THE WEST AUSTRALIAN

'''The West Australian''' (often simply called ''The West'') is Perth's only locally edited daily newspaper, and is owned by ASX-listed West Australian Newspapers Holdings Ltd.
It is the second-oldest continuously produced newspaper in Australia, it has been published since 1833. It currently has a weekday circulation of 200,000, and a weekend circulation of 370,000 with its Saturday edition.^[1]
As is traditional with Western Australian newspapers, ''The West'' is published in tabloid format, like the state's other major newspaper, ''The Sunday Times'' the News Limited statewide production.

Contents

Content

History

Notable former journalists

West Australian Newspapers Holdings Ltd

2007 Controversy

See also

References

Further reading

Content

Contemporary columnists of ''The West Australian'' include Paul Murray (previously an Editor of the newspaper) and Danny Katz (a Melbourne-based columnist for The Age newspaper whose column is also bought by The West).
The newspaper has a balance of international, national and local news prior to the changes brought about by television, the Internet and free community based newspapers.
The paper also publishes ''The West Magazine'' which is inserted in the Saturday edition of The West Australian. The regular Weekend section current regular page two columnist is Jon Doust.

History

''The West Australian'' traces its origins to '''The Perth Gazette and Western Australian Journal''', the first edition of which appeared on 5 January 1833. Owned and edited by Perth postmaster Charles Macfaull, it was originally a four page weekly.^[2] It was at first published on Saturdays, but changed to Fridays in 1864. Eventually renamed '''The Perth Gazette''' and published by Arthur Shenton, it ran until 26 June 1874, when it was bought out by a syndicate who renamed it '''The Western Australian Times''' and increased production to two editions a week. On 18 November 1879, the paper was relaunched as ''The West Australian''. In October 1883, production was increased to three a week, and two years later it became a daily. The proprietors of the West Australian at the time also started up the Western Mail in 1885. Initially, delivery of the paper beyond settled areas was a major problem, but the growth and development of the rural railway system in the early 1900s facilitated a wider circulation.

Notable former journalists

★ Piers Akerman ★ Brian Burke ★ Sir Paul Hasluck ★ Catherine Ellen Martin

★ Athol Thomas ★ David Williams (journalist) ★ Dame Mary Durack, column as 'Virgilia'.

West Australian Newspapers Holdings Ltd

The holding company was listed on the Australian Stock Exchange () in January, 1992 with the largest current single shareholder being Seven Network Limited with 17.3% equity. As well as the newspaper as its major asset, the company holds a number of other strategic and important media outlets.

★ The free-ad A4 format and web-based classified advertising paper, ''The Quokka''.^[3]

★ 22 regional newspapers and magazines across the State, and three commercial printing plants.

★ A regional radio network covering the northern half of the State including Broome, Karratha, Port Hedland and Geraldton.

★ 50% interest in the Hoyts Cinemas Group which operates 55 cinemas in Australia and New Zealand with Publishing and Broadcasting Limited.^[4] It also owns Hoyts Film Distribution and Val Morgan Cinema Advertising.

2007 Controversy

In May 2007, the state Attorney-General Jim McGinty described the newspaper as "the nation's most inaccurate and dishonest newspaper". He went on to attack the editor, Paul Armstrong, saying that "The board of West Australian Newspapers needs to sack the editor. It is personally driven by a particular individual". Armstrong responded by saying he "could not give a fat rat's arse" about what Mr McGinty said about him.
^[5]
The exchange was prompted by a caption below a photograph in the 24 January 2007 edition of the paper showing a female patient, incorrectly described as elderly and lying across three seats in a casualty waiting room at one of Perth's public hospitals which McGinty saw as portraying an incorrect impression of the health system.
Canvassing by the Australian media industry for the removal of restrictions on free speech in the national 'Right to Know' campaign is currently underway and state legislation supporting the national legislative changes is seen as essential in making the new federal laws workable. Some of the comments made by McGinty and the Premier, Alan Carpenter alluded to a threat of withholding the required state legislation unless the newspaper addressed the Government's complaints.^[6]

See also

★ List of newspapers in Australia

References

1. Fairfax March2006 circulation release
2. ''The West Australian'', 17 November 1979, p.39
3. "The Quokka": about us
4. [http://imagesignal.comsec.com.au/asxdata/20041214/pdf/00486158.pdf West Australian Newspapers Holdings and Publishing and Broadcasting each agree to buy 50% interest in Hoyts Cinemas
5. Fire editor or 'no shield'
6. Paul Armstrong: the wild West Australian under attack

Further reading

★ The Years of News from The West Australian and Perth Daily News, Haig, Ross (ed), , , St George Books, 1984, ISBN 0-86778-016-9

★ (1933) ''West Australian - history of the newspaper, printing techniques and building'' (Photographs first used in The West Australian on 10 May 1910) West Australian, 5 January 1933, Centenary issue, p.3,8e,21d