Fiktiv Australia - The Age

The Age is a daily newspaper in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, that has been published since 1854. Owned and published by Nine Publishing, The Age primarily serves Victoria, but copies also sell in Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory and border regions of South Australia and southern New South Wales. It is delivered both in print and digital formats. The newspaper shares some articles with its sister newspaper The Sydney Morning Herald. The paper has variously been known for its investigative reporting, with its journalists having won dozens of Walkley Awards, Australia's most prestigious journalism prize.

The Age was founded by three Melbourne businessmen, brothers John and Henry Cooke, who had arrived from New Zealand in the 1840s, and Walter Powell. The first edition appeared on 17 October 1854.

The venture was not initially a success, and in June 1856 the Cookes sold the paper to Ebenezer Syme, a Scottish-born businessman, and James McEwan, an ironmonger and founder of McEwans & Co, for 2,000 pounds at auction. The first edition under the new owners was on 17 June 1856. From its foundation the paper was self-consciously liberal in its politics: "aiming at a wide extension of the rights of free citizenship and a full development of representative institutions", and supporting "the removal of all restrictions upon freedom of commerce, freedom of religion and—to the utmost extent that is compatible with public morality—upon freedom of personal action".

Ebenezer Syme was elected to the Victorian Legislative Assembly shortly after buying The Age, and his brother David Syme soon came to dominate the paper, editorially and managerially. When Ebenezer died in 1860, David became editor-in-chief, a position he retained until his death in 1908, although a succession of editors did the day-to-day editorial work.

In 1882, The Age published an eight-part series written by journalist and future physician George E. Morrison, who had sailed, undercover, for the New Hebrides, while posing as crew of the brigantine slave ship, Lavinia, as it made cargo of Kanakas. By October, the series was also being published in The Age's weekly companion magazine, the Leader. "A Cruise in a Queensland Slaver. By a Medical Student" was written in a tone of wonder, expressing "only the mildest criticism"; six months later, Morrison "revised his original assessment", describing details of the schooner's blackbirding operation, and sharply denouncing the slave trade in Queensland. His articles, letters to the editor, and newspaper's editorials, led to expanded government intervention.

In 1891, Syme bought out Ebenezer's heirs and McEwan's and became sole proprietor. He built up The Age into Victoria's leading newspaper. In circulation, it soon overtook its rivals The Herald and The Argus, and by 1890 it was selling 100,000 copies a day, making it one of the world's most successful newspapers.

Under Syme's control The Age exercised enormous political power in Victoria. It supported liberal politicians such as Graham Berry, George Higinbotham and George Turner, and other leading liberals such as Alfred Deakin and Charles Pearson furthered their careers as The Age journalists. Syme was originally a free trader, but converted to protectionism through his belief that Victoria needed to develop its manufacturing industries behind tariff barriers. During the 1890s The Age was a leading supporter of Australian federation and of the White Australia policy.

After David Syme's death, the paper remained in the hands of his three sons, with his eldest son Herbert becoming general manager until his death in 1939.

David Syme's will prevented the sale of any equity in the paper during his sons' lifetimes, an arrangement designed to protect family control, but which had the unintended consequence of starving the paper of investment capital for 40 years.

Under the management of Sir Geoffrey Syme (1908–42), and his editors, Gottlieb Schuler and Harold Campbell, The Age was unable to modernise, and gradually lost market share to The Argus and the tabloid The Sun News-Pictorial, with only its classified advertisement sections keeping the paper profitable. By the 1940s, the paper's circulation was lower than it had been in 1900, and its political influence had also declined. Although it remained more liberal than the extremely conservative Argus, it lost much of its distinct political identity.

The historian Sybil Nolan writes: "Accounts of The Age in these years generally suggest that the paper was second-rate, outdated in both its outlook and appearance. Walker described a newspaper which had fallen asleep in the embrace of the Liberal Party; "querulous", "doddery" and "turgid" are some of the epithets applied by other journalists. It is inevitably criticised not only for its increasing conservatism, but for its failure to keep pace with innovations in layout and editorial technique so dramatically demonstrated in papers like The Sun News-Pictorial and The Herald."

In 1942, David Syme's last surviving son, Oswald, took over the paper, and began to modernise the paper's appearance and standards of news coverage, removing classified advertisements from the front page and introducing photographs long after other papers had done so.

In 1948, after realising the paper needed outside capital, Oswald persuaded the courts to overturn his father's will and floated David Syme and Co. as a public company, selling 400,000 pounds' worth of shares. This sale enabled a badly needed technical upgrade of the newspaper's antiquated production machinery, and defeated a takeover attempt by the Fairfax family, publishers of The Sydney Morning Herald.

This new lease on life allowed The Age to recover commercially, and in 1957 it received a great boost when The Argus, after twenty years of financial losses, ceased publication.

Oswald Syme retired in 1964 and his grandson Ranald Macdonald was appointed managing director at the age of 26 and Two years later he appointed Graham Perkin as editor. in order to ensure that the 36-year-old Perkin was free of board influence, Macdonald took on the role of editor-in-chief, a position he held until 1970. Together they radically changed the paper's format and shifted its editorial line from rather conservative liberalism to a new "left liberalism" characterised by attention to issues such as race, gender, the disabled and the environment, as well as opposition to White Australia and the death penalty.

It also became more supportive of the Australian Labor Party after years of having usually supported the Coalition. The Liberal Premier of Victoria, Henry Bolte, subsequently called The Age "that pinko rag" in a view conservatives have maintained ever since. Former editor Michael Gawenda in his book American Notebook wrote that the "default position of most journalists at The Age was on the political Left". In 1966, the Syme family shareholders joined with Fairfax to create a 50/50 voting partnership which guaranteed editorial independence and forestalled takeover moves from newspaper proprietors in Australia and overseas. This lasted for 17 years, until Fairfax bought controlling interest in 1972.

Perkin's editorship coincided with Gough Whitlam's reforms of the Labor Party, and The Age became a key supporter of the Whitlam government, which came to power in 1972. Contrary to subsequent mythology, however, The Age was not an uncritical supporter of Whitlam, and played a leading role in exposing the Loans Affair, one of the scandals which contributed to the demise of the Whitlam government. It was one of many papers to call for Whitlam's resignation on 15 October 1975. Its editorial that day, "Go now, go decently", began, "We will say it straight, and clear, and at once. The Whitlam Government has run its course." It would be Perkin's last editorial; he died the next day.

After Perkin's death, The Age returned to a more moderate liberal position. While it criticised Whitlam's dismissal later that year, it supported Malcolm Fraser's Liberal government in its early years. However, after 1980 it became increasingly critical and was a leading supporter of Bob Hawke's reforming government after 1983. But from the 1970s, the political influence of The Age, as with other broadsheet newspapers, derived less from what it said in its editorial columns (which relatively few people read) than from the opinions expressed by journalists, cartoonists, feature writers and guest columnists. The Age has always kept a stable of leading editorial cartoonists, notably Les Tanner, Bruce Petty, Ron Tandberg and Michael Leunig.

In 1983, Fairfax bought out the remaining shares in David Syme and Co., which became a subsidiary of John Fairfax and Co. Macdonald was criticised by some members of the Syme family (who nevertheless accepted Fairfax's generous offer for their shares), but he argued that The Age was a natural partner for Fairfax's flagship property, The Sydney Morning Herald. He believed the greater resources of the Fairfax group would enable The Age to remain competitive. By the mid-1960s a new competitor had appeared in Rupert Murdoch's national daily The Australian, which was first published on 15 July 1964. In 1999 David Syme and Co. became The Age Company Ltd, finally ending the Syme connection.

The Age was published from offices in Collins Street until 1969, when it moved to 250 Spencer Street (hence the nickname "The Spencer Street Soviet" favoured by some critics). In 2003, The Age opened a new printing centre at Tullamarine. The Headquarters moved again in 2009 to Collins Street opposite Southern Cross station. Since acquisition by Nine, the headquarters was moved to 717 Bourke St, Docklands, Melbourne, Victoria, which is also tenanted by Nine.

In 2004, editor Michael Gawenda was succeeded as editor by British journalist Andrew Jaspan, who was in turn replaced by Andrew Holden in 2012.

The Age has been known for its tradition of investigative reporting. In 1984, the newspaper reported what became known as "The Age Tapes" affair, which revealed recordings made by police of alleged corrupt dealings between organised crime figures, politicians and public officials and which sparked the Stewart Royal Commission. The paper's extensive reporting on malpractice in Australia's banking sector led to a Royal Commission being announced by the Turnbull Government into the financial services industry, and with The Age's journalist Adele Ferguson awarded the Gold Walkley. A series of stories in The Age between 2009 and 2015 about alleged corruption involving subsidiaries of Australia's central bank, the Reserve Bank, led to Australia's first ever prosecutions of companies and businessman for foreign bribery. In 2017, the paper's deputy editor Michael Bachelard was awarded the Gold Walkley for The Age's reports on the liberation of Mosul after the defeat of Islamic State. The Age's reporting of the Unaoil international bribery scandal led to investigations by anti-corruption agencies in the UK, US, across Europe and Australia and several businessmen pleading guilty for paying bribes in nine countries over 17 years.

In February 2007, The Age's editorial section argued that Australian citizen David Hicks should be released as a prisoner from Guantanamo Bay, stating that Mr Hicks was no hero and "probably downright deluded and dangerous" but the case for releasing him was just given he was being held without charge or trial.

In 2009, The Age suspended its columnist Michael Backman after one of his columns condemned Israeli tourists as greedy and badly behaved, prompting criticism that he was anti-semitic. A Press Council complaint against The Age for its handling of the complaints against Backman was dismissed.

In 2014 The Age put a photograph of an innocent man, Abu Bakar Alam, on the front page, mistakenly identifying him as the perpetrator of the 2014 Endeavour Hills stabbings. As part of the settlement the newspaper donated $20,000 towards building a mosque in nearby Doveton.

As of 2012, three editions of The Age are printed nightly: the NAA edition, for interstate and country Victorian readers, the MEA edition, for metropolitan areas and a final late metropolitan edition.

Like its Fairfax stablemate The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age announced in early 2007 that it would be moving from a broadsheet format to the smaller Berliner size, in the footsteps of The Guardian and The Courier-Mail.

In December 2016, editor-in-chief Mark Forbes was stood down from his position pending the result of a sexual harassment investigation and was replaced by Alex Lavelle, who served for four years as chief editor.

In September 2020, it was announced that The Age's former Washington correspondent Gay Alcorn would be appointed editor of The Age, the first woman to hold the position in the paper's history.

Daily Sections:
EGN
Early general news, the first section of the paper, contains local, national and world news. EGN also provides a reader forum within its opinion pages through letters to the editor.

A3
A3 is a smart, fresh and pacy 24-page colour lift-out, which appears in The Age from Monday to Friday. Intelligently written and visually engaging, A3 provides readers with enhanced entertainment and lifestyle coverage. Every day A3 includes articles and reviews on fashion, cafes, exhibitions, travel and fitness, as well as having daily cinema and theatre listings. A bold design and easy to read, A3 caters for reader interests in a diverse range of areas. Along with our stable of magazines, A3 is part of The Age’s commitment to meeting reader needs and increasing value.

Business
The Age’s daily business section is one of the country’s most respected sources of business and economic news. Each day, business contains a comprehensive coverage of national and international business news, with expert commentary to explain the background and context of stories. The majority of Victoria’s business professionals and managers turn to The Age for comprehensive business news and information. Focus pages are Victorian small business on Monday, media on Tuesday and property on Wednesday.

Sport
The consistent quality of sports coverage and analysis in The Age inspires a unique brand of loyalty among readers. Every day, The Age delivers the most comprehensive coverage of the latest sporting triumphs, tragedies, twists and turns. We are giving readers what they want – more sport, more results, more insights, more detailed statistical breakdowns – presented in an informative and entertaining way, in a style that acknowledges their passion.

Weekly Sections:
Education (Monday)
The Age has long been recognised as a valuable educational resource by parents, teachers, students and the public. We are proud of our commitment to education with our weekly education section and our in-house resources dedicated to supplying schools with educational material. Education focuses on topical educational issues as well as schooling and training options. It contains advice for students and parents and opportunities for reader contribution.

Epicure (Tuesday)
Victorians with a taste for good food and wine devour Epicure. Devoted to Victoria’s vibrant food and wine scene, Epicure is the place people turn for advice on new places to eat, the best wines to buy and great new recipes to try. It is also the place the industry goes for the latest news on local and global trends in food and wine, such is its credibility and authority. Epicure is Victoria’s longest-running weekly food and wine guide, having first appeared as a weekly column in 1976 and as a dedicated section in 1986.

Next (Tuesday)
Information Technology professionals and enthusiasts, as well as the general-interest reader, turn to The Age’s IT liftout for the latest information technology news, issues, products and personalities. Next contains news grabs, in-depth articles, interviews with industry personalities, product reviews and pictures of the latest gadgets. Additionally, Next features recruitment information and advertising for the professional IT industry, along with a computer services and training directory and a question-and-answer column.

Domain (Wednesday)
Domain is an attractive, full-colour tabloid liftout incorporating property, new-home design, homewares, architecture, interior design and renovations. Each week, a specialist team explores the latest in home trends, gardening, renovation case histories and suburb profiles, and chats with celebrities about their homes. The Age’s regular Wednesday property listings and property profiles are also incorporated into Domain.

Money (Wednesday)
Money offers hundreds of thousands of Victorians pertinent and insightful information on money and investment management. A team of expert commentators examines the latest in personal investment, superannuation, the sharemarket, financial planning, banking and taxation in a highly readable style in tabloid format.

Drive (Thursday)
Drive looks at new and used cars, test drives, motoring news and issues, personalities and their cars as well as finance and insurance. Written in a lively, highly readable style, accompanied by attractive photography, Drive provides a high-profile vehicle with which to attract new business.

Green Guide (Thursday)
Green Guide is a phenomenon. No other Australian newspaper has a feature section that boosts circulation and readership like Green Guide. Thousands of Victorians rely on Green Guide for its reviews of upcoming television programs, video releases, computer games, music and audio equipment. Add to this a seven-day television program guide, with complete listings of the week in radio, and you have the ultimate entertainment medium that is Green Guide.

Age Form (Friday)
Age Form is The Age's 16 page tabloid racing guide found every Friday in Sport. The liftout is packed with racing information from around the world including turf talk, bloodlines and race wrap; a comprehensive listing of horseracing, greyhounds and trotters for Victoria and interstate.

EG (Friday)
EG is a colourful entertainment liftout used by hundreds of thousands of Victorians to plan their weekly leisure and entertainment activities. It is a respected market leader, eagerly anticipated by a young and dedicated audience. EG features articles and reviews on film, music and theatre, with an emphasis on lively and authoritative writing. EG’s free listings have become a Melbourne institution, covering events from rock concerts and stage shows to readings, markets and historical walks.

A2 (Saturday)
A2 is a bumper weekend read including a host of engaging features, profiles and reviews suited to the more leisurely mood of the weekend. A2 features articles on popular culture, entertainment, trends, ideas and happenings in Melbourne. Features in A2 include 48 hours (a double-page spread of the weekend's events and activities), Showcase (best buys and shopping), Gardening page, food and wine page, along with Saturday highlights Leunig, puzzles and a comprehensive cinema and theatre listing.

Good Weekend (Saturday)
Good Weekend is one of Australia’s most successful weekly magazines, providing an unsurpassed level of quality editorial. Informative, provocative and witty, Good Weekend reaches more than two million discerning readers every week.

Insight (Saturday)
Saturday’s Age reaches more than one million Victorians every week. Saturday Insight is the second news section, taking an in-depth look at the events that shaped the week locally and internationally, as well as featuring current affairs and news-making personalities. Probing and reflective, Insight is a showcase of journalistic excellence.

Sport (Saturday)
Sport is a 12-page separate lift-out section. Sport includes columns showcasing new faces in sport, latest equipment, technology and memorabilia as well as a back-page opinion page. Column highlights include "The Punter", "Postcode" (a profile of a suburban team), and "Country Club", a behind-the-scenes look at country football.

The Age Review (Saturday)
The Age Review is an eight-page liftout within A2 that includes comprehensive coverage of books, including reviews, interviews, pick of the week, best sellers and a column, "My Bedside Table". The Age Review also includes coverage of the art world, such as "Around the Galleries", painting of the week, and special interviews. It also includes "Talking Point", which is a topical discussion on issues relating to arts and culture.

Travel (Saturday)
Travel is a dedicated eight-page colour section covering travel within Australia as well as overseas and including feature stories, specialist city guides, travel tips and advice, and road-tested equipment.

Agenda (Sunday)
Agenda is a portable magazine liftout featuring compelling articles about people and lifestyles and regular columns devoted to health, relationships and Melbourne's cultural arena. Agenda incorporates Preview, a complete guide to movies, arts and books including a seven-day guide to what's happening in and around Melbourne. The Travel pages in Agenda showcase unique local and overseas holiday destinations along with suggestions for a Sunday drive, celebrity travel tips and a convenient Holiday and Travel Directory.

Sunday Life (Sunday)
Sunday Life has a relaxed format with lively and informative editorial. It is a lifestyle magazine for men and women, with features on people, relationships, fashion and restaurants. With a strong local focus, Sunday Life is fresh, contemporary and somewhat cheeky.

Television (Sunday)
Every Sunday, Age readers turn to Television, The Sunday Age’s seven-day colour program guide, complete with a cover story, critic’s choice and movie highlights.