Australian political media ecosystem
Per gaps analysis — structure of information flow, not just reading list.
National owners (summary)
| Owner | Outlets | General alignment |
|---|---|---|
| News Corp | The Australian, Herald Sun, Tele, CM, Advertiser | Centre-right to right |
| Nine | SMH, The Age, AFR | Centre, business-friendly |
| ABC | ABC News, RN, 7.30, Insiders | Institutional centrist |
| Seven West | The West Australian, 7News | Conservative; WA |
| Guardian AU | guardian.com/au | Centre-left |
Structural note: News Corp dominance varies by market (strong in Brisbane/Adelaide; contested in Sydney/Melbourne; weak in Perth).
Federal press gallery — starter table
| Journalist / outlet | Known access / alignment | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Phillip Coorey (AFR) | Labor right, cabinet | Cabinet dynamics |
| Simon Benson (The Australian) | Coalition, moderates | Shadow cabinet |
| Laura Tingle (ABC 7.30) | Institutional | Big-picture federal |
| Katharine Murphy (Guardian) | Labor-sympathetic | ALP policy |
| Andrew Clennell (Sky) | Liberal, NSW | NSW Lib / opposition |
| Patricia Karvelas (ABC RN) | Broad, crossbench | Senate |
Expand state editors in media/[state]-press.md during Phase 2.
Opinion / think tank proxies
| Organisation | Alignment |
|---|---|
| IPA, CIS | Right — often previews Coalition thinking |
| Australia Institute, Per Capita | Left / progressive |
Weekly routine sources
See documents/specifications/australian_politics_tracking_system.md — Tier 1 weekly review.