1. Chapter three Crowded past, changing future

2. Introduction – the aims of this lecture are to help you understand: Newspaper history, and the roles of prominent families Concentration of media ownership in Australia Issues of ownership and editorial independence Media freedom Current and future developments

3. History of news in Australia News recorded on handwritten sheets circulated from person to person First newspaper published March 5, 1803, The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser Subject to censorship and published by the government Suspended after four years

4. Origins of the press 1456 the first European printing press Developed by Johann Gutenberg in Germany Newspapers did not appear until 100 years later 1639 printing press in the US, not allowed to print the Bible until 1782 1702 first daily newspaper in the UK

5. Printing and power Those who control news control truth? Conflict between newspapers and officialdom Jailing, punishment and persecution The fight for press freedom The American Declaration of Independence, First Amendment

6. Press freedom in the US James Franklin offended the government and defended the freedom of the press by refusing to be intimidated Benjamin Franklin pioneered editorial impartiality The First Amendment protects the rights of free speech, free assembly, freedom of religion and press freedom

7. Benjamin Franklin Realised that news and business could go hand-in-hand Content affected popularity Popularity attracted paid advertising Improved editorial content A signatory on the Declaration of Independence 1776

8. An Australian perspective No ‘Bill of Rights’/freedom of press/freedom of speech Eureka uprising Media regulation and government control – jailing journalists Harsh defamation laws still in force today

9. Newspapers come and go High attrition rate in the early days By 1886 Australia had 48 daily papers The gold rush prompted expansion of regional newspapers 16 metropolitan papers closed between 1987 and 1992 Growth in new publications in the suburbs

10. Early newspaper content 19 th century Australian front pages filled with advertisements 1910 The Sydney Sun first daily paper with news on front page The Monitor 1833, horror, sadism and human interest, 1840 sex Sensational content to attract the masses

11. Family newspapers Four families have dominated Australian press ownership Fairfax, Symes, Packer, Murdoch PBL (Packer) now controls ACP magazines and Channel 9, other media interests but no newspaper interests News Corp/News Ltd (Murdoch) global media empire – newspapers in Australia

12. Concentration of media ownership in Australia Trend – fewer newspapers, fewer owners Newspaper ownership dominated by News Ltd News Ltd controls about 2/3 of the metropolitan market, 75 per cent of the Sunday market and 49 per cent of suburban market Fairfax is the biggest competitor

13. Concentration of media ownership in Australia National media inquiry 1991 Outcome - greater competition needed, but insufficient evidence of biased reporting/lack of diversity Each News Ltd editor independent? Rules prohibit same companies owning newspapers, radio and TV in one region Changes in ownership laws proposed

14. Ownership and influence Media moguls and political influence Australia has a history of owner intervention in the news product (Print Inquiry) Can diverse ownership prevent abuse of the system? Newspapers push profits not viewpoints?

15. Newspapers and new technology Many news organisations publish in other jurisdictions via the World Wide Web Does this make media ownership less of an issue? Does new technology signal the demise of printed newspapers? Decline in advertising revenue New generations, new expectations

16. Newspapers and new technology Chinese Government has Internet restrictions, firewalls, etc Blogs (web-logs) as a threat to strict governmental controls in information sharing Internet censorship impossible? Technological revolution Journalists need to be multi-skilled