StateState of of the the News News Print Print Media Media in in Australia Australia 20072007 a supplement to the 2006 Report State of the News Print Media in Australia 2007 Supplement to the 2006 report Editor: Jack R Herman Published by Australian Press Council Sydney, Australia 18 October 2007 Australian Press Council Suite10.02, 117 York St Sydney, NSW, 2000 T: 61 2 9261 1930 • F: 61 2 9267 6826 [email protected] • www.presscouncil.org,au 2 Se ting eumsan er irit ulput ad et la facipsustio et ad enisisA ustraliannulputpate Press tet, Council senismolor iril irit prat, quamet, www.presscouncil.org.au/snpma/index_snpma2007.html [email protected] p 2 StateState of of the the News News Print Print Media Media in in Australia Australia 20072007 a supplement to the 2006 Report Contents Contents ...................................................................................................................3 About the Australian Press Council .........................................................................6 1. Introduction to the 2007 Supplement ............................................................7 2. Audience ............................................................................................................10 2.1 Titles & ownership ................................................................................. 10 2.2 Readership ......................................................................................... 11 Metropolitan/national dailies Monday-Friday .................................. 12 Metropolitan/national dailies Saturdays ........................................... 12 Metropolitan/national Sundays ......................................................... 12 Readership methods being reviewed ................................................. 13 2.3 Circulation ......................................................................................... 13 Metropolitan and national newspapers .............................................. 14 Circulation of metropolitan and national dailies June 2002 - June 2007 ............................................................ 14 Metropolitan/national dailies Monday-Friday .................................. 14 Metropolitan/national dailies Saturday ............................................. 15 Metropolitan/national Sundays .......................................................... 15 Regional dailies ................................................................................. 15 Community newspapers .................................................................... 16 Circulation trends in the suburban Leader newspaper group 2001-2007 ................................................ 17 Ethnic language newspapers .............................................................. 17 Magazines .......................................................................................... 17 2.4 Websites visits ................................................................................... 17 News websites - Unique Browsers (UBs) ......................................... 18 3. Media Ownership – law and impact ............................................................19 3.1 Moves in the marketplace .................................................................. 19 4. Convergence.......................................................................................................21 4.1 On-line News 2007 ............................................................................ 21 4.2 Where are newsrooms going? - An Age perspective ......................... 23 3 Se ting eumsan er irit ulput ad et la facipsustio et ad enisisA ustraliannulputpate Press tet, Council senismolor iril irit prat, quamet, www.presscouncil.org.au/snpma/index_snpma2007.html [email protected] p 3 StateState of of the the News News Print Print Media Media in in Australia Australia 20072007 a supplement to the 2006 Report 4.3 Where are newsrooms going? - A News Limited view .................... 25 5. Contemporary issues in the Australian press .....................................................27 5.1 Blogging in Australian metropolitan dailies ...................................... 27 Blogging developmental processes ................................................... 27 Other metropolitan newspapers ......................................................... 28 Conclusion ......................................................................................... 30 5.2 Self-regulation of on-line news ......................................................... 30 5.3 Issues in press ethics .......................................................................... 32 Blogs .................................................................................................. 32 Spin/sources ....................................................................................... 33 Off the record ..................................................................................... 35 AFL drug case .................................................................................... 36 6. Content: Is election reporting biased? ................................................................38 6.1 Introduction ....................................................................................... 38 Findings ............................................................................................. 38 6.2 Content: Report on the Courier-Mail coverage of the 2006 Queensland election ................................................................. 40 Executive summary ........................................................................... 40 Newspaper vested interest in the campaign process .......................... 41 The sports analogy ............................................................................. 42 Leaders’ leading role ......................................................................... 42 The advantages of government .......................................................... 43 Real news, in-depth: not the top priority ........................................... 44 Visual and digital journalism on the rise ........................................... 44 Key statistics ...................................................................................... 45 Story type ........................................................................................... 45 Content type ....................................................................................... 45 Story mood ........................................................................................ 45 Story setting ....................................................................................... 45 Story sources...................................................................................... 45 Story placement ................................................................................. 45 4 Se ting eumsan er irit ulput ad et la facipsustio et ad enisisA ustraliannulputpate Press tet, Council senismolor iril irit prat, quamet, www.presscouncil.org.au/snpma/index_snpma2007.html [email protected] p 4 StateState of of the the News News Print Print Media Media in in Australia Australia 20072007 a supplement to the 2006 Report Story scale, visuals ............................................................................ 45 Party ................................................................................................... 45 Tone of party coverage ...................................................................... 46 Leader ............................................................................................... 46 Leader performance ........................................................................... 46 Coverage of issues ............................................................................. 46 Queensland election 9 September 2006............................................. 46 6.3 Report on The Age coverage of the 2006 Victorian election ............. 49 Introduction ....................................................................................... 49 The issues .......................................................................................... 49 The minor contenders ........................................................................ 52 The Campaign ................................................................................... 53 The result ........................................................................................... 57 Summary ............................................................................................ 58 7. Press Freedom 2007 ....................................................................................59 Anti-terrorism and related legislation ................................................ 59 Court action to inhibit the free flow of information .......................... 61 Access to government information ................................................... 61 Defamation ....................................................................................... 62 Privacy .............................................................................................. 64 The impact of ownership and control on access to information and images..................................... 64 Conclusion ......................................................................................... 65 8. Notes, bibliography etc ......................................................................................66