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| The Examiner (Tasmania) | |
|---|---|
| Name | The Examiner |
| Type | Daily newspaper |
| Format | Broadsheet |
| Founded | 1842 |
| Owners | Australian Community Media |
| Publisher | Examiner Newspapers Pty Ltd |
| Language | English |
| Headquarters | Launceston, Tasmania |
The Examiner (Tasmania) is a daily newspaper published in Launceston, Tasmania, with origins dating to the mid-19th century and a role in regional Australian journalism. The paper has chronicled Tasmanian affairs alongside national and international events involving figures such as Queen Victoria, Charles Darwin, Earl Gray, Henry Parkes and institutions like the Supreme Court of Tasmania, University of Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, and Liberal Party of Australia.
Founded in 1842 during the era of Van Diemen's Land colonial administration and the governorship of Sir John Franklin, the newspaper emerged amid contemporaries such as the Hobart Town Gazette and the Launceston Advertiser, reporting on matters linked to the Convict transportation system, the Black War, and debates mirrored in the pages of the Sydney Morning Herald and the Melbourne Argus. Throughout the 19th century the title covered shipping news involving vessels like the SS Great Britain and political developments shaped by figures such as William Lodewyk Crowther, Thomas Chapman, RichardDry and the debates that presaged Federation with coverage resonant of commentary found in the Argus and the Age. In the 20th century the paper reported on events including both World Wars linked to the Australian Imperial Force, the Gallipoli Campaign, and home-front institutions such as the Royal Hobart Hospital and the Tasmanian Parliament; editors navigated changes in technology from letterpress to offset influenced by suppliers like Hobart Printing Works and competitors such as the Mercury (Hobart). Post-war ownership transitions reflected broader media consolidation trends involving companies comparable to Fairfax Media, News Limited, and later groups like Australian Provincial Newspapers and Australian Community Media.
Corporate stewardship of the paper has passed through proprietors whose profiles echo those of media families and companies such as Davison family (business), John Fairfax & Sons, Graham Perkin-era management, and conglomerates with parallels to News Corporation and Nine Entertainment Co.. Management structures have interacted with local institutions like the Launceston City Council and the Tasmanian Electoral Commission when reporting electoral matters. Publisher leadership has included figures comparable to regional media executives who liaise with boards similar to those of Fairfax Media and governance models influenced by the Australian Press Council, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, and corporate practices cited by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission.
Printing and distribution operations have employed production facilities related to technologies from suppliers akin to Heidelberg Druckmaschinen and logistics networks connected to freight providers like Toll Group and retail outlets such as IGA and Coles. Circulation patterns reflect readership across northern Tasmania including Launceston suburbs, and regional towns comparable to Burnie, Devonport, St Helens, and Clarence. The paper's reach has been affected by digital transitions similar to those experienced by The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald, and The Australian, with subscription models paralleling services by News Corp Australia and paywall experiments modeled after platforms used by The New York Times and The Guardian. Advertising revenue streams have historically tied to classifieds and commercial partners resembling Realestate.com.au, Seek Limited, and local chambers such as the Tasmanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Editorial positions have intersected with political currents involving parties and leaders such as the Australian Labor Party, Liberal Party of Australia, Tasmanian Greens, Joseph Lyons, Robert Menzies, Gough Whitlam, and Bob Hawke, while cultural coverage has engaged with arts institutions like the Museum of Old and New Art, Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens, and events comparable to the MONA FOMA festival. Coverage areas include crime reporting tied to the Tasmania Police, environmental debates about locations like Franklin River and Port Arthur, and economic reporting referencing industries such as mining operations akin to Mount Lyell and aquaculture firms comparable to those exporting to markets represented by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
The newspaper has broken or extensively covered stories with local and national resonance: industrial disputes comparable to those involving the Australian Council of Trade Unions, conservation campaigns echoing the Franklin Dam controversy, legal trials at the Supreme Court of Tasmania, and investigative pieces that prompted responses from institutions like the Tasmanian Audit Office and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions. Its reporting has influenced public debate alongside media outlets such as ABC News (Australia), SBS, Channel Seven, and national broadsheets including The Australian.
Journalists and photographers affiliated with the paper have been finalists and winners in competitions akin to the Walkley Awards, the Gold Quill Awards, and state journalism prizes administered by bodies similar to the Tasmanian Media Awards and national institutions like the Press Council. Coverage receiving acclaim has often overlapped with work recognized by environmental groups such as the Australian Conservation Foundation and legal communities like the Law Society of Tasmania.
The title has faced critique over editorial decisions and coverage choices, attracting attention comparable to controversies involving News Limited outlets, disputes over privacy akin to cases before the High Court of Australia, and debates about media concentration raised by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. Particular episodes prompted commentary from figures and institutions including the Australian Press Council, local politicians from the Tasmanian House of Assembly, and advocacy groups such as Amnesty International and Australian Lawyers for Human Rights.