Australia and New Zealand Are Getting It Right About Media (And the Rest of the World Should Pay Attention)"

I'm writing this from Sydney for the Lunar New Year break. 

I've been watching this part of the world do something the rest of us should be paying attention to: they're actually regulating Big Tech and thinking strategically about media.

Australia Banned Social Media For Kids Under 16.  Not guidelines. Not parental controls. An actual ban with A$50 million fines for platforms that don't comply.

While the rest of the world wrings its hands about youth mental health and social media harm, Australia looked at the evidence - the eSafety Commissioner's data, the mental health crisis, the reality that "parental controls" don't work when platforms are engineered for addiction - and said enough.

This isn't technophobia. They're not anti-digital. They're just willing to say that some things matter more than platform growth.

The debate everywhere else is "should we?" Australia's debate is "how do we enforce this effectively?" That's leadership.

The News Media Bargaining Code Changed The Game.  In 2021, Australia forced Google and Meta to negotiate with publishers or face arbitration. The platforms pay Australian news outlets now. Canada followed. Other markets are watching.

This wasn't about saving legacy media for nostalgia's sake. It was about recognizing that journalism has value, platforms were monetizing that value without paying for it, and market dynamics alone weren't going to fix that.

The rest of the world is still debating whether platforms should pay for news content. Australia made it happen three years ago and moved on.

That's decisive policy.

And Then There's Kiwibank in New Zealand that hired a new media agency on a pitch that committed to investing more into the local New Zealand media ecosystem.

The pitch was "supporting local media delivers better brand outcomes while keeping dollars in the economy that employs New Zealanders and pays New Zealand taxes."

And a bank went for it - not exactly a category known for romantic decision-making - saw competitive advantage in backing local media infrastructure.

If New Zealand brands can think this strategically about where their media dollars go, why can't everyone else?

The Pattern

Australia regulates platforms when evidence demands it. New Zealand brands treat local media support as competitive strategy, not charity. Both markets maintain strong offline media infrastructure while the rest of the world assumes it's dying.

Maybe it's the distance from Silicon Valley. Maybe it's cultural willingness to act instead of just debate.  

Whatever it is, the rest of the world should be watching.

Happy Chinese New Year from Australia. Where they're getting some big things right.