The Daily Telegraph has unveiled its annual Sydney Power 100 list, a definitive ranking of the city's most influential figures, and it reveals a strong showing for personalities from the News Corp stable. Now in its seventh year, the list was published in a substantial 52-page magazine supplement.
Media Luminaries Take Centre Stage
Sky News host Sharri Markson was a notable new entrant, securing the 91st position. The newspaper credited her with "extraordinary advocacy on behalf of the Jewish community" following the 7 October attacks on Israel, stating she filled a perceived leadership vacuum. In a conversation on her Sky News programme, Telegraph editor Ben English congratulated Markson, prompting her to admit the accolade would "make me blush."
Her ranking placed her above Sydney's long-serving Lord Mayor, Clover Moore, who came in at 92nd. Other News Corp executives featured prominently, including News Corp Australasia's executive chair, Michael Miller, at fifth place. Sky News Australia CEO Paul Whittaker (22nd), Telegraph commentator Ray Hadley (42nd), and Foxtel CEO Patrick Delany (23rd) also received honours, despite Foxtel's recent sale by the Murdoch family.
A List That Comes With An Invitation
The Power 100 list translated into a real-world gathering, as many of its members attended Lachlan and Sarah Murdoch's annual Christmas party at their Le Manoir estate in Bellevue Hill. This was the first such event since Lachlan assumed control of the global media empire from his father, Rupert, 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 were also in attendance. Lord Mayor Clover Moore, a frequent target of the Daily Telegraph, was notably absent from the guest list.
Controversy and Recognition Beyond the List
The publication of the Power 100 coincided with other media controversies. The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) published an open letter in Nine newspapers condemning News Corp tabloids for creating "crude and harmful league tables" ranking schools based on raw NAPLAN scores. The letter, which ACARA claimed was rejected by News Corp titles, argued that such rankings without socioeconomic context harm student progress.
Separately, veteran media executive Peter Manning was honoured at the Walkley Awards for his outstanding contribution to journalism. The former ABC and Seven news chief, instrumental in creating programmes like Lateline and Foreign Correspondent, was celebrated by colleagues including Chris Masters and Kate McClymont. His son, ABC reporter Paddy Manning, said the award had lifted his 80-year-old father's spirits, calling him "a journo's journo."
In other industry news, the Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance secured a landmark agreement with Private Media, publisher of Crikey, which explicitly states that artificial intelligence will not be used to replace human workers.
Meanwhile, ABC Managing Director Hugh Marks faced a combative Senate estimates hearing with Coalition senators Jacinta Nampijinpa Price and Sarah Henderson. They challenged the impartiality of some ABC political analysis, specifically an article by Patricia Karvelas describing Peter Dutton's style as "authoritarian." Marks defended the piece and pointed out the line of questioning mirrored commentary from Sky News weeks earlier. He also confirmed the total external cost of the ABC's unsuccessful defence against Antoinette Lattouf's unlawful dismissal case was $2.6 million.
