Deep Dive — Investigation 004
Media Ownership: Who Controls What Australians See and Hear
Australia has one of the most concentrated media markets in the developed world. News Corp, Nine Entertainment, and Seven West Media dominate what Australians read, watch, and hear. Parliament has debated this for decades — then made it worse.
The Concentration Problem
Australia's media market is among the most concentrated in any liberal democracy. Three companies control the vast majority of what Australians see, read, and hear. When media ownership concentrates, democratic accountability suffers.
~70%
of metro newspaper circulation controlled by News Corp
ACCC Digital Platforms Inquiry, 2019
3
companies dominate Australian commercial TV, print, and online news
News Corp, Nine Entertainment, Seven West Media
0
major media ownership reforms passed since 2017 relaxation
Parliamentary record, 2017-2025
In most comparable democracies — the UK, Canada, Germany — cross-media ownership rules prevent a single company from dominating multiple media platforms in the same market. Australia had those rules too, until Parliament abolished them in 2017. The result: the Nine-Fairfax merger, further consolidation of regional media, and the closure of dozens of local newsrooms.
25 Years of Parliamentary Debate
71,081 speeches mentioning media across 25 years of Hansard. The spikes in 2006 and 2011 correspond to the Howard-era media reform push and the Finkelstein inquiry respectively. After the 2017 ownership rules were relaxed, debate continued but the legislative window had already closed.
Source: Hansard (parlinfo.aph.gov.au), 1998–2022
Key Moments
Four decades of media ownership battles. Every attempt to increase diversity has been defeated or watered down. The one law that passed went the other way — reducing restrictions.
Cross-Media Ownership Rules Established
The Hawke government introduces cross-media ownership rules preventing one entity from owning a newspaper, TV and radio station in the same market. Kerry Packer: 'You only get one Alan Bond in your lifetime.'
Rules establishedHoward Pushes Media Reform
The Howard government introduces the Broadcasting Services Amendment bill to relax cross-media ownership rules. 3,573 media-related speeches that year -- the highest in our dataset.
Blocked in SenateFinkelstein Inquiry
Independent inquiry into media regulation recommends a government-funded News Media Council to set journalistic standards. 3,496 speeches. News Corp campaigns aggressively against it.
Recommendations rejectedConroy's Media Reform Package
Communications Minister Stephen Conroy introduces media reform bills including a Public Interest Media Advocate. Described as 'an attack on press freedom' by News Corp mastheads. Withdrawn within days.
Withdrawn under pressureMedia Reform Act Passes
The Turnbull government abolishes the two-out-of-three rule and the 75% audience reach rule. Nine-Fairfax merger follows. The most significant consolidation of Australian media ownership in a generation.
Ownership rules relaxedNews Media Bargaining Code
Australia forces Google and Facebook to pay for news content. Hailed as world-first legislation but critics note it primarily benefits the largest media companies -- News Corp and Nine -- not smaller outlets.
Passed (benefits incumbents)The News Corp Question
No discussion of Australian media ownership is complete without addressing the Murdoch empire. News Corp's dominance of the Australian print landscape is unmatched in any comparable democracy.
70%
of Australian metro newspaper circulation controlled by News Corp
ACCC Digital Platforms Inquiry, 2019
23
of the 30 largest circulation newspapers owned by one company
Media ownership database, ACMA
$280K
in direct donations from News Corp to the BCA alone
AEC annual returns
The influence extends beyond print. Through Sky News Australia (via Foxtel), News Corp operates Australia's most-watched 24-hour news channel. Sky News content reaches millions more through YouTube and regional free-to-air deals. The Murdoch family's influence over Australian politics has been a bipartisan concern for decades — yet no government has acted to limit it.
Former PM Kevin Rudd launched a petition for a Royal Commission into media diversity that gathered over 500,000 signatures — the most successful parliamentary petition in Australian history. A Senate inquiry followed but produced no binding recommendations.
How They Actually Vote on Media Diversity
Voting record scores from TheyVoteForYou.org.au on media ownership diversity policy. The gap between Greens/Labor and the Coalition is stark: 100% vs 2%. The Liberal Party — with 154 MPs scored — voted for media diversity just 2% of the time.
Source: TheyVoteForYou.org.au, Policy 68 — Media ownership diversity. Scores based on parliamentary division voting records.
Follow the Dollar
Media companies donate to all sides of politics. The declared amounts are modest compared to mining or gambling — but the real currency of media influence is editorial power, not cash. Still, the money tells its own story.
Source: AEC annual returns. Amounts are declared donations only.
$1.3M
Total media industry donations received
$1.2M
Total media industry donations received
$0.1M
Total media industry donations received
Foxtel / Fox Corp
$2.8M87 donations over 2003-2024
Nine Entertainment
$1.3M156 donations over 1998-2024
Seven West Media
$0.9M124 donations over 2002-2024
News Corp Australia
$0.4M48 donations over 2005-2024
Sky News Australia
$0.2M22 donations over 2015-2024
Note:Media companies wield influence far beyond direct donations. Editorial endorsements, front-page campaigns, and the threat of hostile coverage are worth more than any cheque. As one political staffer put it: “You don't need to donate when you own the front page.”
Who Speaks About Media Reform vs Who Blocks It
Some MPs champion media diversity in speeches then vote to relax ownership rules. Others fight for reform and pay the political price. The disconnect between rhetoric and action is the clearest sign of media power over politics.
Malcolm Turnbull
“These reforms are about ensuring a vibrant, competitive media sector for the 21st century.”
Record: As PM, passed the 2017 Media Reform Act that abolished cross-media ownership rules. The Nine-Fairfax merger followed within a year, further concentrating ownership.
Stephen Conroy
“We need a strong, effective system of media regulation that protects the public interest.”
Record: Introduced the Public Interest Media Advocate in 2013. Faced a coordinated News Corp campaign and withdrew the bills within days of introduction.
Scott Morrison
“The government is committed to supporting a strong and diverse Australian media sector.”
Record: As PM, introduced the News Media Bargaining Code which primarily benefited News Corp and Nine. Did nothing to address media concentration.
Sarah Hanson-Young
“Media diversity is not just about business -- it is about democracy. When one company controls what most Australians read, that is a democratic problem.”
Record: Consistently opposed relaxation of ownership rules. Voted against the 2017 Media Reform Act. Pushed for a Senate inquiry into media diversity.
In Their Own Words
Direct quotes from the parliamentary record — sourced from Hansard. What MPs say about media ownership, regulation, and diversity.
14 March 2013
“The News Media (Self-regulation) Bill 2013 will strengthen and improve the self-regulatory arrangements for significant providers of print and online news and current affairs.”Spoke FOR media diversity
17 February 2021
“It is with some anticipation that I have been waiting to speak on this bill, the Treasury Laws Amendment (News Media and Digital Platforms Mandatory Bargaining Code) Bill 2020.”Spoke FOR media diversity
9 November 2020
“Media and a strong independent media have always been important, but, as we have seen, in 2020 they are more important than ever.”Spoke FOR media diversity
21 June 2017
“The two-out-of-three rule is what I will be talking mostly about. That is the only element of this bill that Labor has a real problem with. The two-out-of-three rule is not about regulation, it is about diversity.”Spoke FOR media diversity
9 November 2020
“As our world tries to deal with this pandemic and as one of the world's most important democracies held its presidential election, questions about how we get our information and worries about the spread of misinformation have never seemed so important.”Spoke FOR media diversity
15 February 2018
“I'm very pleased to be able to speak to the Communications Legislation Amendment (Deregulation and Other Measures) Bill 2017 and the amendments to be moved by the shadow minister for communications.”Spoke AGAINST regulation
Who Spoke Most About Media?
The top 10 MPs by volume of speeches mentioning media. Prime Ministers dominate the list — media is a topic that reaches the highest levels of government. But speaking volume does not equal reform commitment.
What Can You Do?
Media concentration is a threat to democracy. Here is how you can act.
Contact Your MP
Ask your representative where they stand on media ownership diversity and why.
Find your MP→Support Independent Media
Subscribe to independent outlets like The Guardian Australia, Crikey, The Saturday Paper, and local community papers.
Explore independent media→Check the Voting Record
See how your MP actually votes on media diversity — not just what they say.
TheyVoteForYou.org.au→Read the Hansard
Read what your MP actually said about media ownership in Parliament.
Parliamentary Hansard→Share This Investigation
Help others understand the gap between rhetoric and action on media ownership.
Copy link→This investigation uses data from Hansard (parlinfo.aph.gov.au), the Australian Electoral Commission transparency register, TheyVoteForYou.org.au (Policy 68), and the ACCC Digital Platforms Inquiry. All speech data is sourced from the official parliamentary record. OPAX is an independent, non-partisan project.