Description
The Australian and its Saturday edition, the Weekend Australian, is a broadsheet newspaper published by News Corp Australia since 14 July 1964. As the only Australian daily newspaper distributed nationally, its readership as of September 2019 of both print and online editions was 2,394,000. Its editorial line has been described over time as centre-right to right wing. It is owned by News Corp Australia.
History
The first edition of The Australian was published by Rupert Murdoch on 15 July 1964, becoming the third national newspaper in Australia following shipping newspaper Daily Commercial News (1891) and Australian Financial Review (1951). Unlike other original Murdoch newspapers, it is not a tabloid publication. At the time, a national paper was considered commercially unfeasible, as newspapers mostly relied on local advertising for their revenue. The Australian was printed in Canberra, then plates flown to other cities for copying. From its inception the paper struggled for financial viability and ran at a loss for several decades.
A Sunday edition, The Sunday Australian, was established in 1971. However, it was discontinued in 1972 because there was insufficient press capacity to print it as well as The Sunday Telegraph and the Sunday Mirror.
The Australian's first editor was Maxwell Newton, before leaving the newspaper within a year, and was succeeded by Walter Kommer, and then by Adrian Deamer. Under his editorship The Australian encouraged female journalists, and was the first mainstream daily newspaper to hire an Aboriginal reporter, John Newfong.
During the 1975 election, campaigning against the Whitlam government by its owner led to the newspaper's journalists striking over editorial direction.
Editor-in-chief Chris Mitchell was appointed in 2002 and retired on 11 December 2015; he was replaced by Paul Whittaker formerly the editor-in-chief of Sydney's Daily Telegraph.
In May 2010, the newspaper launched the first Australian newspaper iPad app.
In October 2011, The Australian announced that it was planning to become the first general newspaper in Australia to introduce a paywall, with the introduction of a $2.95 per week charge for readers to view premium content on its website, mobile phone and tablet applications. The paywall was officially launched on 24 October, with a free 3-month trial.
In September 2017, The Australian launched a Chinese website.
In October 2018, it was announced that Chris Dore, former editor of The Daily Telegraph, ‘'The Courier-Mail'’ and ‘'The Sunday Times'’ would be taking over as editor-in-chief.
