Who Actually Owns
The News?
A simple guide to the massive corporations deciding what you read, watch, and hear in Australia.
Quick Fact
Australia has one of the most concentrated media landscapes in the democratic world. Just a few giants control almost everything.
1. The Commercial Giants
These are private companies. Their main goal is to make a profit for their owners and shareholders by selling advertising and subscriptions.
News Corp Australia
For-ProfitOwner: The Murdoch Family (via US Parent Co.)
The biggest player in Australian print and digital news. They control nearly two-thirds of metropolitan newspaper circulation in the country. They also hold massive global power with outlets in the US and UK.
Nine Entertainment Co.
For-ProfitOwner: Publicly Traded (ASX) / Investors
A massive multimedia corporation. By combining a major TV network, "prestige" newspapers (formerly Fairfax), and popular talkback radio, they reach millions of Aussies daily across every single format.
Seven West & Southern Cross
For-ProfitOwner: Kerry Stokes (Major Stake) & Investors
Following a massive merger in 2026, this entity became an unmatched regional and metropolitan broadcasting giant. They dominate free-to-air TV and own huge chunks of regional radio across the country.
Paramount ANZ
For-ProfitOwner: Paramount Global (US)
Owned by a massive American entertainment conglomerate. They traditionally target a younger demographic and focus heavily on reality television, holding a smaller slice of the "hard news" pie compared to Seven and Nine.
2. The Public Broadcasters
Funded by the government (taxpayers). They do not exist to make a profit. By law, they must be editorially independent of the government and provide services to all Australians.
Australian Broadcasting Corp (ABC)
PublicOwner: The Australian Public
Consistently ranked as Australia's most trusted news source. Provides crucial emergency broadcasting during bushfires and floods. Totally ad-free and independently governed by a board.
Special Broadcasting Service (SBS)
Public (Hybrid)Owner: The Australian Public
Created to cater to Australia's multicultural society. Provides multilingual news and First Nations perspectives (NITV) that commercial networks often ignore. (Note: SBS is allowed to run a limited amount of ads).
Who Reaches Who?
This shows the percentage of Australian adults who access news from these major brands weekly. Data is sourced from the Digital News Report: Australia (Reuters Institute/University of Canberra).
Offline Reach (TV, Radio, Print)
Online Reach (Websites & Apps)
Source: Digital News Report Australia 2024/2026. Note: Percentages represent the proportion of the surveyed population that used that brand for news at least weekly.
3. The Independents
While the giants dominate, smaller independent outlets exist, usually funded by subscriptions or philanthropy, providing a counterbalance to the big players.
- The Guardian Australia Owned by a UK trust. Not-for-profit model (profits go back into journalism).
- Schwartz Media Publishes 'The Saturday Paper' and 'The Monthly'.
- The New Daily Digitally native, backed by industry superannuation funds.
Why Should You Care? 🤔
Imagine if your whole class only got their gossip from two people. Those two people would have the power to decide who is popular, who gets in trouble, and what the "truth" is.
That is media concentration. When just a few companies (like News Corp and Nine) control most of the political reporting, they have massive power to set the national agenda. They can amplify certain scandals and ignore others.
This directly influences how voters think, and ultimately, what the government does. This is why having strong, independent public broadcasters (like the ABC) and independent media is crucial for keeping a democracy healthy and balanced.