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Time to fix Australia's broken media

Time to fix Australia's
broken media

Australia's media accountability system is no longer fit for purpose.

The Australian Press Council is meant to hold publishers to account. But it is funded by the same companies it regulates, its rulings are weak, and participation is voluntary.

Australia also has one of the most concentrated media markets in the world. A handful of powerful companies shape what gets covered, what gets ignored, and whose interests are protected.

If we want a free press that actually serves the public, we need a truly independent media standards authority that can act quickly, enforce real remedies, and restore trust.


Australia has one of the most concentrated media markets in the world, while the body meant to regulate it is funded by the publishers it oversees.

Here's the deal

Why the current system is failing.

01
The regulator is funded by the regulated
The Australian Press Council depends financially on the very publishers it is supposed to police, especially dominant media companies. That is not real independence.
02
Membership is optional and rulings are weak
Major publishers can stay out entirely or ignore findings. A standards body without compulsory participation and enforceable outcomes has no real authority.
03
Complaints move slowly while harm moves fast
The current process is too slow, too legalistic and too difficult for ordinary people. By the time a ruling lands, the damage is often already done.
04
Media concentration weakens diversity
When a small number of proprietors dominate the market, diversity of voice suffers. That affects what stories are told and whose interests shape public debate.
05
Current rules were not built for modern news
News now spreads across print, digital platforms, streaming and social channels. The current fragmented framework is not designed for the way Australians actually consume news.
06
Trust keeps falling without accountability
Australians deserve clear standards for fairness, accuracy and corrections. Without meaningful oversight, trust in journalism keeps eroding.
What's actually at stake

The difference real media accountability makes.

⚠
Without reform
  • Complaints are slow, weak and easy for publishers to bury
  • Media companies help fund the body meant to regulate them
  • People harmed by inaccurate reporting struggle to get real remedies
  • Concentrated ownership keeps shaping public debate unchecked
  • Trust in journalism continues to decline
✓
With reform
  • A genuinely independent authority sets and upholds standards
  • Complaints are handled quickly and transparently
  • Prominent corrections and rights of reply can be required
  • Publishers cannot ignore or quietly bury rulings
  • Public trust can begin to be rebuilt
What we're calling for

Five reforms for a media system that serves the public

01

A new independent journalism standards authority

Replace the Australian Press Council and relevant fragmented functions with a single body covering print, broadcast and online news.

02

Fast complaints and real remedies

Resolve complaints in weeks, not months, with powers to require corrections, apologies and rights of reply where harm has occurred.

03

Mandatory participation

All significant news publishers should be part of the standards system and bound by its rulings, regardless of platform.

04

Public investment in journalism

Support regional reporting, local news and independent public-interest journalism so communities are not left with fewer and fewer voices.

05

Stronger protections for press freedom

Media accountability should sit alongside stronger protections for investigative journalism, whistleblowers and the public's right to know.

Open letter
Open letter to the Prime Minister

Reform the Press Council

Dear Prime Minister,

A free press is essential to democracy. It holds power to account, keeps Australians informed, and strengthens public life. But trust in Australian media has eroded, and the systems meant to uphold standards are no longer fit for purpose.

Australia has one of the most concentrated media markets in the world. Four companies dominate newspaper circulation, and the body meant to regulate press standards relies heavily on the publishers it oversees.

That means the current framework is fragmented, slow, voluntary and weak. It cannot provide fast, meaningful remedies when inaccurate or harmful reporting causes damage.

We call on the Government to establish a truly independent journalism standards authority that would:
  • Set clear, nationally recognised journalistic standards
  • Investigate complaints quickly and transparently
  • Require prominent corrections when errors occur
  • Provide meaningful rights of reply when people are harmed
  • Publish rulings that cannot be ignored or buried

This authority must be independent of both government and media proprietors. It must not censor journalism, but it must provide real accountability and help restore public confidence.

Yours sincerely,

Brittany Higgins - Advocate for gendered violence survivors
Rosie Batty AO - 2015 Australian of the Year
Saxon Mullins - Consent law reform advocate
Nina Funnell - Journalist and advocate
Hannah Ferguson - CEO Cheek Media
Shane Drumgold SC - Former ACT Director of Public Prosecutions
Sherele Moody - Founder, RED HEART Campaign
Georgie Purcell - Victorian MP, Animal Justice Party
Ed Coper - Author and digital democracy researcher
Jon Dee - 2010 Australian of the Year (NSW)
Benjamin Law - Author and journalist
Harrison James - Survivor and Advocate
Bob Brown - Former leader of the Australian Greens
Matthew Ricketson + Andrew Dodd (Academics)
Sarah Hanson-Young - Greens Senator

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Who controls the press

A handful of companies dominate the landscape

News Corp Australia
Roughly 59% of print market share. Includes titles such as the Herald Sun, The Australian, Daily Telegraph and Courier-Mail.
Nine Entertainment
Roughly 25% of print market share. Includes the Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, AFR and broader television and radio assets.
Seven West / other major players
Smaller but still significant holdings, including major metro and regional assets such as The West Australian.
Independent and smaller outlets
Guardian Australia, Crikey, regional outlets and emerging publishers make up a much smaller share of the market despite their importance to diversity and public debate.

The press deserves scrutiny.
So do the rules that govern it.

Sign the petition in support, back the campaign, and help build a modern media standards authority that works for the public, not powerful media proprietors.

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ADD YOUR NAME

To Prime Minister Anthony Albanese,

Australia's media accountability system is broken. We call on you to establish a new, independent News Media Standards Authority; invest in public interest journalism through a tech tax on social media giants; protect whistleblowers and journalists' sources; and take action to reduce dangerous media concentration.


42,821 signatures

We need 2,179 more

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