Securing newspaper endorsements was once a key part of running a successful Australian election campaign, through which Australian media shaped Australian politics. This paper explores the declining influence of media endorsements and leaders' debates on election outcomes. 

It finds that the opinions and endorsements published by Australia’s major media outlets now have little influence over how Australians actually vote. The paper suggests that this means governments should no longer fear retribution from media organisations opposed to important reforms.

Key findings

• In 2024, for the first time ever, most Australians said that their main source of news was either social media or online news.
• From 1996 to 2019, the winner of every federal election was endorsed by the majority of newspapers.
• In the two most recent federal elections in 2022 and 2025, the winning party was endorsed by fewer than half of all major newspapers.
• Neither News Corp nor Nine’s newspapers are able to regularly reach more than 20% of Victorian voters, a crucial state in the 2025 federal election.
• The 2025 televised leaders’ debates reached 12% of voters, at best.