?
It's been a bad few weeks for TV news and current affairs in Australia, with the cancellation of once-dominant shows such as Q+A and The Project. And if you consider the axing of other series such as The Drum, as well as several youth-focused ventures such as Tonightly and The Feed, there's a strong argument to be had that it's been a bad few years. In one of The Project 's final episodes last week, comedian Sam Taunton donned a black suit and top hat: 'I'm wearing it from the time when free-to-air was at its peak: 1912, I believe,' he joked. But how grim is the outlook really? I spoke to five people aged 40 and under, who work inside and outside traditional news media, to find out. Loading What's your impression of the Australian TV news landscape right now? Jan Fran, journalist and presenter who is launching independent company Ette Media: TV news and current affairs just can't seem to hold audiences in the way it used to. It's fragmenting. The fact is that a significant proportion of Australians just don't do appointment television, and the majority are getting their news from social media all day, every day. So why would they sit down and watch the news for an hour on television? It doesn't really make sense any more to the way that we live. That said, there are still quite a few people who watch the TV news bulletins. But I'd be interested in knowing the demographics of that audience. Leo Puglisi, teenage journalist and founder of 6 News, which operates on YouTube: There are plenty of news shows like A Current Affair that clearly have a very loyal audience. People laugh about it, but they do a good job keeping that. It's more my grandparents' demographic, though. It's a real shame to lose so many non-traditional news programs, especially when they're not being replaced with other news content. It really reflects that anything different is going online at this point. The audiences for these shows are just not on TV. Konrad Benjamin, AKA Punter's Politics, a high school teacher turned content creator and politics podcaster: It's looking pretty grim. As younger people have stopped watching broadcast TV, it looks like they gave up on trying to cater for us. The modern-day version of The Chaser's War on Everything is now just on TikTok. Loading Brooke Boney, Today 's former news and entertainment reporter: There are a lot of incredible people who work very hard on these shows to bring us the very best, and it's sad to see those jobs go. I also think TV news is so under-resourced, so it makes it really hard for the people who remain to do the best job they can. People are having to do more than they ever had with less than they ever had. Chris Kohler, 9News finance editor, presenter and popular social media creator: It still feels like the powerhouse of TV, for me, is well-researched news and current affairs. I mean, The Project is gone, but Channel 10 is bringing in something new with a slightly different flavour to it. There's been a lot of change lately, but TV has always been in an atmosphere of constant change. I think the quality of the output is still incredibly high. The most recent research from the Australian Communications and Media Authority suggests only about a quarter of younger Australians (18-34) are watching news on free-to-air. Why do you think that is? Can anything be done to turn it around? Brooke Boney: I'm not surprised by that statistic at all. We've all got news in the palm of our hand whenever we want it. But I think it's a bit of a copout for us to say it's just about that. Young people can open TikTok or Instagram or YouTube and hear from people who they think sound more like them and look more like them. I would hope that people continue to watch news, but can we reverse these trends? Who knows? In moments of crisis, I only want to watch live news. You can't get that immediacy – and accuracy – from Reels or TikTok. Konrad Benjamin: I think there's still a good 20 years until the TV generation disappear. But that just leaves an ever-shrinking piece of the pie. Legacy media needs to go back to the drawing board about what is it they do. They've got the biggest competitive advantage against someone like me: they have money and full teams of people. They can produce the same kinds of content that I can with better journalism and better graphics. Leo Puglisi: Young people are going to continue moving online. In my age group, 17-18, it's all Instagram and TikTok (but mostly still from reputable sources). I don't think when these people turn 25, they'll become free-to-air watchers, so TV outlets will have to move with them and adapt. Some outlets are putting segments online, and they're doing well. 7News Spotlight does very good numbers on YouTube. Even things like Sky News – their online numbers are insane. A lot of those viewers aren't Australians, but it would still bring in revenue through YouTube. That's the model a lot of other outlets might start looking to. At this point, you've got to put digital first. You can't wait until six o'clock. Jan Fran: Honestly, I'd like to see a news and current affairs show that exists outside the scaffolding of the mainstream media. In the US, there are some that are fairly massive on YouTube, and they're sustainable, and they're scalable, and they're consistent because they can pull an audience. That hasn't been tried and tested in the same to the same degree in Australia. I'd like to see something like that, or maybe, have someone explore the idea of what a news and current affairs show – be it nightly or weekly – looks like on a streaming service. Chris Kohler: It's like that Mark Twain quote, 'the reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated'. I started in newspapers 15 years ago, and people were saying then this is all going down the gurgler, no one will be picking up the newspaper in two or three years. But I think it's not really a zero-sum game any more: there's an insatiable appetite for content, whether it's on the phone, the TV or picking up a newspaper. Loading I mean, Channel Nine* will tell you that its total TV audience for the 6pm bulletin is up 11.5 per cent year-on-year [data supplied by the network showed similar rises in viewers aged 16-39, but it's worth noting that demographic represents just 10.8 per cent of the total audience]. Who knows what it'll all look like five, 10 or 20 years? Right now, I think there's still optimism. What kind of news is the most engaging for young Australians today? What should we be making more of? Jan Fran: People connect with other people on the internet much more than what they do on television. There's a certain style of presentation on television that, in my view, is quite antiquated: you know, the 'news voice', the way that they dress, the 'reporter hands'. I don't find that particularly engaging any more. Chris Kohler: The first threshold to walk through is, 'Is this authentic?' I always think journalists are at their best when they're being an individual as well as a carrier of news. We still need to have a line drawn between opinion, analysis and news, but it doesn't mean you can't do multiple things in multiple different settings. I was trying stuff on social media for a really long time, and about two years ago I just decided that I could be a bit sillier about it. I printed out a piece of paper that said, 'Philip Lowe', sticky taped it to my chest, wrote 'interest rates' on the blinds and lifted the blind while dancing to Pump Up the Jam. To my genuine surprise, it got a lot more views than anything I'd done in the past. Konrad Benjamin: I'm drawn to stories that give context. I never liked the whole 30-second news approach of 'here's what happened'. Like, 'the US bombed Iran'. OK. But tell me why it's important: why is the US involved, how did they get into it? New formats – YouTube and online media – have come and plugged that gap and legacy media companies have to reformat what they're doing. The ABC has pivoted a bit: Matt Bevan does If You're Listening, a YouTube channel and podcast. That's the change we're looking for: 10-15 minute context-driven work. The format is YouTube first. According to the ACMA research, almost half of those between 18-24 say social media is now their main source of news. What are the pros and cons of that shift? Konrad Benjamin: Diluting the power of corporations like major news networks over the Australian narrative is a good thing. But I think there's very low levels of media literacy across the board from most regular people. People are looking for authenticity, and I think their shorthand for authenticity is someone who speaks and talks like them. The problem with that is that there's a bunch of people who know nothing speaking very confidently about something on YouTube. I never really wanted to be in that space, but I can, at the very least, point out my sources and what I think is good verified journalism. With the rise of AI, the new conversation in media is all about trust. People will be looking for markers of trust. That's the future currency, and that's an advantage legacy media have over people like me. Leo Puglisi: A big con is the rise of AI. It's getting ridiculous trying to figure out what's real and what's not. And because of that, there's a rising level of distrust. The other thing is short-form content, as entertaining as it can be, risks not being able to tell the full story. Brooke Boney: The pros are that they're getting news at all. Any way we can get people engaged in the stories that affect them is important and worthwhile. Obviously, the cons are that there's less journalistic rigour. People can consume a lot of information that hasn't been fact-checked. It's a huge concern. Jan Fran: While I'm happy to see spaces exist outside the mainstream media, sometimes I do worry about how you do journalism natively on social media. It takes time and money and expertise, and these things are not particularly rewarded on social media. So what you have is a morphing of journalism into commentary, and they're two very, very different things. Loading If good public interest investigative news and current affairs disappears from TV, is there scaffolding enough outside the mainstream media to still preserve it? I think that remains to be seen. If we accept that news consumption is shifting to social media, how can Australian TV networks ensure they stay relevant to a new generation? Brooke Boney: I think we've always had an issue with the diversity of not only newsrooms, but presenters as well. I saw a post on Instagram the other day from journalist Mawunyo Gbogbo criticising the lack of diversity in Ten's new show and the broader news landscape – I reflect the sentiment and lament that we're still asking for representation. If you're a young person from Western Sydney or the northern suburbs of Melbourne or even in the country, are you really going to want to turn on the TV and see that? Would you watch a Reel from someone who can't relate to you or have the same experiences or even understand what you need to hear? I don't know. We've still got a lot of work to do when it comes to reflecting audiences back to them. Jan Fran: The simple answer would be, well, news and television networks should start switching to digital. And yeah, certainly that is a strategy. But then you don't own the platforms that you publish on, and you're beholden to their rules and regulations and their whims and their algorithms. It's a huge risk, and I can understand a lot of TV networks not wanting to do that. But I think you have no choice but to meet people where they are. Chris Kohler: If I had the answer to this question, I'd be neck deep in trying to do it. But I think it's exciting there's a lot of thought going into what the next wave looks like.
The Age
01-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Age
‘It's looking pretty grim': What's the future of TV news in Australia?
It's been a bad few weeks for TV news and current affairs in Australia, with the cancellation of once-dominant shows such as Q+A and The Project. And if you consider the axing of other series such as The Drum, as well as several youth-focused ventures such as Tonightly and The Feed, there's a strong argument to be had that it's been a bad few years. In one of The Project 's final episodes last week, comedian Sam Taunton donned a black suit and top hat: 'I'm wearing it from the time when free-to-air was at its peak: 1912, I believe,' he joked. But how grim is the outlook really? I spoke to five people aged 40 and under, who work inside and outside traditional news media, to find out. Loading What's your impression of the Australian TV news landscape right now? Jan Fran, journalist and presenter who is launching independent company Ette Media: TV news and current affairs just can't seem to hold audiences in the way it used to. It's fragmenting. The fact is that a significant proportion of Australians just don't do appointment television, and the majority are getting their news from social media all day, every day. So why would they sit down and watch the news for an hour on television? It doesn't really make sense any more to the way that we live. That said, there are still quite a few people who watch the TV news bulletins. But I'd be interested in knowing the demographics of that audience. Leo Puglisi, teenage journalist and founder of 6 News, which operates on YouTube: There are plenty of news shows like A Current Affair that clearly have a very loyal audience. People laugh about it, but they do a good job keeping that. It's more my grandparents' demographic, though. It's a real shame to lose so many non-traditional news programs, especially when they're not being replaced with other news content. It really reflects that anything different is going online at this point. The audiences for these shows are just not on TV. Konrad Benjamin, AKA Punter's Politics, a high school teacher turned content creator and politics podcaster: It's looking pretty grim. As younger people have stopped watching broadcast TV, it looks like they gave up on trying to cater for us. The modern-day version of The Chaser's War on Everything is now just on TikTok. Loading Brooke Boney, Today 's former news and entertainment reporter: There are a lot of incredible people who work very hard on these shows to bring us the very best, and it's sad to see those jobs go. I also think TV news is so under-resourced, so it makes it really hard for the people who remain to do the best job they can. People are having to do more than they ever had with less than they ever had. Chris Kohler, 9News finance editor, presenter and popular social media creator: It still feels like the powerhouse of TV, for me, is well-researched news and current affairs. I mean, The Project is gone, but Channel 10 is bringing in something new with a slightly different flavour to it. There's been a lot of change lately, but TV has always been in an atmosphere of constant change. I think the quality of the output is still incredibly high. The most recent research from the Australian Communications and Media Authority suggests only about a quarter of younger Australians (18-34) are watching news on free-to-air. Why do you think that is? Can anything be done to turn it around? Brooke Boney: I'm not surprised by that statistic at all. We've all got news in the palm of our hand whenever we want it. But I think it's a bit of a copout for us to say it's just about that. Young people can open TikTok or Instagram or YouTube and hear from people who they think sound more like them and look more like them. I would hope that people continue to watch news, but can we reverse these trends? Who knows? In moments of crisis, I only want to watch live news. You can't get that immediacy – and accuracy – from Reels or TikTok. Konrad Benjamin: I think there's still a good 20 years until the TV generation disappear. But that just leaves an ever-shrinking piece of the pie. Legacy media needs to go back to the drawing board about what is it they do. They've got the biggest competitive advantage against someone like me: they have money and full teams of people. They can produce the same kinds of content that I can with better journalism and better graphics. Leo Puglisi: Young people are going to continue moving online. In my age group, 17-18, it's all Instagram and TikTok (but mostly still from reputable sources). I don't think when these people turn 25, they'll become free-to-air watchers, so TV outlets will have to move with them and adapt. Some outlets are putting segments online, and they're doing well. 7News Spotlight does very good numbers on YouTube. Even things like Sky News – their online numbers are insane. A lot of those viewers aren't Australians, but it would still bring in revenue through YouTube. That's the model a lot of other outlets might start looking to. At this point, you've got to put digital first. You can't wait until six o'clock. Jan Fran: Honestly, I'd like to see a news and current affairs show that exists outside the scaffolding of the mainstream media. In the US, there are some that are fairly massive on YouTube, and they're sustainable, and they're scalable, and they're consistent because they can pull an audience. That hasn't been tried and tested in the same to the same degree in Australia. I'd like to see something like that, or maybe, have someone explore the idea of what a news and current affairs show – be it nightly or weekly – looks like on a streaming service. Chris Kohler: It's like that Mark Twain quote, 'the reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated'. I started in newspapers 15 years ago, and people were saying then this is all going down the gurgler, no one will be picking up the newspaper in two or three years. But I think it's not really a zero-sum game any more: there's an insatiable appetite for content, whether it's on the phone, the TV or picking up a newspaper. Loading I mean, Channel Nine* will tell you that its total TV audience for the 6pm bulletin is up 11.5 per cent year-on-year [data supplied by the network showed similar rises in viewers aged 16-39, but it's worth noting that demographic represents just 10.8 per cent of the total audience]. Who knows what it'll all look like five, 10 or 20 years? Right now, I think there's still optimism. What kind of news is the most engaging for young Australians today? What should we be making more of? Jan Fran: People connect with other people on the internet much more than what they do on television. There's a certain style of presentation on television that, in my view, is quite antiquated: you know, the 'news voice', the way that they dress, the 'reporter hands'. I don't find that particularly engaging any more. Chris Kohler: The first threshold to walk through is, 'Is this authentic?' I always think journalists are at their best when they're being an individual as well as a carrier of news. We still need to have a line drawn between opinion, analysis and news, but it doesn't mean you can't do multiple things in multiple different settings. I was trying stuff on social media for a really long time, and about two years ago I just decided that I could be a bit sillier about it. I printed out a piece of paper that said, 'Philip Lowe', sticky taped it to my chest, wrote 'interest rates' on the blinds and lifted the blind while dancing to Pump Up the Jam. To my genuine surprise, it got a lot more views than anything I'd done in the past. Konrad Benjamin: I'm drawn to stories that give context. I never liked the whole 30-second news approach of 'here's what happened'. Like, 'the US bombed Iran'. OK. But tell me why it's important: why is the US involved, how did they get into it? New formats – YouTube and online media – have come and plugged that gap and legacy media companies have to reformat what they're doing. The ABC has pivoted a bit: Matt Bevan does If You're Listening, a YouTube channel and podcast. That's the change we're looking for: 10-15 minute context-driven work. The format is YouTube first. According to the ACMA research, almost half of those between 18-24 say social media is now their main source of news. What are the pros and cons of that shift? Konrad Benjamin: Diluting the power of corporations like major news networks over the Australian narrative is a good thing. But I think there's very low levels of media literacy across the board from most regular people. People are looking for authenticity, and I think their shorthand for authenticity is someone who speaks and talks like them. The problem with that is that there's a bunch of people who know nothing speaking very confidently about something on YouTube. I never really wanted to be in that space, but I can, at the very least, point out my sources and what I think is good verified journalism. With the rise of AI, the new conversation in media is all about trust. People will be looking for markers of trust. That's the future currency, and that's an advantage legacy media have over people like me. Leo Puglisi: A big con is the rise of AI. It's getting ridiculous trying to figure out what's real and what's not. And because of that, there's a rising level of distrust. The other thing is short-form content, as entertaining as it can be, risks not being able to tell the full story. Brooke Boney: The pros are that they're getting news at all. Any way we can get people engaged in the stories that affect them is important and worthwhile. Obviously, the cons are that there's less journalistic rigour. People can consume a lot of information that hasn't been fact-checked. It's a huge concern. Jan Fran: While I'm happy to see spaces exist outside the mainstream media, sometimes I do worry about how you do journalism natively on social media. It takes time and money and expertise, and these things are not particularly rewarded on social media. So what you have is a morphing of journalism into commentary, and they're two very, very different things. Loading If good public interest investigative news and current affairs disappears from TV, is there scaffolding enough outside the mainstream media to still preserve it? I think that remains to be seen. If we accept that news consumption is shifting to social media, how can Australian TV networks ensure they stay relevant to a new generation? Brooke Boney: I think we've always had an issue with the diversity of not only newsrooms, but presenters as well. I saw a post on Instagram the other day from journalist Mawunyo Gbogbo criticising the lack of diversity in Ten's new show and the broader news landscape – I reflect the sentiment and lament that we're still asking for representation. If you're a young person from Western Sydney or the northern suburbs of Melbourne or even in the country, are you really going to want to turn on the TV and see that? Would you watch a Reel from someone who can't relate to you or have the same experiences or even understand what you need to hear? I don't know. We've still got a lot of work to do when it comes to reflecting audiences back to them. Jan Fran: The simple answer would be, well, news and television networks should start switching to digital. And yeah, certainly that is a strategy. But then you don't own the platforms that you publish on, and you're beholden to their rules and regulations and their whims and their algorithms. It's a huge risk, and I can understand a lot of TV networks not wanting to do that. But I think you have no choice but to meet people where they are. Chris Kohler: If I had the answer to this question, I'd be neck deep in trying to do it. But I think it's exciting there's a lot of thought going into what the next wave looks like.
SBS Australia
20-06-2025
- Politics
- SBS Australia
'I didn't feel that way': Sussan Ley on the Coalition alienating migrants at the last election
The new Liberal leader sat down with the Feed to discuss how the party got it so wrong. Source: SBS Sussan Ley didn't feel the Liberal Party alienated migrants in the last federal election, but accepts that some voters felt that way. "I want to know why they felt that way," she told The Feed. "Because I certainly, as the deputy leader in the last parliament, never, ever felt that way." In an interview with The Feed, Ley spoke about a range of criticism directed at the party, conceding that it was rejected by a number of voting groups. Ley's predecessor, Peter Dutton linked record levels of migration — which peaked at 536,000 in 2022-23, but which Treasury estimates will return to 260,000 next year — with exacerbating demand on housing supply and pushing up prices. Simon Welsh, director of a social and political research firm with connections to the Liberal Party, Labor Party, and The Greens, said that in diverse communities, this rhetoric turned voters away from the Coalition. Ley said it made her "sad" to hear this feedback from voters, adding that "I accept that maybe was the case for a variety of reasons". Ley was born in Nigeria and moved to the United Arab Emirates before she was two, following her father's work for British intelligence services. In a 2014 interview with SBS, Ley said she would often accompany him on MI6 fieldwork around the Persian Gulf — experiences, she says, that helped shape her worldview. She later moved to the UK at age 10, before moving to Australia when she was 13. "I'm a migrant to this country, but I've got the great fortune of, you know, looking white with the same language," she said, acknowledging that the experience wouldn't be the same for "someone who doesn't have that". Nonetheless, she said: "I felt very different and excluded at school. I have a sense, actually, of what that feeling is. And it's not good enough for people to feel like that. I worry about social cohesion." Ley said she wants to understand where feelings of exclusion among multicultural voters came from as the Liberal Party reckons with its devastating defeat at the 2025 federal election. "We have two seats in urban Australia, in the cities," she said. "We have record-low votes with youth and with women. And historically, the scale of this defeat is unprecedented." "So I want to make that point because I accept it. I heard the message." In research by emeritus professor Peter McDonald and professor Alan Gamlen of the ANU Migration Hub, they said that migration was "being weaponised during this election campaign to elicit panic and sway voters". They outlined several reasons for the record migration levels during 2022-23, including an influx of students, backpackers and temporary workers who unable to travel during the pandemic, as well as several visa extensions under the Morrison and Albanese governments. They added that, in the recent budget, Treasury estimated the number will fall and, by 2027, migration levels in Australia could plummet to historic lows. Simon Welsh from RedBridge said: "The Liberal Party cannot form government in this country again until it figures out how to talk to young Australians and diverse Australians." And while they've been doing the rounds post-election, he's not sure he's seen anything radically promising just yet. "The only way that the Liberals and the Coalition can reach out to young people is by slaying some of their sacred cows," he said. "While the Coalition is running around talking about opposing net zero and walking away from the Paris Climate Accord, they are never going to win back large numbers of young people across this country, because climate is more than just an environmental issue." "For young people, when they look at climate, they see an economic issue. So they see economic impacts of it on cost of food, cost of living." "Until the Coalition are willing to catch up with young people on that issue. They will never win them over in large numbers, and that's just one issue." Asked why young Australians turned away from the party, Ley said she wasn't sure they "found us relevant at all". "Did we sort of send a message to them in the right way? Maybe. Maybe not. Did we have policy offerings that … resonated with them? Probably not." "Did they look at us and see reflected back the agenda that they wanted? Probably not. So, yeah, I think it was a fail on many levels." Sussan Ley's historic elevation as the first woman to lead the Liberals comes at a moment of reckoning for the party, particularly regarding the issue of women voters abandoning it, Ley said. The disconnect with female voters became especially clear to Ley at polling booths during the final weeks of the campaign. "Often there was a queue, so you had a chance to talk to people in that queue. And it was quite interesting. A lot of the couples, the man was taking the Liberal Party, 'How to vote' card, but the woman was sort of just basically ignoring us," she said. After a while, she said she asked them for their honest feedback. "If you ask someone for their honest feedback, particularly a woman, usually you get it. That's a good thing," she said. "And, you know, they would say, well, yeah, 'No, we're not really, you know, we're not interested in the Liberal Party.'" The Liberal Party has long been plagued by what's often referred to as a 'women problem' — a label given for the ongoing criticism about the number of female MPs (fewer than their male counterparts) and broader concerns over how the party treats women. Prominent figures from within its own ranks, including former deputy leader Julie Bishop and former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull, have publicly called out the culture of misogyny they say exists within the party. "There have been times in that building where women have not been treated well. Women have not been treated appropriately. And women have been let down," she said. Ley said she had, at times, felt dismissed by male colleagues. "I don't say that it was something that was egregious or crossed a line," she said. "It was simply perhaps that feeling that you weren't being taken seriously in a room full of men or that feeling that, if you said something, nobody really paid attention. But then when a man said it, suddenly everybody listened." However, Ley maintained the party's culture had improved and that "misogyny" went far beyond the party to extend more broadly to parliament and other workplaces she'd been in. While her leadership is a historic first for the party and there is some "novelty" in being the first, she hoped the focus would soon shift. "I know I'm the first female leader. I don't sort of think of myself like that, other than to know that it sends a positive signal to women," she said. "I don't mind, in one sense, if the novelty wears off and people would just get on with the job."
