Mediaweek

What happens when a journalist who’s spent decades in the newsroom goes head-to-head with a futurist who believes AI could save it? In the very first Mediaweek’s Newsmakers Debate, Joe Hildebrand and Rita Arrigo face off over one of the biggest questions in modern media: Is AI destroying journalism, or helping it evolve? It’s a fiery, funny, and surprisingly hopeful exchange about truth, trust, and the future of storytelling — and it’s one every media professional should hear.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There aren’t many journalists who can say they’ve gone from covering crime scenes to coaching CEOs - but Shelly Horton can. After three decades in the media, she’s swapped newsroom chaos for the boardroom floor, turning her sharp instincts and trademark humour into a mission: helping leaders find their voice and women find their power. In this episode of Mediaweek’s Newsmakers, Shelly talks about I’m Your Peri Godmother - her funny, fearless guide to perimenopause - and the advocacy work that’s taken her from TV studios to Parliament House. She also reveals the secret behind her “five Ps” for public speaking (spoiler: they’re not exactly HR-approved). It’s classic Shelly - smart, bold, and brilliantly unfiltered - proving that good preparation (and a solid sense of humour) can take you just about anywhere.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For Simon Cahill, the intersection of music and technology has never just been work - it’s been a lifelong obsession. From tinkering with VCRs as a kid to helping launch SXSW Sydney, he’s built a career that reflects the same passions that once kept him glued to Saturday morning music shows. In this chat, Cahill details the golden thread that seems to have woven his career together, and explains how a hobby turned into a dream career.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mitch Churi is a broadcaster who’s never been afraid to put himself out there. From squatting in a KIIS FM studio clucking like a chicken in front of Kyle and Jackie O, to winning awards and hosting national shows, Mitch has carved out one of the most colourful journeys in Australian radio. When ARN cut him loose earlier this year, he didn’t sit still. Instead, he doubled down on what he loves most: connecting with audiences. Now he’s launching The Mitch Churi Chat Show with Acast - part late-night talk show, part internet playground, and all Mitch. In this episode, we talk about the hustle, the setbacks, and the leap from traditional radio to independent creator. You can check out Mitch's new show here: https://www.youtube.com/@MitchChuriChatShow See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Clair Weaver’s path to journalism wasn’t the usual one. At 19, she was flying long-haul as a flight attendant, wondering what might come next. But she already knew the answer: journalism. She studied remotely through the UK’s National Council for the Training of Journalists and cut her teeth at a local Hertfordshire paper, before moving on to the Watford Observer and then the fast-paced newsroom of the Evening Standard. Today, Weaver heads up LiSTNR’s news, crime and documentary podcasts, overseeing original investigations that have helped make the platform Australia’s leading factual podcast network. And it’s a space audiences can’t seem to get enough of.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Majella Hay is undoubtedly one of the most powerful women in Australian television. She’s the Director of Content, Unscripted at the Seven Network, which means She’s the driving force behind shows like My Kitchen Rules, Australian Idol and Farmer Wants a Wife. But in this conversation, Majella doesn’t just talk formats and ratings.  She opens up about balance, about what it means to carry both a huge slate of TV and the everyday realities of being a mum.  From the lessons she learned chasing con men down the street in high heels, to how she reframes that all-too-familiar ‘mum guilt,’ this is a candid look at the woman shaping what millions of Australians watch every week.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Morgana O’Reilly is no stranger to playing complex, messy women. And, she’s been everywhere - from Neighbours and Wentworth to The White Lotus.  Now she’s stepping into one of her most haunting roles yet in Playing Gracie Darling. She stars as Joni, a child psychologist forced to return to the hometown where her best friend vanished during a séance, only to discover history has a way of repeating itself. Morgana talks about why she still believes in ghosts, tarot and the magic of storytelling.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nick McKenzie has exposed war crimes, brought down politicians, and forced entire institutions to face the truth. Now, Australia’s most awarded investigative journalist joins Newsmakers to talk power, pressure - and why journalism still matters.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One of America's most distinctive and daring voices, The Atlantic's Hanna Rosin, is headed to Sydney this month, and she's not coming quietly. Ahead of her appearance as keynote speaker at the 2025 Women in Media National Conference, Rosin sat down with Mediaweek for a conversation that pulls no punches: on masculinity in crisis, gender roles in reverse, journalism under pressure, and what it means to stay soft in a hardening world. Rosin, currently Senior Editor at The Atlantic and host of Radio Atlantic, has spent decades chronicling the cultural shifts that most of us only start noticing once they've reached a breaking point.  And right now, she says, we're living in one.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

To broadcaster David Koch, Pinstripe Media was always more than a business, it was a family legacy. In this episode of Newsmakers, David Koch unpacks the decision to sell the small business and personal finance content company he built with his family, and what it means to hand over the reins to the next generation. Best known as the steady hand behind the Sunrise desk for more than two decades, Kochie reflects on life beyond breakfast TV: the strange privilege of living in the public eye and the evolving nature of influence. It’s a candid, considered conversation between Mediaweek's Natasha Lee and one of Australia’s most trusted media voices.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on Mediaweek’s Newsmakers, our guest doesn’t just cover controversy, she often is the controversy. Maureen Callahan is one of the sharpest, boldest, and most unfiltered voices in modern media. Her bylines span Vanity Fair, Spin, Daily Mail (where she’s now a columnist), and New York Post, where she’s critic-at-large. Her writing? Unapologetic. Razor-sharp. And impossible to ignore. Now she’s turning up the volume with her podcast The Nerve.  In this wide-ranging conversation, Maureen opens up about the cost of honesty in journalism, the state of pop culture, the myth of objectivity, and what it means to push back when everyone else plays it safe.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After more than four decades in the radio industry and 15 years at the helm of the Australian Radio Network's (ARN) content strategy, Duncan Campbell is stepping into a new chapter, but he's not switching off the mic entirely. In the latest episode of Mediaweek's Newsmaker's podcast, ARN's outgoing Chief Content Officer speaks candidly about how he got his start, the real story behind signing Kyle & Jackie O, and how he deals with commentary from the sidelines when a major content play doesn't go to plan.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this deeply personal episode of Mediaweek’s Newsmakers, host Natasha Lee sits down with longtime friend and veteran entertainment journalist Jonathon Moran. More than just an interview, this conversation blends shared history with honest reflection, as JMo opens up about his career, his battles, and the power of vulnerability and the launch of his new book Mental As Anyone. A touching look at friendship, media, and the stories that shape us, both on and off the record.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, we sit down with someone who barely needs an introduction in media circles,  Neil Shoebridge. With more than 30 years under his belt across journalism, publishing, and corporate communications, Neil has seen (and shaped) it all. Now co-founder of SKMG, he shares sharp, no-spin insights on media strategy, brand storytelling, and what really goes on in a corporate crisis. Whether you're navigating headlines or trying to stay out of them, this one's worth a listen.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australian journalist Cheng Lei spent over three years in Chinese detention.  In this episode of Newsmakers, Lei sits down with Mediaweek's Natasha Lee for an in-depth and emotional chat about memory, motherhood, and surviving a system built to silence.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In a landscape where Nine and Seven command the lion’s share of commercial news audiences, and the advertising dollars that follow, 10 is charting a different course.  Martin White, Vice-President of Broadcast News, Paramount, sat down with Mediaweek's Newsmakers podcast, to reveal he believes it's the network's commitment to telling it straight, without editorialising, that sets them apart.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fiona Williams is the host and producer of SBS podcast Eyes on Gilead. The podcast recaps episodes of SBS acquisition title The Handmaid's Tale and has built a very large following of fans from across Australia and around the world. Mediaweek's Natasha Lee and Dan Barrett caught up with Fiona to talk about the origins of the podcast, along with how it has been received by SBS viewers.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In a media landscape shaped by the infinite scroll, where attention is a currency and every frame competes with cat videos and breaking news, TIME Magazine's D.W. Pine is in the thick of it. In a conversation with Mediaweek's Natasha Lee, the magazine's Creative Director explains how he's not just steering a legacy brand through the algorithmic tide, he’s helping redefine how we experience journalism.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hosted by journalist Natasha Lee, Newsmakers dives into the strategy, storytelling and spin behind Australia’s biggest headlines.  This week, advertising expert and creative director Dee Madigan, from The Campaign Edge, known for her sharp political insights and unflinching commentary on gender dynamics, has pulled back the curtain on a trio of challenges facing women in media, advertising and business more broadly. https://www.mediaweek.com.au/why-dee-madigan-says-working-from-home-could-set-women-back/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From the headlines to the bylines, Newsmakers brings you conversations with the people shaping Australia’s media landscape. Each week, Mediaweek's Natasha Lee talks to the people who are driving the stories in the news.   This week, radio announcer Kymba Cahill addresses why she disappeared from the radio so suddenly and how it feels to return.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.