Paper Emperors The rise of Australia's newspaper empires

Before newspapers were ravaged by the digital age, they were a powerful force. This magisterial book reveals who owned Australia’s newspapers and how they used them to wield political power. A corporate and political history of Australian newspapers spanning 140 years, it explains how Australia’s media system came to be dominated by a handful of empires and powerful family dynasties. The book begins in 1803 with Australia’s first newspaper owner—a convict who became a wealthy bank owner. Throughout the 20th century, Australians were unaware that they were reading newspapers owned by failed land boomers, powerful mining magnates, gangsters, bankers, and corporate titans.

Sally Young is Professor of Political Science at the U. of Melbourne. Sally is a regular media commentator and wrote a monthly column for the Age between 2013-15.