A short history of the Australian media

This chapter presents a short history of the Australian media from 1803, when the country’s first newspaper was established. The preliminary section sketches the emergence of newspapers and magazines and the early book publishing and film industries. The next section, from the end of World War I, focuses on the development and expansion of print media dynasties led by the Fairfax, Murdoch, and Packer families. The chapter then outlines the origins of Australian radio and television broadcasting, including the Australian Broadcasting Commission (now Corporation), and the increasing Americanisation of the film industry. The final section on ‘cultural optimism’ covers the development of a more liberal public affairs journalism, the expansion of local book publishing and Australian television drama, and a resurgence in Australian film. Having considered the competing demands of local and foreign media interests, the chapter concludes in the early 1990s with the rise of social and digital media.