Today’s news
As of the start of September, Today News Group has taken over another four papers: the Sunraysia Daily, Swan Hill Guardian, Gannawarra Times (Kerang) and the Broken Hill Times, all acquired from the Elliott Newspaper Group.1 These purchases expand the Today’s presence in western Victoria, and are the first foothold for the group in New South Wales.
Last November I presented to the Journalism Education and Research Association of Australia (JERAA) about the growth of medium sized publishing businesses across the regions, particularly on the east coast.
With yet another expansion by Today, I thought I’d take the opportunity to chart out the growth of the combined Star News/Today News network since 2019, and particularly since COVID-19 forced significant changes to regional news markets. I grew up in the Yarra Valley east of Melbourne, so Star News titles have been around all my life, and I have found it very interesting watching my local paper quietly become the biggest regional news publisher in Australia.
This post draws on data from the Public Interest Publishers Index (PIPI), which I run. Index data starts at 1 January 2019 and, at time of writing, is current at 1 September 2025.
Star News Group
Albert Thomas founded the Violet Town Sentinel in 1894, beginning the family newspaper business.2 He established the Berwick Shire News and the Pakenham and Cranbourne Gazette in 1909, planting the seed that would grow into the Star News Group. Paul Thomas, Albert’s great-grandson, now runs the company, which has has long been a significant local news presence in outer-suburban areas of Melbourne and surrounding towns, as well as in Geelong, Ocean Grove, and, in Queensland, Noosa.
Prior to COVID-19, Star News Group operated 20 titles, listed alphabetically below.
| # | Title | State | Coverage | Date |
| 1 | Berwick Star News | VIC | Casey | Pre-2019 |
| 2 | Brimbank & North West Star Weekly | VIC | Brimbank, Melton | Pre-2019 |
| 3 | Cranbourne Star News | VIC | Casey | Pre-2019 |
| 4 | Dandenong Star Journal | VIC | Greater Dandenong | Pre-2019 |
| 5 | Endeavour Hills Hallam Doveton Star Journal | VIC | Casey | Pre-2019 |
| 6 | Ferntree Gully Belgrave Star Journal | VIC | Knox | Pre-2019 |
| 7 | Geelong Independent | VIC | Greater Geelong | Pre-2019 |
| 8 | Maribyrnong & Hobsons Bay Star Weekly | VIC | Hobsons Bay, Maribyrnong | Pre-2019 |
| 9 | Melton & Moorabool Star Weekly | VIC | Melton, Moorabool | Pre-2019 |
| 10 | Mount Evelyn Star Mail | VIC | Yarra Ranges | Pre-2019 |
| 11 | Mountain Views Star Mail | VIC | Murrindindi, Yarra Ranges | Pre-2019 |
| 12 | Noosa Today | QLD | Noosa | Pre-2019 |
| 13 | Northern Star Weekly | VIC | Hume, Whittlesea | Pre-2019 |
| 14 | Ocean Grove Voice | VIC | Greater Geelong | Pre-2019 |
| 15 | Pakenham Berwick Gazette | VIC | Cardinia, Casey | Pre-2019 |
| 16 | Pakenham Officer Star News | VIC | Cardinia | Pre-2019 |
| 17 | Ranges Trader Star Mail | VIC | Yarra Ranges | Pre-2019 |
| 18 | Sunbury & Macedon Ranges Star Weekly | VIC | Hume, Macedon Ranges | Pre-2019 |
| 19 | Upper Yarra Star Mail | VIC | Yarra Ranges | Pre-2019 |
| 20 | Wyndham Star Weekly | VIC | Wyndham | Pre-2019 |
2020
Soon after the start of the pandemic, and in defiance of the broader trend toward digitisation, Star announced that its news site Noosa Today would launch a weekly print edition. This began on 4 June 2020 and continues to this day.3 News Corp’s decision to cease printing regional and community titles across Australia, including the Noosa News, was cited as one reason for the decision.
Today News Group was also founded in 2020. The group is a network of companies across Queensland and South Australia which share directors (including Thomas, marketer Damian Morgan and the late Latrobe Valley Express proprietor Bruce Ellen), editorial and business capacity with each other and with Star News Group. The initial Today Group companies, South Burnett Today Pty Ltd (Kingaroy),4 Central Queensland Media Pty Ltd (Rockhampton),5 Gympie Today Pty Ltd (Gympie)6 and Bundaberg Media Pty Ltd (Bundaberg),7 were all established in the period June – August. Titles were launched in North Burnett, South Burnett and Gympie in July, followed by Rockhampton in August and Bundaberg in September. These were all places where News Corp had ended the print editions of its own papers.
In September Today also made its first move into South Australia when it purchased The Border Watch,8 following the sudden closure of publisher TBW Group.9 The Mount Gambier-based paper was one of three acquired through a new entity, TBW Today Pty Ltd, later rebranded SA Today.10 It also purchased the Pennant in Penola and the South Eastern Times in Millicent, though only The Border Watch relaunched in October.
| # | Title | State | Coverage | Date |
| 21 | Central & North Burnett Today | QLD | North Burnett | 16/07/20 |
| 22 | South Burnett Today | QLD | Cherbourg, South Burnett | 16/07/20 |
| 23 | Gympie Today | QLD | Gympie | 31/07/20 |
| 24 | CQ Today | QLD | Rockhampton, Banana | 27/08/20 |
| 25 | Bundaberg Today | QLD | Bundaberg, Fraser Coast | 11/09/20 |
| 26 | The Border Watch | SA | Grant, Kingston, Mount Gambier, Robe, Wattle Range | 16/10/20 |
2021
In 2021 Star News launched two titles in the Southern Downs region of southern Queensland, Stanthorpe Today and Warwick Today. In Melbourne, in May, it started the Lilydale Star Mail, extending its Yarra Ranges coverage into the eastern suburbs of Lilydale, Chirnside Park and Mooroolbark.
A new entity, Ipswich Media Pty Ltd,11 was established in February and launched Ipswich News Today in April and Greater Springfield Today in September. Central Queensland Media launched Gladstone Today, while Gympie Media launched Cooloola Coast Today to cover the region to the north and east of the regional city.
There were further acquisitions in 2021. When the Longreach Printing Company, publisher most notably of the Longreach Leader but also the Emerald Leader and Highlands Leader (Biloela), closed in October,12 its flagship title was purchased by Central Queensland Media and relaunched in town, while a new paper, the Central West Leader Today, was opened out of the same office to cover the remote shires of Barcaldine, Barcoo, Blackall Tambo, Boulia, Diamantina and Winton.
Mackay Local News was also acquired by Central Queensland Media in November 2021 following its closure,13 but to date it has not been relaunched.14
| # | Title | State | Coverage | Date |
| 27 | Stanthorpe Today | QLD | Southern Downs | 25/02/21 |
| 28 | Warwick Today | QLD | Southern Downs | 25/02/21 |
| 29 | Ipswich News Today | QLD | Ipswich | 29/04/21 |
| 30 | Lilydale Star Mail | VIC | Yarra Ranges | 04/05/21 |
| 31 | Gladstone Today | QLD | Gladstone | 08/07/21 |
| 32 | Cooloola Coast Today | QLD | Gympie | 30/07/21 |
| 33 | Greater Springfield Today | QLD | Ipswich | 23/09/21 |
| – | Mackay Local News | QLD | Mackay | 04/11/21 |
| 34 | Longreach Leader | QLD | Longreach | 15/12/21 |
| 35 | Central West Leader Today | QLD | Barcaldine, Barcoo, Blackall Tambo, Boulia, Diamantina, Winton | 15/12/21 |
2022
2022 was a comparatively quiet year, with only two new titles launched: Maranoa Today, launched in Roma by South Burnett Today, and Emerald Today, a new title in the Central Highlands.
Two South Australian titles acquired in 2020 alongside The Border Watch were relaunched in March 2022: The Pennant in Penola and the South Eastern Times in Millicent.
In all its rapid growth there have been few market contractions by Today. The first occurred in April, when Cooloola Coast Today was shut down as an independent title less than a year after being founded.15 The region is still regularly covered by neighbouring Gympie Today.
| # | Title | State | Coverage | Date |
| 36 | The Pennant | SA | Wattle Range | 30/03/22 |
| 37 | South Eastern Times | SA | Wattle Range | 30/03/22 |
| 38 | Maranoa Today | QLD | Maranoa | 18/08/22 |
| 39 | Emerald Today | QLD | Central Highlands (QLD) | 03/10/22 |
2023
Announced in late 2022 but completing in 2023,16 the most significant expansion for Today News Group to date came with the purchase of 14 titles from Australian Community Media and four from Papers & Publications Pty Ltd.
Papers & Publications is a South Australian company run by former Country Press Australia president Andrew Manuel. It had itself expanded to fill gaps left behind by Australian Community Media’s COVID-era retreat in the state, adding the Eyre Peninsula Advocate in 2021 and Fleurieu Sun in 2022. These were published alongside existing titles the Two Wells & District Echo and the Plains Producer (Balaklava). All four newspapers were acquired by SA Today.
Today News Group bought ACM out of South Australia completely, and purchased the majority of its remaining titles in Queensland.
In South Australia, SA Today acquired the Border Chronicle (Bordertown), Coastal Leader (Kingston SE), Flinders News (Port Pirie), The Islander (Kangaroo Island), The Murray Valley Standard (Murray Bridge), Naracoorte Herald, Port Lincoln Times, The Recorder (Port Pirie), The Times (Victor Harbor), The Transcontinental (Port Augusta) and Whyalla News. Two of these titles, the Coastal Leader and Flinders News, are within the coverage area of other Today titles (The Border Watch and The Recorder, respectively) and were closed by SA Today.
In Queensland, the Beaudesert Times was acquired by Ipswich Media and the Goondiwindi Argus by South Burnett Today. ACM’s Jimboomba Times was not part of the deal, however, Ipswich Media launched Jimboomba Today on the same day as the sale’s completion and the Times ended production.
The North West Star in Mount Isa is Australian Community Media’s only remaining title in the state.
In May the Central West Leader Today, covering western Queensland, was merged into the Longreach Leader, forming The Leader as a single publication reporting on the same areas.
SA Today expanded into the Northern Territory in August, launching Centralian Today in Alice Springs, where News Corp had previously ended its Centralian Advocate newspaper.17
Finally for a busy 2023, in November Central Queensland Media launched Cap Coast Today in Yeppoon, Queensland, covering Livingstone Shire.
| # | Title | State | Coverage | Date |
| 40 | Beaudesert Times | QLD | Scenic Rim | 07/04/22 |
| 41 | Border Chronicle | SA | Tatiara | 07/04/22 |
| – | Coastal Leader | SA | Kingston, Robe | 07/04/22 |
| 42 | Eyre Peninsula Advocate | SA | Ceduna, Cleve, Elliston, Franklin Harbour, Kimba, Lower Eyre Peninsula, Port Lincoln Streaky Bay, Tumby Bay, Wudinna | 15/04/23 |
| 43 | Fleurieu Sun | SA | Onkaparinga, Victor Harbor, Yankalilla | 15/04/23 |
| – | Flinders News | SA | Port Pirie | 07/04/22 |
| 44 | Goondiwindi Argus | QLD | Balonne, Goondiwindi | 07/04/22 |
| 45 | The Islander | SA | Kangaroo Island | 07/04/22 |
| 46 | Jimboomba Today | QLD | Logan | 07/04/22 |
| 47 | The Murray Valley Standard | SA | Alexandrina, Coorong, Karoonda East Murray, MId Murray, Murray Bridge | 07/04/22 |
| 48 | Naracoorte Herald | SA | Grant, Mount Gambier, Naracoorte-Lucindale Wattle Range | 07/04/22 |
| 49 | Plains Producer | SA | Wakefield | 15/04/23 |
| 50 | Port Lincoln Times | SA | Cleve, Lower Eyre Peninsula, Port Lincoln, Streaky Bay, Tumby Bay | 07/04/22 |
| 51 | The Recorder | SA | Port Pirie | 07/04/22 |
| 52 | The Times | SA | Alexandrina, Victor Harbor | 07/04/22 |
| 53 | The Transcontinental | SA | Port Augusta | 07/04/22 |
| 54 | Two Wells & District Echo | SA | Adelaide Plains | 15/04/23 |
| 55 | Whyalla News | SA | Whyalla News | 07/04/22 |
| 56 | Centralian Today | NT | Alice Springs | 31/08/23 |
| 57 | Cap Coast Today | QLD | Livingstone | 24/11/23 |
2024
Four titles were added to the network in 2024, half of them acquisitions.
In Queensland, the Lockyer and Somerset Independent was purchased by Ipswich Media in March, adding coverage of the Lockyer Valley and Somerset regions. Western Downs Today was launched by South Burnett Today in July.18
SA Today merged the Two Wells and District Echo into the Plains Producer in January, launched Tennant Creek Today in the Barkly Region, Northern Territory, in October, and acquired The Bunyip (Gawler, SA) from the Taylor Group of Newspapers late in the year.19
| # | Title | State | Coverage | Date |
| 58 | The Lockyer and Somerset Independent | QLD | Lockyer Valley, Somerset | 06/03/24 |
| 59 | Western Downs Today | QLD | Western Downs | 19/07/24 |
| 60 | Tennant Creek Today | NT | Barkly | 03/10/24 |
| 61 | The Bunyip | SA | Gawler | 02/12/24 |
2025
This year has seen further acquisitions, particularly in Victoria.
The Hamilton Spectator and Portland Observer were purchased by SA Today from the Beks Family Trust at the end of 2024, with the sale completing in the new year.20 In July, SA Today purchased north west Victorian newspapers the Sunraysia Daily (Mildura), The Guardian (Swan Hill) and the Gannawarra Times (Kerang), as well as newer paper the Broken Hill Times in New South Wales. The sale completed on 1 September, the date of this post. The acquisition of the Times is the network’s first presence in New South Wales.
There have also been further mergers in 2025.
Ipswich News Today and Greater Springfield Today, both Ipswich Media publications covering Ipswich City in Queensland, were combined into a single paper in February. The combined paper was named Ipswich West Moreton News Today in recognition of the greater coverage area.
Jimboomba Today, launched in 2023, was merged into the Beaudesert Times in April.
| # | Title | State | Coverage | Date |
| 62 | Hamilton Spectator | VIC | South Gippsland | 01/01/25 |
| 63 | Portland Observer | VIC | Glenelg | 01/01/25 |
| 64 | Broken Hill Times | NSW | Broken Hill, Central Darling | 01/09/25 |
| 65 | Gannawarra Times | VIC | Gannawarra | 01/09/25 |
| 66 | The Guardian | VIC | Balranald, Swan Hill | 01/09/25 |
| 67 | Sunraysia Daily | VIC | Mildura, Wentworth | 01/09/25 |
Accounting for publications that have closed, the combined Star News/Today News network operates 62 papers in Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, the Northern Territory and New South Wales, providing regular coverage of (at least) 88 local government areas. It has the largest regional coverage footprint of any print news company – larger than Australian Community Media and News Corp, both of which have shrunk their presence in regional Australia drastically in the past five years. Across any platform I suspect that its regional reach would still behind the ABC and other broadcasters: WIN and Seven in television, ARN and Southern Cross Austereo in radio. Nevertheless, in just five years it has gone from Melbourne’s suburbs to a major media network across four states and the NT.
It has also done this, I would argue, by providing high-quality news, and by investing in place-based journalism. It has journalists and even offices in most of the communities that it covers, an increasing rarity in large news companies.
In assessing Star/Today titles at PIJI as part of the Australian News Sampling Project, we consistently found that they provided regular coverage of local government and local community. In our specific study on 2024 council elections in Victoria, Star News had the highest level of election coverage in the Casey area, had the lowest reliance on media releases to prompt coverage, and unlike many other outlets in the sample, was not found to republish media releases at all, let alone do so without disclosing that to their audience.
The growth of Star/Today is, to my mind, a good news story. It’s not the only one – I highlighted Times News Group and Regional Media Corp in my JERAA presentation, there are other independents having success – but it’s the biggest, and the one that continues to surprise me.
References
- Sunraysia Daily. 2025. Lanyon family to pass publishing legacy to SA Today. Sunraysia Daily. 23 July. https://www.sunraysiadaily.com.au/6407156/lanyon-family-to-pass-publishing-legacy-to-sa-today ↩︎
- Attard M., Dickson G., Jehangir A. and Newling N. 2023. Regional News Media. Sydney: Centre for Media Transition, University of Technology Sydney. p. 116. https://utsd8.prod.acquia-sites.com/sites/default/files/2023-11/Regional%20News%20Media_2_2023%20Compressed.pdf ↩︎
- Noosa Today. 2020. Noosa Today to resume printing from next week. Noosa Today. 28 May. https://noosatoday.com.au/news/28-05-2020/noosa-today-to-resume-printing-from-next-week/ ↩︎
- Current details for ABN 64 641 796 349. Australian Business Register. https://abr.business.gov.au/ABN/View?abn=64641796349 ↩︎
- Current details for ABN 56 642 029 070. Australian Business Register. https://abr.business.gov.au/ABN/View?abn=56642029070 ↩︎
- Current details for ABN 97 642 169 891. Australian Business Register. https://abr.business.gov.au/ABN/View?abn=97642169891 ↩︎
- Current details for ABN 83 643 012 579. Australian Business Register. https://abr.business.gov.au/ABN/View?abn=83643012579 ↩︎
- Morello S. 2020. South Australia’s The Border Watch makes a comeback after shutting down during the pandemic. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 23 September. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-09-23/south-australia-border-watch-newspaper-reborn/12693452 ↩︎
- Morello S. and Green S. 2020. South Australia’s oldest and largest regional newspaper ceases publication after 159 years. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 20 August. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-08-20/south-australian-papers-close-mount-gambier/12575826 ↩︎
- Current details for ABN 19 644 311 937. Australian Business Register. https://abr.business.gov.au/ABN/View?abn=19644311937 ↩︎
- Current details for ABN 39 648 050 177. Australian Business Register. https://abr.business.gov.au/ABN/View?abn=39648050177 ↩︎
- Grounds E. and Prosser D. 2021. Longreach’s weekly print newspaper, The Longreach Leader, suspended after 98 years. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 8 October. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-10-08/longreach-newspaper-longreach-leader-suspended-after-98-years/100523056 ↩︎
- Fletcher M. 2021. A start-up local community newspaper closed when a big competitor offers free ads. Australian Newsagency Blog. 6 September. https://www.newsagencyblog.com.au/2021/09/06/a-start-up-local-community-newspaper-closed-when-a-big-competitor-offers-free-ads/ ↩︎
- Mackay Local News. https://mackaylocalnews.com.au/ ↩︎
- McCarthy L. 2022. The editor’s desk. Cooloola Coast Today. 22 April. p. 2. https://gympietoday.com.au/all-digital-editions/cooloola-coast-today-22nd-april-2022/ ↩︎
- Forbes L. and Whetham B. 2022. ACM sells regional newspapers in SA and Queensland to Star News Group. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 23 December. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-12-23/acm-sells-regional-qld-sa-newspapers-star-news-group/101801406 ↩︎
- Robinson L. 2023. The Centralian Today, based in Alice Springs, to launch as newspaper and online news service. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 21 June. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-06-21/centralian-today-newspaper-to-launch-in-alice-springs/102495582 ↩︎
- GXpress. 2024. Today expands Downs coverage with new print title. GXpress. 22 July. https://www.gxpress.net/article/8406/today-expands-downs-coverage-with-new-print-title ↩︎
- Plains Producer. 2024. Bunyip joins SA Today. Plains Producer. 8 November. https://plainsproducer.com.au/news/2024/11/08/bunyip-joins-sa-today/ ↩︎
- Hamilton Spectator. 2024. Spectator sold. Hamilton Spectator. 13 December. https://hamiltonspectator.com.au/hero/2024/12/13/spectator-sold/ ↩︎