Issues and Challenges in the Sphere of Media and Entertainment in Australia, New Zealand, and the USA

Media in Australia, New Zealand, and the USA is facing a convergence of challenges: digital disruption, declining trust, economic instability, and political pressure.

Each country’s media landscape reflects unique local dynamics, but the underlying issues are strikingly similar.

Australia: Digital Disruption & Trust Crisis

• Generative AI & Job Losses: AI is reshaping journalism, with 88% of journalists concerned about its impact on quality and integrity. Job losses linked to AI adoption rose by 33% in one year.
• Declining Trust & Misinformation: Over 75% of Australians worry about online misinformation. Social media’s algorithmic news feeds risk narrowing exposure to diverse perspectives.
• Revenue Decline & Audience Fragmentation: Traditional broadcasters are losing viewers to streaming platforms. Shows like The Project were cancelled due to poor ratings, forcing outlets to explore subscriptions and partnerships.
• Regulatory Pressure: the News Media Bargaining Code mandates tech platforms to share revenue with local news providers, adding complexity to digital operations.

New Zealand: Financial Strain & Structural Reform

• Economic Vulnerability & Layoffs: Media companies face layoffs, closures, and reduced profits. The end of the Public Interest Journalism Fund has left a fiscal cliff.
• Trust Decline & Misinformation: Trust in media continues to fall, with misinformation spreading across social platforms. Local outlets struggle to maintain credibility.
• Regulatory Reform & Funding Shakeups: Proposed mergers (e.g., NZ On Air and the Film Commission) aim to streamline funding, but political disagreements and piecemeal legislation hinder progress.
• Audience Shift & Local Content Challenges: Audiences are moving to global platforms like Netflix, threatening local content production. A proposed levy on international streamers may help fund domestic media.

United States: Press Freedom & Political Hostility

• Press Freedom: Under Threat Assaults on journalists rose by over 50% in one year. Legal challenges, police violence, and online harassment are rampant.
• Polarization & Political Rhetoric: Hostile rhetoric — like labelling journalists “enemies of the people”—continues to undermine media credibility. The legacy of such attacks persists across administrations.
• Economic Pressures & Lawsuits: Media outlets face costly lawsuits and declining ad revenue. Local journalists lack the safety resources of national outlets, increasing vulnerability.
• Public Broadcasting Under Scrutiny: NPR and PBS face political pressure and funding challenges, while local stations struggle with hostile legislators and shrinking budgets.

Overview of Issues with the Media

Challenge	Australia	New Zealand	USA
AI Disruption	High concern, job loss	Emerging threat	Growing threat, safety risk
Trust in Media	Declining	Declining	Record-low, politically charged
Economic Sustainability	Revenue decline	Fiscal cliff, layoffs	Lawsuits, ad revenue drop
Regulatory Pressure	Bargaining Code	Messy reforms	Legal threats, PRESS Act stalled
Political Hostility	Moderate	Low	Severe, press freedom at risk
Audience Fragmentation	Streaming dominance	Global platform shift	Polarized consumption

Australia

• Job Displacement & Workforce Anxiety: Generative AI is automating content creation, leading to job losses and heightened insecurity among journalists. A recent survey found 88% of Australian journalists are concerned about AI’s impact on journalism integrity, with a 33% rise in job losses linked to AI adoption.
• Public Distrust & Misinformation: Australia ranks high globally for concerns about online misinformation—75.1% of adults express worry. AI-driven content moderation and recommendation systems often lack transparency, exacerbating this issue.
• Union Pushback & Reputation Risks: While 71% of media coverage on AI is positive, social media sentiment is largely negative. Unions have become vocal critics, with mentions of union commentary around AI surging 265% between May and June 2025.
• Regulatory Pressure: The government is cracking down on platforms that fail to curb misinformation, with fines up to 5% of global revenue. The News Media Bargaining Code also forces tech giants to share revenue with local news outlets.

New Zealand

While specific reports on New Zealand are less frequent, similar trends are emerging:

• Content Authenticity & Editorial Standards: New Zealand media faces challenges in maintaining journalistic standards as AI-generated content becomes more prevalent. Concerns mirror those in Australia regarding misinformation and editorial integrity.
• Limited Infrastructure for AI Oversight: There’s a growing need for national research infrastructure — like Australia’s proposed “social cyber range” — to test and analyse AI’s impact on digital platforms.
• Smaller Market Vulnerability: New Zealand’s smaller media market makes it more susceptible to monopolistic practices by global tech platforms, especially in AI-driven ad targeting and content distribution.

United States

• Misinformation & Deepfakes: The U.S. media grapples with AI-generated misinformation and deepfakes, especially during election cycles. The scale and sophistication of these threats are unmatched globally.
• Algorithmic Bias & Editorial Control: AI-driven recommendation engines often reinforce echo chambers and bias, raising ethical concerns about editorial independence and democratic discourse.
• Economic Disruption: Traditional media outlets face declining ad revenues as AI enables hyper-targeted advertising on digital platforms. This shift undermines local journalism and public interest reporting.
• Regulatory Fragmentation: Unlike Australia’s centralised approach, the U.S. lacks cohesive federal regulation on AI in media, leading to inconsistent standards and enforcement.

Shared Challenges Across All Three Countries

• Transparency of AI Systems: Recommender systems and automated decision-making tools often operate as black boxes, making it difficult to audit or explain their influence on news distribution.
• Ethical Use of Generative AI: Balancing innovation with journalistic ethics remains a core challenge. Media outlets must ensure AI tools don’t compromise truth, accountability, or public trust.
• Need for Cross-Disciplinary Research: Experts call for collaborative research across tech, media, and policy sectors to address these emerging challenges and build resilient media ecosystems.

References

1. Report finds shifting media landscape as Australia confronts digital news challenges – Digital Media News
2. Navigating the Challenges Facing New Media in Australia – Australia Journalists Association
3. The last 14 months in New Zealand media: a chilling play-by-play – The Spinoff
4. Changes are underway for the media industry, but it’s a messy process – RNZ News
5. US press freedom under unprecedented pressure, report finds – VOA News
6. US press freedom under unprecedented pressure ahead of election, CPJ report finds – Committee to Protect Journalists
7. What is happening to the USA’s public broadcasters? – Public Media Alliance
8. New Report: Emerging technology and challenges of AI and Automated Decision-Making in News and Media – ADM+S Centre
9. AI, work and the media: Coverage positive, but social conversations negative as the voice of unions grows, Medianet report reveals. – News Hub

 

~ Bjorn and Lilian Schmid
Prayer Coordinators
Spheres of Influence
“Prayer Strategy for the Spheres of Influence”

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Prayer Strategy for the Spheres of Influence

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