APN Australian Regional Media
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Media |
| Predecessor | News Limited |
| Founded | 1923 |
| Founder | James Edward Davidson |
| Headquarters | Sydney , Australia |
Area served | Australia |
Key people | Peter Tonagh (CEO), Michael Miller (Executive Chairman) |
| Products | Newspaper and magazine publishing, online services, market research, DVD and film distribution, film and television production |
| Owner | News Corp |
News Corp Australia operates as a major Australian media conglomerate and functions as a fully owned subsidiary of News Corp.
Its portfolio spans newspaper and magazine publishing, online services, market research, DVD and film distribution, alongside film and television production. The holding entity is News Pty Ltd (previously known as News Limited).
Prior to the establishment of News Corporation in 1979, News Limited acted as the primary holding company for Rupert Murdoch’s ventures. Since then, it has been entirely owned by News Corporation. In 2004, News Corporation re-registered in the United States, ceasing its listing on the Australian Securities Exchange on 3 November 2004 and commencing trading on the New York Stock Exchange on 8 November. On 28 June 2013, News Corporation divided into two separate entities: Murdoch’s newspaper holdings became News Corp, which then assumed control of News Limited. Following the listing of the new News Corp on 1 July 2013, the group adopted the name News Corp Australia.
Origins
Founded in 1923 by James Edward Davidson, News Limited was initially financed by the Collins Group mining interests to publish anti-union material. Davidson expanded by acquiring regional newspapers such as the Barrier Miner in Broken Hill and the Recorder in Port Pirie, later purchasing Adelaide’s weekly Mail and establishing The News, a daily Adelaide publication.
Murdoch Era
In 1949, Sir Keith Murdoch obtained a minority shareholding. Upon his passing in 1952, his son Rupert Murdoch inherited The News, considered the cornerstone of News Limited. Rupert Murdoch swiftly expanded by purchasing daily and suburban newspapers across Australian cities, including Sydney’s The Daily Mirror, along with Festival Records. The acquisition of the Mirror allowed Murdoch to compete directly with dominant Sydney newspaper groups Fairfax Media and Consolidated Press (owned by Sir Frank Packer).
In 1964, News Limited introduced The Australian, Australia’s inaugural national daily newspaper, initially headquartered in Canberra before moving to Sydney. As a broadsheet targeting an elite audience, it significantly boosted News Limited’s stature and political reach.
That year also marked the company’s first international investment with a 29.57% purchase in Wellington Publishing Company, which later became part of New Zealand’s leading publisher Independent Newspapers Limited (INL). This stake varied over time, peaking at just above 49% in 1997 until INL was acquired by Fairfax Media in 2003.
During the following decade, Murdoch established a profitable foundation by acquiring struggling newspapers and revitalizing them through assertive management and editorial policies, facilitating expansion into London and New York markets by the 1970s.
In the mid-1990s, to bolster subscriptions for its pay-TV services, News Ltd engineered a new rugby league competition that precipitated the Super League war.
On 12 July 2006, News Limited launched News Digital Media to manage its digital assets including news.com.au; marketplaces like carsguide.com.au, truelocal.com.au, careerone.com.au; a partial stake in realestate.com.au; foxsports.com.au; and Australian versions of Fox Interactive Media platforms such as Myspace and IGN. CEO John Hartigan appointed Richard Freudenstein to head this division.
In February 2018, News Corp Australia collaborated with Taboola to introduce a unified native advertising platform across desktop, mobile, web, and app channels within its digital ecosystem.
Corporate restructuring
In 2000, John Hartigan succeeded Lachlan Murdoch as CEO and assumed the additional role of chairman in 2005. Throughout his leadership, he managed several high-profile disputes, notably the Eatock v Bolt legal case where journalist Andrew Bolt was found to have violated the Racial Discrimination Act, as well as an unfair dismissal lawsuit filed by former Herald Sun editor Bruce Guthrie. Hartigan departed from News Ltd on 30 November 2011, after which owner Rupert Murdoch took over as chairman and appointed former Foxtel executive Kim Williams as CEO.
On 28 June 2013, News Corporation underwent a division into two separate publicly listed companies concentrating on publishing and broadcasting/media respectively. The entity formerly known as News Limited was rebranded as News Corp Australia and integrated into the publishing arm, News Corp. Robert Thomson, editor of the Wall Street Journal, replaced Murdoch in the CEO position while Murdoch retained his roles as chairman and principal shareholder of both firms.
Julian Clarke was named CEO of News Corp Australia on 9 August 2013, succeeding Kim Williams. Later, on 9 June 2015, Peter Tonagh took over from Clarke as CEO, with Michael Miller stepping in as Executive Chairman; both officially commenced their responsibilities on 16 November 2015.
United Kingdom
Murdoch significantly expanded his influence in the UK media landscape by acquiring the News of the World and The Sun newspapers in 1969. This was followed by the 1981 purchase of The Times and The Sunday Times from the Thomson family. These strategic acquisitions bolstered his reputation as a savvy business leader. The acquisition of The Times met with opposition from traditionalists wary of changes to its editorial stance, which contributed to the establishment of The Independent in 1986 as a high-quality alternative publication.
United States
Murdoch entered the American market in 1973 with his acquisition of the San Antonio News. He subsequently launched the supermarket tabloid National Star and acquired the New York Post in 1976. Additional U.S. media assets were added through News Corporation's expansion efforts.
Australia
In 1987, News Limited broadened its newspaper holdings by purchasing The Herald and Weekly Times, which published two Melbourne-based papers later merged into the Herald Sun in 1990. The company also gained controlling interests in Brisbane's Queensland Newspapers (publisher of The Courier-Mail), Adelaide's Advertiser Newspapers (publisher of The Advertiser), and Hobart's Davies Brothers (publisher of The Mercury).
In 1991, News Limited sold its magazine division, Southdown Press, under the name Pacific Magazines and Printing, divesting former Advertiser titles rebranded as Murdoch Magazines to Matt Handbury. The company re-entered the magazine sector in 2000 through News Magazines, later enhancing its portfolio in 2006 by acquiring Independent Print Media Group's FPC Magazines, which included titles such as Delicious, Super Food Ideas, and Vogue Australia.
A subsidiary of News Corp Australia, Nationwide News, was central to the notable 1992 High Court decision in Nationwide News Pty Ltd v Wills. In 2018, it was ordered by the Federal Court to compensate actor Geoffrey Rush following a front-page story in The Daily Telegraph that alleged inappropriate behavior during the Sydney Theatre Company's 2015 staging of King Lear.
Influence in Australia
Murdoch's efforts to establish a commanding presence in Australian cross-media ownership commenced in 1961 with the purchase of the ailing Australian record company, Festival Records, which rapidly evolved into a prominent local label. He also acquired a television station in Wollongong, New South Wales, with ambitions to penetrate the Sydney TV market; however, Australia's cross-media ownership regulations restricted owning both a major newspaper and a TV station within the same city. Murdoch has consistently advocated for amendments to these regulations, which were modified in 2006 and further eased in 2017, enabling increased media consolidation.
By 2001, News Corp Australia dominated nearly three-quarters of daily metropolitan newspaper circulation, exerting considerable influence. Internal documents disclosed deliberate campaigns to support political parties during federal elections, including an offer close to A$500,000 to back the Australian Labor Party across its highest-selling newspapers during the 2001 election and targeting marginal electorates in 2004. These initiatives underscore News Corp’s active role in shaping political discourse.
Through The Australian newspaper, Murdoch influenced political figures such as John McEwen and Gough Whitlam. The 2011 Finkelstein Review reported that News Corp owned 23% of Australian newspaper titles; by 2021, it controlled seven out of twelve national or capital city daily print newspapers (58%), with no print competitors in Adelaide, Brisbane, Darwin, and Hobart. Nonetheless, print readership declined drastically by 2020 as television and online platforms overtook newspapers. By early 2021, News Corp had scaled back its print holdings to fewer than twenty newspapers while managing approximately eighty-five digital titles.
In 2016, News Corp held a 65% share of national and capital city daily print newspapers. Its news portal, news.com.au, was ranked second only to ABC News in visitor traffic, although individual newspaper websites lagged behind several digital-only outlets. By December 2020, News Corp’s digital audience was surpassed by Nine Entertainment’s reach. The company operates a single television news channel—Sky News Australia—which has limited traditional TV viewership but strong engagement on social media; by 2021 its YouTube subscriber count exceeded those of Channels 7 and 9 as well as ABC News.
News Corp’s digital assets in Australia as of 2018 included news.com.au, Business Spectator, Eureka Report, Kidspot.com.au, taste.com.au, and homelife.com.au. It maintained a majority stake in Foxtel (a subscription TV provider owning Fox Sports Australia) and held shares in REA Group (realestate.com.au) and the Brisbane Broncos NRL team. The company previously owned part of carsguide.com.au until divesting it in 2016.
A parliamentary petition launched by former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd called for a Royal Commission into the diversity and integrity of print media, primarily targeting News Corp; it amassed over 500,000 signatures by November 2020.
Prior to 2010, News Corp Australia demonstrated more political adaptability; however, under Lachlan Murdoch’s increasing leadership influence, the company’s editorial position has become more rigid. As of 2024, The Australian has supported the Liberal Party in each of the last five federal elections, while none of the four metropolitan daily newspapers have endorsed Labor since at least 2010.
Unethical conduct
In the wake of the News International phone hacking scandal in the United Kingdom, News Limited launched a comprehensive review in July 2011, examining all payments made during the preceding three years. To ensure impartiality, two retired judges from the Victorian Supreme Court, Frank Vincent AO QC and Bernard Teague AO, were appointed as independent evaluators to supervise the investigation and assess its outcomes. The combined editorial and financial audit concluded in November 2011, determining there was no proof of phone hacking or illicit payments to government officials. Vincent and Teague reported that no widespread issues related to improper payments were uncovered throughout the process.
Nonetheless, in 2012, News Corp’s Australian branch encountered accusations linked to its subsidiary, News Datacom Systems (NDS), which was alleged to have employed hackers to disrupt pay television rivals internationally, including within Australia. Some of these targeted companies, such as Austar, were eventually absorbed by News Corp, whereas others like Ondigital ceased operations. Initially created to protect News Corp’s pay TV interests, NDS was implicated through leaked emails from European executive Ray Adams that revealed distribution of decryption keys to competing set-top box providers and attempts to obtain phone records of competitors. The Australian Federal Police worked in conjunction with UK law enforcement agencies to probe these hacking allegations.
Holdings
As of November 2023, News Corp Australia manages a portfolio of 170 newspaper and magazine titles, comprising:
National
- The Australian accompanied by the weekly insert The Deal and the monthly publication (wish)
- The Weekend Australian which includes the insert The Weekend Australian Magazine
Metropolitan
- The Daily Telegraph
- The Sunday Telegraph, featuring the insert sundaymagazine
- The Sportsman
- Herald Sun
- Sunday Herald Sun, with the insert sundaymagazine
- The Courier-Mail, including the weekly supplement QWeekend
- The Advertiser, which carries the monthly insert the Adelaide* magazine
Community
- Sydney
- NewsLocal (previously Cumberland-Courier Community Newspapers)
- Melbourne
- Brisbane
- Adelaide
- Messenger Newspapers (operations ended May 2020; content now integrated into The Advertiser website)
Regional
- New South Wales
- South Australia
- Messenger Newspapers (ceased publication May 2020; content migrated to The Advertiser online)
- Tasmania
- Victoria
- Queensland
- Regional publications including:
- Townsville Bulletin
- Titles such as Tablelander, Innisfail Advocate, and Burdekin Advocate
- The Cairns Post, featuring the insert Tablelands Advertiser
- Numerous local newspapers like The Daily Mercury, and Central Queensland News, among others serving extensive Queensland areas
This extensive collection establishes News Corp Australia as a leading force across national, metropolitan, community, and regional news sectors, utilizing a wide array of print and digital platforms to reach varied readerships.
Magazines
- GQ Australia
- Vogue Australia
- Vogue Living
- Australian Golf Digest
- Super Food Ideas
- Delicious
- Big League
- Taste.com.au Magazine
Websites
- News.com.au delivers news articles and multimedia content from a team of approximately 51 journalists.
- The Punch, a platform for opinions and news launched in 2009, was integrated into news.com.au in 2013.
- Business Spectator, a dedicated business news website.
- Punters.com.au, an Australian site providing horse racing news and form guides.
- Racenet.com.au, the foremost Australian website for horse racing updates, tips, and form guides.
- KidSpot, a parenting resource site acquired for $45 million.
- Realestate.com.au, a platform specializing in property sales, rentals, and purchases.
- Code, a digital sports news outlet.
Gambling
- Betr (holding 33% ownership)
Sport
- Brisbane Broncos (holding 69% ownership)
Television
News Awards
Each year, News Corp organizes the News Awards to honor outstanding achievements in journalism. The most prestigious accolade is the Sir Keith Murdoch Award for Excellence in Journalism.
See also
External links
- News Corp Australia
- News Corporation subsidiaries
- Mass media companies of Australia
- Holding companies of Australia
- Companies based in Adelaide
- Holding companies established in 1923
- Publishing companies established in 1923
- Australian companies established in 1923
- Australian subsidiaries of foreign companies
- ARN Media