Illawarra Mercury
Encyclopedia
The Illawarra Mercury is the only daily newspaper
in Wollongong, the third largest city in the State of New South Wales
, Australia
. It has been published since 1855, making it one of Australia's oldest newspapers. It has been published daily since December 1949, and has had no competition since the 1960s.
The Mercury is jocularly known as The Mockery among residents of the Illawarra
region due to its perceived shallowness of coverage and lack of accuracy. As a result it became a running gag on the ABC's Media Watch in the period when Stuart Littlemore
hosted the programme.
The Mercury is published in the standard Australian tabloid format, with each page having an approximate size of A3
. Despite being marketed towards residents of the Illawarra and surrounding regions, it can be purchased throughout the Sydney
metropolitan region where it is popular due to the high quality of its horse-racing and sport coverage.
The newspaper's editorial stance appears to be somewhat left-of-centre, with trade unions and striking workers often earning sympathetic coverage during the Illawarra region's frequent periods of industrial unrest. The Mercury has also taken a pro-environmental stance against controversial construction and development in the Wollongong region. The paper has often supported Labor
at state and federal elections, but has already stated it will back the Liberal Party
for the New South Wales state election, 2011
Its editorial cartoonist, Vince O'Farrell, has won international awards for his work - his cartoon immediately after the September 11, 2001 attacks depicting tears rolling down the Statue of Liberty
's cheeks is one example.
The Illawarra Mercury is owned by Fairfax Media
, though the newspaper is editorially independent. Fairfax acquired the paper in 1969.
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
in Wollongong, the third largest city in the State of New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. It has been published since 1855, making it one of Australia's oldest newspapers. It has been published daily since December 1949, and has had no competition since the 1960s.
The Mercury is jocularly known as The Mockery among residents of the Illawarra
Illawarra
Illawarra is a region in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is a coastal region situated immediately south of Sydney and north of the Shoalhaven or South Coast region. It encompasses the cities of Wollongong, Shellharbour, Shoalhaven and the town of Kiama. The central region contains Lake...
region due to its perceived shallowness of coverage and lack of accuracy. As a result it became a running gag on the ABC's Media Watch in the period when Stuart Littlemore
Stuart Littlemore
Stuart Littlemore QC is an Australian barrister and former journalist and television presenter. He is best known for his time as writer and host of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's Media Watch program, which he presented from its inception in 1989 to 1997...
hosted the programme.
The Mercury is published in the standard Australian tabloid format, with each page having an approximate size of A3
ISO 216
ISO 216 specifies international standard paper sizes used in most countries in the world today. It defines the "A" and "B" series of paper sizes, including A4, the most commonly available size...
. Despite being marketed towards residents of the Illawarra and surrounding regions, it can be purchased throughout the Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
metropolitan region where it is popular due to the high quality of its horse-racing and sport coverage.
The newspaper's editorial stance appears to be somewhat left-of-centre, with trade unions and striking workers often earning sympathetic coverage during the Illawarra region's frequent periods of industrial unrest. The Mercury has also taken a pro-environmental stance against controversial construction and development in the Wollongong region. The paper has often supported Labor
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
at state and federal elections, but has already stated it will back the Liberal Party
Liberal Party of Australia
The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...
for the New South Wales state election, 2011
New South Wales state election, 2011
Elections to the 55th Parliament of New South Wales were held on Saturday, 26 March 2011. The 16-year incumbent Australian Labor Party government led by Premier Kristina Keneally was defeated in a landslide by the Liberal-National coalition opposition led by Barry O'Farrell.New South Wales has...
Its editorial cartoonist, Vince O'Farrell, has won international awards for his work - his cartoon immediately after the September 11, 2001 attacks depicting tears rolling down the Statue of Liberty
Statue of Liberty
The Statue of Liberty is a colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, designed by Frédéric Bartholdi and dedicated on October 28, 1886...
's cheeks is one example.
The Illawarra Mercury is owned by Fairfax Media
Fairfax Media
Fairfax Media Limited is one of Australia's largest diversified media companies. The group's operations include newspapers, magazines, radios and digital media operating in Australia and New Zealand. Fairfax Media was founded by the Fairfax family as John Fairfax and Sons, later to become John...
, though the newspaper is editorially independent. Fairfax acquired the paper in 1969.