Who Owns Australian Media? | Smart Carrot Homegrown

Australia has one of the most concentrated media markets in the democratic world. A small number of companies own a large share of what Australians read, watch, and hear.

Knowing who owns the media helps you understand why certain stories are told and others aren't.

The Major Players

News Corp (Rupert Murdoch family)

Owns approximately 70% of Australian newspaper circulation (including The Australian, Daily Telegraph, Herald Sun, Courier-Mail). Also owns Sky News Australia, Foxtel, and numerous regional papers. News Corp's editorial stance generally leans centre-right to right.

Nine Entertainment

Owns Channel 9, the Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, the Australian Financial Review, radio stations, and streaming service Stan. After merging with Fairfax in 2018, Nine became a major cross-media force. Chair is former federal Treasurer Peter Costello.

Seven West Media

Owns Channel 7, The West Australian, Pacific Magazines, and 7plus streaming. Owned by Kerry Stokes.

ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Publicly funded. Operates TV, radio, online, and international services. Legally required to be independent and balanced. Regularly accused of bias by both left and right — which may mean they're doing something right.

SBS (Special Broadcasting Service)

Publicly funded multicultural broadcaster. Known for diverse perspectives and international news.

Why Concentration Matters

When a small number of owners control most of the media:

Diversity of viewpoint shrinks. Different mastheads may have different names but share the same owner and editorial direction.
Owners' interests affect coverage. A media company owned by a mining magnate may be less critical of the mining industry.
Political influence grows. Media owners have direct access to politicians. Former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has publicly campaigned for a Royal Commission into media diversity.

The Rudd Petition

In 2020, former PM Kevin Rudd launched a petition for a Royal Commission into media diversity, which gained over 500,000 signatures — the largest parliamentary petition in Australian history. The Senate inquiry that followed heard evidence about the impact of media concentration on democracy.

Tonight's Question

"Who owns the news sources our family uses? Does knowing the owner change how you read their stories?"

Media Ownership Map

List every news source your family uses (TV, newspaper, website, radio, social media accounts).
For each, research: who owns it?
Draw a map connecting news sources to their owners.
Count: how many different owners does your family's news come from?
Discuss: is that enough diversity? What could you add to broaden it?

Go Further

Research: The 2021 Senate Media Diversity Inquiry — read the findings.
Website: The Conversation (theconversation.com/au) — academic experts writing for the public, independent of media owners.
Question: Should there be limits on how much media one person or company can own?
Comparison: How does Australian media concentration compare to Germany, the UK, or the US?

What We Simplified

The 70% figure is debated. It depends on how you measure "circulation" vs "readership" vs "digital reach." News Corp's dominance is real but the exact percentage varies by metric.
Ownership doesn't dictate every story. Individual journalists and editors exercise significant independence within their organisations.
New media is changing the landscape. Independent outlets like Crikey, The Saturday Paper, Michael West Media, and Independent Australia offer alternatives outside the major owners.

Sources

Senate Environment and Communications References Committee (2021). "Media Diversity in Australia." Australian Parliament.
ACMA (2022). "Media Interests Snapshot." ACMA
Flew, T. (2021). Regulating Platforms. Polity Press.
Tiffen, R. (2014). Rupert Murdoch: A Reassessment. NewSouth Publishing.