If Western Australians are looking to their state news to understand the world around them, they are more than likely to get just one perspective. Kerry Stokes’ Seven West Media controls Perth’s metropolitan newspapers The West Australian and The Sunday Times, as well as a regional and a suburban newspaper group, and Australia’s highest-rated commercial TV news bulletin Seven News. The monopoly has been labelled “dangerous for democracy”.
INQ looks at Stokes’ power, the influence of the West in a one-newspaper town, and how new editor Anthony de Ceglie is shaking up the established masthead to bring it more in line with east coast tabloids.
Billionaire Kerry Stokes' power over The West Australian and media dominance of WA has allowed him to set the agenda for the state.
Even in an era of digital and social media, the power of The West Australian has only strengthened under the direction of Kerry Stokes.
In order to stay afloat, The West Australian is looking to east-coast tabloids for editorial inspiration.