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The Sunday Times(Western Australia)

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The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times
TypeSunday newspaper
FormatTabloid
Owner(s)Seven West Media
Founder(s)Frederick Vosperand Edward Ellis
EditorChristopher Dore
Founded19 December 1897;126 years ago(1897-12-19)
Headquarters50 Hasler Road,
Osborne Park, Western Australia
CityPerth,Western Australia
CountryAustralia
Circulation418,000 (as of 2023)
Sister newspapersThe West Australian
ISSN1442-9527
OCLCnumber427972890
Websitewww.perthnow.com.au

The Sunday Timesis atabloidSunday newspaper published bySeven West Media,inPerthand distributed throughoutWestern Australia.Founded asThe West Australian Sunday Times,it was renamedThe Sunday Timesfrom 30 March 1902.[1]

Owned since 1955 byNews Limited,the newspaper and its websitePerthNow,were sold to Seven West Media in 2016.[2][3]

History[edit]

Established byFrederick Vosperand Edward Ellis in 1897,[4][5]The Sunday Timesbecame a vehicle for Vosper's harassment ofCharles Yelverton O'Connorand theFremantle Harbourworks,[6]theGoldfields Water Supply Scheme,[7]and Perth's deep sewerage project,[8]from 1898 until O'Connor's death by suicide in 1902. A subsequent government inquiry found no justification for Vosper's campaign against O'Connor.

The paper was purchased from Vosper's estate byJames MacCallum Smithand Arthur Reid in 1901. In 1912, MacCallum Smith became sole proprietor and managing director, remaining in that role until 1935, as well as being a member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly for 20 years.Alfred Thomas Chandlersucceeded John Webb as editor around 1920, and was an effective promoter of MacCallum Smith'ssecessionistviews.

In 1935, a syndicate led byJack Simonsand includingVictor Courtneyand mining entrepreneurClaude de Bernalespurchased Western Press Limited, the publisher of the paper, for £55,000. Simons was chairman and managing director until his death in 1949 when Courtney took control.[9]In 1955 Courtney sold Western Press toNews Limited.

The 2016 sale to Seven West Media was not opposed by theAustralian Competition & Consumer Commissionand included certain co-operative arrangements, including sharing of news content between SWM andNews Corp,which would also handle Sunday Times and PerthNow advertising sales in Australia's eastern states.[10]The two companies were already partners in Western Australia'sCommunity Newspaper Group.[3]Under the sale agreement, printing and distribution of those 17 local papers and West Australian circulation ofThe Australianis done by SWN'sWest Australian Newspapers.

Format and circulation[edit]

To counter decreasing demand for newspapers and competition from radio, television and internet news,The Sunday Timeshas made adaptations in style and presentation. Its statewide circulation and extensive advertising content make it probably the most profitable newspaper in Australia.

As at May 2023, it had a circulation of 418,000.[11]

In June 2006,The Sunday TimeslaunchedPerthNow,an online presentation of local news from News Limited.[12]As of March 2016,third-partyweb analyticsproviderAlexa,ranked Perthnow.com.au as the 233rd most visited website in Australia,[13]whileSimilarWebrated the site as the 32nd most visited news website in Australia.[14]

Editors[edit]

Recent editors have been Don Smith from 1987, Brian Crisp from 1999, Brett McCarthy from 2001, Sam Weir from June 2007, Christopher Dore from April 2012 and Rod Savage from June 2013.[15][16]Michael Beach was the editor from November 2016 until April 2020.[3][17]As of April 30, 2024, the editor of The Sunday Times is the Editor-in-Chief ofThe West AustralianChristopher Dore.[18]

Competition-free status[edit]

Western Australia's diminutive population has not enjoyed a competitive Sunday newspaper sinceThe Independentwas bought out by News Limited in 1984 and wound up in May 1986.

Before 1990,Perthhad competitive Saturday newspapers (Weekend NewsandWestern Mail(1980–1988)), as well as weekday morning and afternoon dailies (The West AustralianandDaily Newsrespectively). A small-circulation state edition ofThe Australianis printed atThe Sunday Times,targeting an elite readership group in a way which does not seriously impinge on the more demotic audience ofThe West Australian.

A joint venture between the two companies produced many suburban papers under the Community Newspapers banner until Seven West Media bought the remaining stake in 2019.[19]The Community masthead was retired in 2020.[20]Independents that arenotproduced by Seven West Media includeEcho Newspapers,Examiner Newspapers,Herald Newspapers(withPerth Voice), andPost Newspapers.[21]

2008 leak controversy[edit]

On 30 April 2008, members of thepolice fraud squadconducted a raid on the offices ofThe Sunday Times—an unusual event for Australian mainstream media—following a state government complaint that confidential cabinet information had been leaked to the paper.[22][23]Anupper-houseselect committee inquiry[24]subsequently found that no direction had been given to police by any minister, parliamentarian or staffer; and that "the police over-reacted in what should have been a routine search".[25]The committee's findings included criticism of the Western Australian Department of Premier and Cabinet and theCorruption and Crime Commission.It also recommended "that the Attorney General continue to pursue the introduction of shield laws for journalists".[26]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^"The Sunday Times".Perth, WA. 30 March 1902. p. 1.Retrieved8 November2020.
  2. ^"Sunday Times sale to The West Australian owner Seven West Media receives ACCC approval".ABC News.Australian Broadcasting Corporation.16 September 2016.Retrieved3 February2019.
  3. ^abcSWM finalises purchase of The Sunday Times".The West Australian,8 November 2016, page 3
  4. ^Ellis, Edward (19 December 1897)."Editorial".Sunday Times - A Journal for the People.Perth, WA. p. 1.Retrieved7 November2020.
  5. ^Byers, Karen (1993)."A paper for the people?: The Sunday Times 1897-1905".Research Online.Joondalup, WA: Edith Cowan University. p. 11.Retrieved7 November2020.
  6. ^"From Day to Day".West Australian Sunday Times.Perth, WA. 17 April 1898. p. 2.Retrieved8 November2020.
  7. ^"From Day to Day".West Australian Sunday Times.Perth, WA. 26 June 1898. p. 3.Retrieved7 November2020.
  8. ^"Deep Drainage for Perth".West Australian Sunday Times.Perth, WA. 17 December 1899. p. 4.Retrieved8 November2020.
  9. ^G. C. Bolton."Courtney, Victor Desmond (1894–1970)".Australian Dictionary of Biography.Retrieved14 October2008.
  10. ^Seven West Media Limited - proposed acquisition of The Sunday Times publication and website from News LimitedAustralian Competition & Consumer Commission14 September 2016
  11. ^Roy Morgan figures show The Sunday Times increased its readership by 52,000 readers in the past yearThe West Australian4 June 2023
  12. ^PerthNow website
  13. ^"perthnow.com.au Site Overview".Alexa.Retrieved2 August2015.
  14. ^"Perthnow.com.au Analytics".SimilarWeb.Retrieved18 March2016.
  15. ^Dore to edit Courier-Mail as Fagan departsThe Australian12 June 2013
  16. ^Editorial contactsatSunday Times
  17. ^SWM makes The Sunday Times editor role redundant in response to COVID-19 impactsMumbrella8 April 2020
  18. ^Seven promotes controversial editor accused of lewd, drunken behaviour[1]The Age
  19. ^"Seven West tightens grip on WA media landscape after Community Newspapers deal".ABC News.27 May 2019.Retrieved11 October2023.
  20. ^"Bold new direction for suburban newspapers".PerthNow.25 June 2021.Retrieved11 October2023.
  21. ^Perth Suburban NewspapersOfficial combined website
  22. ^ABC NewsWA Police raid Sunday Times newspaper office30 April 2008
  23. ^AAPreportMPs to investigate raid on WA newspaperSydney Morning Herald8 May 2008
  24. ^WA Legislative CouncilSelect Committee into the Police Raid on the Sunday Times7 August 2008
  25. ^ABC NewsRaid on The Sunday Times an 'over-reaction'9 April 2009
  26. ^Report of Select Committee into the Police Raid on The Sunday Times9 April 2009, atParliament of Western Australia.Accessed 29 November 2013

Further reading[edit]

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