The End of an Era: Why Media Moguls No Longer Decide Australian Elections

Miko Santos

May 18, 2025

Transcript

Today is May 18 and here is your news briefing!

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The End of an Era: Why Media Moguls No Longer Decide Australian Elections 📰

Hey political junkies and news enthusiasts! Let's dive into what might be the most fascinating story of our time – the dramatic shift in how Australians actually consume their political information and make voting decisions.

Remember when a newspaper endorsement could swing an election? When Rupert Murdoch's empire could practically crown prime ministers? Well, according to fresh research from the Australia Institute, those days are officially behind us.

The Numbers Don't Lie

Here's the eye-opener: For roughly three decades, the majority of Australia's major newspapers consistently endorsed the party that eventually won federal elections. It was like a political crystal ball that rarely got it wrong.

Fast forward to today, and that pattern has completely shattered. In the most recent election, less than a third of major newspapers endorsed the Albanese government – yet Labor sailed to victory anyway.

Joshua Black, the report's co-author, put it perfectly when he told the ABC:

"The voters clearly defied the messages they were getting from the major media companies in their newspaper endorsements on election eve."

So What's Filling the Void?

This is where it gets really interesting. While traditional newspapers are struggling with declining readership, a completely different breed of content creators is capturing Australian eyeballs.

Picture this: A single TikTok from influencer Abbie Chatfield can rack up about 600,000 views – that's roughly two-thirds of what researchers estimate is the combined Monday-to-Friday readership of Nine and News Corp newspapers in Victoria. That's not just significant, it's revolutionary!

The Death of the TV Debate

Remember when leaders' debates were appointment television? When families would gather around the TV to watch politicians duke it out in prime time?

The Australian Election Study tells a sobering story: Back in 1993, about 70% of voters tuned in to at least one leaders' debate. This past election? The most-watched debate managed to capture just 12% of viewers at best.

Black's observation really hit home: "Platforms such as the ABC's Vote Compass were pretty much as significant as some leaders' debates in engaging the public."

The Influencer Democracy

What we're witnessing isn't just a decline in traditional media – it's the rise of what some are calling "influencer democracy." Political parties are now scrambling to understand how to navigate this new landscape where a podcaster's interview might carry more weight than a newspaper editorial.

And it's not just about reach – it's about trust and authenticity. Today's voters, particularly younger demographics, often find influencers and podcast hosts more relatable and genuine than traditional media personalities.

A Global Phenomenon with Local Flavor

While political fragmentation is happening worldwide, Australia's preferential voting system provides some protection against extreme polarization. As Black notes, our electoral safeguards mean "no matter which electorate you live in, you can be confident that of the final two candidates in that race, the majority of people in that electorate preferred the person who got elected."

What This Means Moving Forward

For political parties, this transformation means completely rethinking campaign strategies. Instead of courting newspaper editors and TV producers, they're now reaching out to TikTokers, podcasters, and YouTube creators.

For voters, it means being more discerning about information sources and understanding that the political conversation is no longer controlled by a handful of media companies.

The Bottom Line

We're living through a genuine democratic revolution where the power to shape political discourse has been democratized. Traditional media titans no longer hold the keys to the political kingdom – and that's probably a good thing for democracy.

The challenge now? Ensuring quality information still reaches voters in this fragmented media landscape. After all, with great power comes great responsibility – and that applies to influencers just as much as it did to newspaper barons.

What do you think about this seismic shift in Australian media? Are you getting your political news from different sources than you did five years ago? Let's keep this conversation going!

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Contact our editor via Proton Mail encrypted, X Direct Message, LinkedIn, or email. You can securely message him on Signal by using his username, Miko Santos.