The Sunday Times (Western Australia)

History

Established by Frederick Vosper and Edward Ellis in 1897, The Sunday Times became a vehicle for Vosper's harassment of Charles Yelverton O'Connor and the Fremantle Harbour works, the Goldfields Water Supply Scheme, and Perth's deep sewerage project, 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 by James MacCallum Smith and 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 Chandler succeeded John Webb as editor around 1920, and was an effective promoter of MacCallum Smith's secessionist views.

In 1935, a syndicate led by Jack Simons and including Victor Courtney and mining entrepreneur Claude de Bernales purchased 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. In 1955 Courtney sold Western Press to News Limited.

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

Format and circulation

To counter decreasing demand for newspapers and competition from radio, television and internet news, The Sunday Times has 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.

In June 2006, The Sunday Times launched PerthNow, an online presentation of local news from News Limited. , third-party web analytics provider Alexa, ranked Perthnow.com.au as the 233rd most visited website in Australia, while SimilarWeb rated the site as the 32nd most visited news website in Australia.

Editors

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. Michael Beach was the editor from November 2016 until April 2020. As of August 25, 2024, the editor of The Sunday Times is Adrian Lowe.

Competition-free status

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

Before 1990, Perth had competitive Saturday newspapers (Weekend News and Western Mail (1980–1988)), as well as weekday morning and afternoon dailies (The West Australian and Daily News respectively). A small-circulation state edition of The Australian is printed at The Sunday Times, targeting an elite readership group in a way which does not seriously impinge on the more demotic audience of The 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. The Community masthead was retired in 2020. Independents that are not produced by Seven West Media include Echo Newspapers, Examiner Newspapers, Herald Newspapers (with Perth Voice), and Post Newspapers.

2008 leak controversy

On 30 April 2008, members of the police fraud squad conducted a raid on the offices of The Sunday Times—an unusual event for Australian mainstream media—following a state government complaint that confidential cabinet information had been leaked to the paper. An upper-house select committee inquiry 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". The committee's findings included criticism of the Western Australian Department of Premier and Cabinet and the Corruption and Crime Commission. It also recommended "that the Attorney General continue to pursue the introduction of shield laws for journalists".

References

References

1. (30 March 1902). "The Sunday Times".
2. (16 September 2016). "Sunday Times sale to The West Australian owner Seven West Media receives ACCC approval". [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]].
3. (2016-11-08). "Seven West's acquisition of Sunday Times gets final nod". [[Yahoo News]].
4. (19 December 1897). "Editorial". Sunday Times – A Journal for the People.
5. (1993). "A paper for the people? : The Sunday Times 1897–1905". Edith Cowan University.
6. (17 April 1898). "From Day to Day". West Australian Sunday Times.
7. (26 June 1898). "From Day to Day". West Australian Sunday Times.
8. (17 December 1899). "Deep Drainage for Perth". West Australian Sunday Times.
9. G. C. Bolton. "Courtney, Victor Desmond (1894–1970)". Australian Dictionary of Biography.
10. [https://web.archive.org/web/20190304183913/https://www.accc.gov.au/public-registers/mergers-registers/public-informal-merger-reviews/seven-west-media-limited-proposed-acquisition-of-the-sunday-times-publication-and-website-from-news-limited Seven West Media Limited – proposed acquisition of The Sunday Times publication and website from News Limited] [[Australian Competition & Consumer Commission]] 14 September 2016
11. [https://thewest.com.au/news/wa/roy-morgan-figures-show-the-sunday-times-increased-its-readership-by-52000-readers-in-the-past-year-c-10780082 Roy Morgan figures show The Sunday Times increased its readership by 52,000 readers in the past year] ''The West Australian'' 4 June 2023
12. [http://www.perthnow.com.au/ PerthNow website]
13. "perthnow.com.au Site Overview". Alexa.
14. "Perthnow.com.au Analytics". SimilarWeb.
15. [http://www.theaustralian.com.au/media/dore-to-edit-courier-mail-as-fagan-departs/story-e6frg996-1226662619390 "Dore to edit Courier-Mail as Fagan departs"] ''[[The Australian]]'' 12 June 2013
16. [http://www.perthnow.com.au/help/contact-us Editorial contacts] at ''Sunday Times''
17. [https://mumbrella.com.au/swm-makes-the-sunday-times-editor-role-redundant-in-response-to-covid-19-impacts-624138 SWM makes The Sunday Times editor role redundant in response to COVID-19 impacts] ''[[Mumbrella]]'' 8 April 2020
18. Leadership Changes at WA News "The Sunday Times (Western Australia)" 25 August 2024
19. (2019-05-27). "Seven West tightens grip on WA media landscape after Community Newspapers deal". ABC News.
20. (2021-06-25). "Bold new direction for suburban newspapers".
21. [http://www.perthsuburbannews.com.au/home.cms Perth Suburban Newspapers] Official combined website
22. ABC News [https://archive.today/20120719123625/http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/04/30/2231968.htm WA Police raid Sunday Times newspaper office] 30 April 2008
23. [[Australian Associated Press. AAP]] report [http://news.smh.com.au/national/mps-to-investigate-raid-on-wa-newspaper-20080508-2c7g.html MPs to investigate raid on WA newspaper] ''[[Sydney Morning Herald]]'' 8 May 2008
24. WA Legislative Council [http://www.parliament.wa.gov.au/parliament/commit.nsf/%28WebInquiries%29/5D350567D13AFD1348257831003E975B Select Committee into the Police Raid on the Sunday Times] 7 August 2008
25. ABC News [https://archive.today/20120721054155/http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/04/09/2539810.htm Raid on The Sunday Times an 'over-reaction'] 9 April 2009
26. [http://www.parliament.wa.gov.au/parliament/commit.nsf/all/8F6329D4DCF8CE7048257831003E97BD Report of Select Committee into the Police Raid on The Sunday Times] 9 April 2009, at [[Parliament of Western Australia]]. Accessed 29 November 2013