The Scoop
Politico is headed for the southern hemisphere.
The Virginia-based media organization known for its political horserace coverage, daily newsletters, and policy-focused intelligence is launching in Australia later this year, hoping to carve out a niche for political obsessives and insiders in Canberra the way the publication has taken hold in global centers like Washington and Brussels. The company is first preparing to have Canberra Playbook up and running in time for the next parliamentary cycle later this year, then will expand its editorial and business operations.
In an interview with Semafor, Politico CEO Goli Sheikholeslami said her initial focus over the past four years has been the publication’s expansion in North America and Europe. Politico has invested heavily in California, and at times has more journalists covering politics in Sacramento than any other publication in the state. Politico EU has also expanded its teams covering London and Paris, and launched a vertical in Berlin, where parent company Axel Springer is headquartered.
But Sheikholeslami noted that since buying Politico in 2021, Axel Springer has been intent on expanding the publication to other countries. Australia was a logical next choice: It’s English-speaking, and data showed that Australia already had a large number of Politico readers. And Australia is central to major stories that Politico is focused on globally including trade, critical minerals, and defense.
Importantly, Sheikholeslami said the outlet believed that there was an opening for Politico’s high metabolism, insidery, microscoop-driven brand. If they didn’t move soon, she worried, other competitors could swoop in.
“In other markets we have competitors. In Australia there are a couple people that do something similar to what we do. But from what we’ve been able to glean, no one is doing exactly what Politico is about, which is policy, intelligence, and covering politics and policy from a vertical perspective in a really deep way,” she said.
She added: “It also made me think: We should fill the space before someone else does.”
The Australia expansion will be led by Ryan Heath, a Politico veteran who launched the Brussels Playbook, which created the blueprint for the media organization’s expansion abroad.
Know More
Politico’s entrance into the Australian media market represents another landing by a major English-speaking news media company on a continent that has increasingly been dominated by a media duopoly, with the Murdoch family and Nine Entertainment owning many of the major newspapers.
Other English and American news brands have dipped their toes in the Australia media landscape in recent years including The Guardian and The New York Times. The Times noted its substantial subscriber base there has contributed significantly to its growth abroad.