In Part Two of The Briefing’s special on influencers in politics, we turn the spotlight on the media itself. 

As backlash grows over content creators stepping into the Australian political space, some say it’s less about bias—and more about blurred standards. 

Tara Cassidy is joined by Jenna Clarke, Associate Editor at The Australian, who argues there’s space for new voices in political coverage—but legacy media, regulation, and accountability still matter. So how do we strike the right balance in 2025? 

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Monday Headlines: Peter Dutton backflips on WFH promise, Liberal MP stood down after comments about women in combat, Jordanian man on Sydney-bound flight charged after allegedly trying to open plane door, US #Handsoff protest, Matildas take on South Korea again tonight and Bob Katter the star of a new beer.

Deep Dive: As we head into an election, some content creators are joining the campaign trail, partnering with politicians to engage young voters. But the lines between opinion, promotion, and political advertising are blurring. 

In part one of The Briefing’s two-part special, Tara Cassidy speaks with digital creator Hannah Ferguson, CEO of Cheek Media, who recently interviewed the PM, about the rise of online political voices in Australia and why she thinks traditional media needs to catch up. 

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Elouise Sofia Eftos, is 'Australia’s first attractive comedian', according to her Instagram bio.

She’s taking on the comedy world with her bold, beautiful and beguiling humour, whilst refusing to be self-deprecating for a laugh.

In this chat with Antoinette Lattouf, Elouise dives into the mystic world of the evil eye, where envy manifests as a curse, and reveals how she channels her inner goddess.

Find tickets to her next show here!

Weekend list with Helen Smith

• TO EAT: Women’s Weekly birthday cake
• TO DO: Post a good review of something!
• TO READ: Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn
• TO EAT: Harvest Snaps baked pea crisps

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Afternoon Headlines: Australians superfunds stolen in cyber attack and notorious gangland figure Tony Mokbel free after 18 years

Deep Dive: Season 3 of The White Lotus has taken the world by storm, including here in Australia, with everyone asking who gets murdered and why? 

The stars of the series were in Australia earlier this week, ahead of the much-anticipated finale dropping on Monday 

In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by entertainment reporter Richard Reid who reveals his theories on what happens next and explains why Season 4 could be filmed right here in Australia.

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Friday Headlines: Albo goes for a tumble, Abbie Chatfield interviews cleared by AEC, Victorian man charged for allegedly threatening to kill politician, gay conversion therapy ban now in effect in NSW, and the Matildas take on South Korea in a friendly tonight!

Deep Dive: Public service jobs are sometimes viewed as more stable, well-paid, and offering better conditions than many private-sector roles. But are there too many of them? 

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has pledged to slash 41,000 public service jobs, claiming it will save billions and redirect funds to frontline services. His plan has sparked fierce debate—are these roles essential, or is the bureaucracy bloated? 

In this episode of The Briefing, Chris Spyrou speaks with News Corp Australia's National Political Editor, Clare Armstrong, who is currently on the campaign trail with Dutton, to unpack the political and real-world impact of these proposed cuts.

Further listening from the headlines: 
Has Australia had its football moment? Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. 

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Afternoon Headlines: Trump's 'Liberation Day' announces 10% tariffs on all countries 

Deep Dive: The fallout continues from Donald Trump’s new tariffs, with China threatening to retaliate against the “bullying” move. 

The US President announced the widespread tariffs on a number of countries including Australia during his ‘Liberation day’ speech.  

In this episode of The Briefing Natarsha Belling speaks with UNSW Professor of Economics Richard Holden on what this new international trade war means for the Australian economy and our long-term security alliances with the most powerful countries in the world. 

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Thursday Headlines: Prime Minister and Abbie Chatfield's social media post being investigated by the AEC, Trump will hand down sweeping "Liberation Day" tariffs today, prosecutors to appeal NSW taser cop's sentence, Victoria passes new anti-vilification laws, QLD police powers expanded, Myanmar’s military declares a ceasefire to ease earthquake relief, and the Sydney train door that just wouldn't shut.

Deep Dive: Peter Dutton’s war on wokeism is front and centre this week, with the Coalition claiming it's brainwashing young Australians—and even making them dumber.  
 
But what does ‘woke’ actually mean, and why is it celebrated by some yet condemned by others? 

In this episode of The Briefing, Chris Spyrou speaks with Dr. Bella d'Abrera from the Institute of Public Affairs and linguist Dr. Karen Stollznow from Griffith University to unpack the word and find out if it’s dividing the nation.

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Afternoon Headlines: Thousands of residents across outback Queensland evacuated and Val Kilmer star of Top Gun and Batman dead at 65. 

Deep dive: Thousands of people have been evacuated and more than 100,000 livestock are dead, as the worst flooding in 50 years hits outback Queensland. 

The disaster has devastated farming communities and is expected to disrupt meat supplies across the country and force up prices.  

In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by general president of AgForce Shane McCarthy and senior meteorologist Miriam Bradbury to find out about the impact this breaking national disaster. 

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Wednesday Headlines: Labor to push for real wage increase, US prosecutors seek death penalty for Luigi Mangione, IVF for single women and same sex couples to be covered under Medicare, first probable Japanese Encephalitus Virus death in the QLD since an outbreak in 2022, and the majority of millennials and Gen X regret their career choice.

Deep Dive: With a federal election on the horizon, how much of what we see and hear can we actually trust?  
 
AI-generated deepfakes and manipulated content are becoming harder to detect and while some of these tools are used for entertainment, others are being harnessed to influence public opinion.  
 
So, could AI actually sway voters at the ballot box come May 3? Or is it all a distraction?  

In this episode of The Briefing, Tara Cassidy speaks with Professor Daniel Angus, Director of QUT’s Digital Media Research Centre, to unpack it all.  

Further listening from the headlines: 

• A CEO was killed in the streets of New York. Should we be celebrating? is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. 
• Lawyer X: Could a bunch of gangland criminals soon be free? is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. 
• The Wieambilla police massacre and criminal insanity is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. 
• The deadly virus back in Australia is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. 

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Afternoon Headlines: RBA holds cash rate at 4.1%, PM hits back at Trump over new trade demands and Jeffery Epstein and Prince Andrew’s top accuser in hospital after bus crash says spokesperson.

Deep Dive: The RBA has left the official cash rate on hold as the Board flags, they are concerned about growing international instability. 

In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling chats with David Koch, from Compare the Market, to break down what this latest decision means and whether there are more interest rate cuts on the way.

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Tuesday Headlines: Our house prices and rents are at record highs, Australian Border Force says its actively monitoring a Chinese warship, convicted killer Chris Dawson appeals conviction, hope for those working from home and Kamala Harris is coming to Australia!

Deep Dive: The illegal tobacco industry is growing, and despite its links to violent firebombings and illegal sales, so is the number of people turning to it for cheaper smokes and vapes. 
 
Experts say the government’s high tobacco taxes are only fueling the issue, with more people pushed into searching for cheaper alternatives, and leaving a near $7 billion hole in the federal budget. 

In this episode of The Briefing, Tara Cassidy is joined by former Australian Federal Police officer Rohan Pike, who led one of the country’s illicit tobacco task forces. 

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