The Daily Telegraph has released its annual Sydney Power 100 list, a ranking of the city's most influential figures, generating significant buzz and debate within media and political circles. Now in its seventh year, the list was published as a 52-page magazine supplement, highlighting a strong presence of executives and personalities from Rupert Murdoch's media empire.
News Corp Luminaries Take Prominent Spots
Sky News host Sharri Markson entered the list at number 91, recognised for what the publication described as her "extraordinary advocacy on behalf of the Jewish community." The Telegraph noted that Markson felt a leadership vacuum existed after the 7 October attacks on Israel, particularly regarding Jews being targeted in Sydney and Melbourne.
Markson's inclusion places her above Sydney's long-serving Lord Mayor, Clover Moore, who ranked 92nd. The list's editor, Ben English, congratulated Markson on her new entrant status during an appearance on her Sky News programme.
Other prominent News Corp figures featured heavily. Michael Miller, Executive Chair of News Corp Australasia, was lauded at fifth place for launching the company's "Back Australia" campaign. Paul Whittaker, CEO of Sky News Australia, secured the 22nd spot, while Foxtel's CEO Patrick Delany came in at 23rd, despite Foxtel's recent sale by the Murdoch family. Telegraph commentator Ray Hadley was ranked 42nd.
Power List Celebrated at Murdoch Christmas Gathering
The list's influence was immediately apparent as many of its members were guests at a lavish Christmas party hosted by Lachlan and Sarah Murdoch at their Le Manoir estate in Bellevue Hill. This was the first such gathering since Lachlan assumed control of his father's global media empire in September.
Guests photographed arriving included Markson, Miller, Whittaker, Delany, English, sporting administrator Peter V'landys, and retail magnates Gerry Harvey and Katie Page. New South Wales Liberal leader Kellie Sloane and Seven West Media CEO Ryan Stokes also attended, having made the Power 100. Notably absent was Lord Mayor Clover Moore, a frequent target of the Telegraph's criticism.
Controversies and Clashes Beyond the List
The publication of the Power 100 coincided with other significant media industry developments and controversies. The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) publicly condemned News Corp tabloids for publishing what it called "crude and harmful league tables" ranking schools based on raw NAPLAN scores. An open letter from ACARA, booked to run in News Corp titles, was reportedly rejected by the publisher for being directed against its brand.
In a separate development, the Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance secured a landmark enterprise agreement with Private Media, the publisher of Crikey. The deal is hailed as an industry first for explicitly stating that artificial intelligence will not be used to replace human workers.
Meanwhile, at Senate estimates, ABC Managing Director Hugh Marks faced pointed questioning from Coalition senators Jacinta Nampijinpa Price and Sarah Henderson regarding impartiality. Marks defended the ABC's coverage and pointed out that the senators' line of inquiry closely mirrored an article published on Sky News over three weeks prior.
Marks also confirmed the substantial cost of the Antoinette Lattouf unlawful dismissal case, revealing total external costs of $2.6 million. This included legal fees and a compensation payment to Lattouf.
Recognition for a Broadcasting Legend
In a positive note for the industry, veteran media executive Peter Manning was honoured with an award for outstanding contribution to journalism at the recent Walkley Awards. Manning, the former head of news and current affairs at both the ABC and Seven, was instrumental in creating flagship programmes like Lateline, Foreign Correspondent, and Landline. His son, ABC investigative reporter Paddy Manning, said the recognition had lifted his father's spirits, calling him "a journo's journo."
