This year’s Helen Dancer Best Consumer Technology Journalist award has gone to Crikey’s Cam Wilson at the Samsung Australian IT Journalism Awards.  Wilson’s winning entries included: “Illegal betting website Polymarket paying TikTokers to promote election gambling”, “Revealed: Most Australian charities are profiling you without letting you know” and “How Australia's national security chief used AI to write speeches and 'personnel communications'”.  This was Wilson’s first win at the Lizzies. He’d previously been given two Highly Commended nods, one in 2025 for Graeme Philipson Best Columnist and one in 2024 for Best Short Form Content.  Winners of the Helen Dancer Best Consumer Technology Journalist in recent years include EFTM’s Trevor Long (2025), Alex Review’s Tech’s Alex Kidman (2024) and freelance journalist Alice Clarke (2023).  

ABC Radio National’s Brain Rot program has been awarded Best Short Form Content at this year’s Samsung Australian IT Journalism Awards.  Senior Producer James Bullen [Left], Presenter Ange Lavoipierre [Right] The five-part series was presented by Ange Lavoipierre and produced by Fiona Pepper and James Bullen with sound engineering from Brendan O’Neill.  The series investigated the term ‘Brain Rot’ and the influence of mobile phones and the internet on people’s lives, including how AI can affect human relationships, how taking photos can make one’s memory worse, and whether or not Internet addiction is real.  The first and fifth episodes were the winning examples from the series.  Accepting the award at this year’s Lizzies, the program’s presenter, Ange Lavoipierre, said, “First of all, I want to thank all the people who worked very hard on this series. Fiona Pepper, Petria Ladgrove, Jonathan Webb and

This is not the first time I’ve voiced this opinion. But even after prior misgivings proved that the news bargaining code is unworkable, the government is pressing ahead with the latest iteration of its dereliction of duty. Yes, all the media companies are lined up behind this idea. It’s a quick win for their businesses, which will improve their bottom lines. But the proposed 2.25 per cent levy on some of the larger tech companies does nothing to genuinely encourage or protect local journalism. Yes, Big Tech needs to contribute more. The industry cannot whine about being targeted, because it has done everything possible to limit the amount of tax it pays in local jurisdictions by funnelling as much revenue as possible into countries that minimise its tax obligations. You can't blame Big Tech for that. These companies have obligations to shareholders, and they are playing within the rules of the global economy and the piss-weak tax systems that exist

Albanese moves to slug Big Tech for news — and risks a Trump blowback The Prime Minister has unveiled a “News Bargaining Incentive” that would levy major platforms on Australian revenue unless they strike funding deals with local journalism, setting up a fresh showdown with Meta, Google and TikTok. Beyond media sustainability, the policy has geopolitical bite: it risks being framed in Washington as a digital services tax and could provoke retaliation from President Donald Trump. Covered by: The Age, Sydney Morning Herald, Australian Financial Review, Herald Sun, Courier Mail, The Advertiser, Sydney Morning Herald, The Australian, The Age. AUKUS warning lights flash as UK inquiry flags delays and funding gaps A British parliamentary inquiry has warned the AUKUS submarine program is vulnerable to UK funding shortfalls, delays and weakened political leadership — raising questions about timelines and Australia’s long-term deterrence plan. The coverage und

Image of the Day:   Tuesday, 28 April 2026 #1  ·  News  ·  In-depth feature Home Secretary reviews security situation in Manipur amid unrest By Vijaita Singh   ·   The Hindu  ·  Page 10 Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan reviewed Manipur's deteriorating security situation amid fresh killings, including two children, and new conflict zones between Kuki and Naga communities. The review flagged a security vacuum created by the withdrawal of 8,500 Central Armed Police Forces for West Bengal election deployment, and discussed the relocation of Kuki-Zo insurgent camps and possession of looted police weapons by a militant faction. Since April 7, eleven people have been killed in the state. The story draws on senior government sources to reveal specific operational details — troop numbers, social media takedowns, named officials at a video-conference review — that go well beyond a routine conflict

A golden retriever walked into NDTV’s Delhi newsroom and no one complained about the distraction. Oscar, introduced as the organisation’s first-ever “Chief Bark Officer,” spent a day among journalists more used to deadlines than dog treats. What followed was less of a gimmick and more of a quiet reset. “While he was mostly here for the head pats and the occasional treat, he accidentally gave us a masterclass in mental health,” NDTV posted on X, a line that quickly caught on, drawing over 146K views. Behind the humour was a deliberate idea. For NDTV, improving morale didn’t need another structured intervention because sometimes it just needed presence. Purva Misra, Chief People Officer, NDTV Group, framed it simply: “Sometimes, it just requires four paws and a wagging tail. We introduced Oscar as our Chief Bark Officer because we believe the best productivity tool is not a piece of software but the unconditional support and stress relief that a companion like him

In an era of shrinking attention spans and fierce competition, brand communication is undergoing a reset. Globally, loud messaging is giving way to clarity, trust, and insight‑led storytelling. While markets like the UK and Europe lean on minimalism and precision, India’s communication landscape is more complex — shaped by scale, cultural diversity, and rapid digital growth. Manoj Gupta, Global Lead – Branding & Communication, recalls a standout campaign in the automotive aftermarket space: “The mechanic is the final brand ambassador. We repositioned the brand from a product supplier to a trusted performance partner, integrating influencer advocacy (mechanics), regional storytelling, and ground‑level engagement with a strong digital amplification layer.” The initiative delivered double‑digit growth, stronger channel loyalty, and higher brand recall. Gupta notes: “Authentic storytelling combined with last‑mile influence can outperfo