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| The Weekend Australian Magazine | |
|---|---|
| Title | The Weekend Australian Magazine |
| Frequency | Weekly |
| Category | News magazine |
| Publisher | News Corp Australia |
| Founded | 1979 |
| Country | Australia |
| Language | English |
The Weekend Australian Magazine is a weekly magazine insert published with The Australian, distributed primarily on Saturdays. It provides long-form journalism, profiles, cultural criticism and feature photography, and has featured coverage of Australian and international figures across politics, arts, science and business. The magazine has engaged with controversies and awards, shaping discussions in Australian media, journalism and cultural institutions.
The magazine was launched during a period marked by the influence of Rupert Murdoch and the expansion of News Corporation in Australia, coinciding with debates involving Malcolm Fraser, Bob Hawke and later John Howard governments. Early contributors engaged with issues tied to the careers of figures such as Gough Whitlam, Paul Keating, Tony Abbott and Julia Gillard, while cultural coverage connected to artists like Brett Whiteley, Sidney Nolan, Margaret Olley and institutions including the National Gallery of Australia and the Sydney Opera House. Ownership and editorial shifts reflected broader changes at News Corp Australia and the influence of editors linked to titles such as The Australian Financial Review and The Sydney Morning Herald. Over decades the magazine intersected with coverage of events like the Dawkins reforms, the 1999 Australian republic referendum, the 2000 Sydney Olympics and the Global Financial Crisis, while profiling international figures such as Barack Obama, Margaret Thatcher, Tony Blair, Vladimir Putin and Angela Merkel.
The editorial direction emphasizes long-form reporting, profiles, investigative journalism and culture essays, often engaging with subjects like Australian Broadcasting Corporation, ABC, Seven Network, Nine Network and SBS in media analysis. Features have examined institutions including the Reserve Bank of Australia, Commonwealth Bank, ANZ and corporations such as BHP, Rio Tinto and Woolworths Group. Cultural and arts criticism has covered writers and works by Tim Winton, Helen Garner, Peter Carey, David Malouf and Germaine Greer, alongside film and music pieces on Baz Luhrmann, Cate Blanchett, Heath Ledger and Nick Cave. Science and environment reporting has intersected with figures and organizations like CSIRO, Australian Conservation Foundation, David Attenborough, James Lovelock and debates over the Kyoto Protocol and Paris Agreement.
Regular and occasional contributors have included journalists and authors associated with names such as Paul Kelly, Peter FitzSimons, Evan Whitton, Nicholas Shakespeare, Mungo MacCallum and Monica Dux. The magazine has commissioned profiles of public figures including George Pell, Malcolm Turnbull, Mark Latham, Clive Palmer and Gina Rinehart, and cultural pieces on artists like Tracey Moffatt, Bill Henson and Brenda Niall. Investigative series have intersected with inquiries and institutions including the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, Fair Work Australia and the Independent Commission Against Corruption (New South Wales). Photography and design features have drawn on archives from the National Library of Australia, the State Library of Victoria and photographers in the tradition of Richard Avedon, Helmut Newton and Annie Leibovitz.
Distributed as a Saturday supplement with The Australian nationwide, circulation patterns have been affected by digital transitions pursued by News Corp and competitors like Nine Entertainment Co. and Fairfax Media (now part of Nine Entertainment Co.). Print circulation trends mirror those of legacy outlets such as The Courier-Mail, The Daily Telegraph (Sydney), Herald Sun and regional mastheads including The Advertiser (Adelaide) and The West Australian. The magazine’s reach has been extended through online platforms associated with The Australian and social media presences linked to corporate accounts of News Corp Australia and journalists who also publish on platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and publishing partners tied to Amazon and digital archives like the Trove service of the National Library of Australia.
Critical reception spans praise from commentators in outlets such as Quadrant, The Monthly, Griffith Review and critiques from academic voices in institutions including Australian National University, University of Sydney, Monash University and University of Melbourne. The magazine has been cited in discussions of media influence alongside debates involving Murdoch media and inquiries involving Australian Competition and Consumer Commission scrutiny of media mergers. Its features have won or been shortlisted for awards administered by organisations such as the Walkley Awards, the Australian Publishers Association and the National Press Club of Australia, while also provoking responses from politicians including Annastacia Palaszczuk, Daniel Andrews and commentators like Chris Kenny and Van Badham. The magazine’s mix of profiles, criticism and investigations continues to shape public discourse on personalities like Tony Jones (journalist), Katharine Murphy, Alan Jones (radio broadcaster), Ruth Cracknell and institutions such as ACTU and Business Council of Australia.
Category:Australian magazines