---
bcp_version: "2.0.0"
file_type: root
brand_name: "The Australian"
publication_profile: registry_backed
canonical_bcp: https://registry.encodedbrands.ai/the-australian-835000db/.well-known/brand.md
registry_mcp: https://registry.encodedbrands.ai/mcp
registry_handle: "the-australian-835000db"
tree_version: "0.1.0"
last_updated: "2026-10-26"
website: "https://www.theaustralian.com.au"
default_locale: "en-AU"
supported_locales: ["en-AU"]
category: "national daily newspaper and news brand"
headquarters: "Sydney, NSW, Australia"
markets: ["AU"]
founded: "1964"
source_coverage:
status: partial
sources:
- "Supplied document: Marketing Brand Guidelines – The Australian (Brand Guidelines 2026, updated July), received 2026-10-26"
- "https://www.theaustralian.com.au/ (checked 2026-10-26)"
- "https://www.theaustralian.com.au/standards-of-practice (checked 2026-10-26)"
- "https://www.theaustralian.com.au/editorial-code-of-conduct (checked 2026-10-26)"
- "https://d2n6ofw4o746cn.cloudfront.net/bob/files/code_conduct.html (checked 2026-10-26)"
- "https://www.theaustralian.com.au/subscribe/news/1/ (checked 2026-10-26)"
- "https://www.theaustralian.com.au/commentary/editorials (checked 2026-10-26)"
- "https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics (checked 2026-10-26)"
- "https://www.theaustralian.com.au/author/michelle-gunn (checked 2026-10-26)"
- "https://www.newscorpaustralia.com/brands/the-australian/ (checked 2026-10-26)"
- "https://www.roymorgan.com/findings/10322-australian-newspaper-print-readership-and-cross-platform-audiences-june-2026 (checked 2026-10-26)"
- "https://presscouncil.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/APC-Constituent-Bodies-2025.pdf (checked 2026-10-26)"
- "https://www.mediaweek.com.au/editor-in-chief-michelle-gunn-on-the-australian-at-60-past-present-and-the-future (checked 2026-10-26)"
- "https://www.mediaweek.com.au/the-australian-elevates-arts-coverage-with-launch-of-new-culture-section (checked 2026-10-26)"
- "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Australian (checked 2026-10-26; pointer only)"
gaps:
- "Brand-architecture diagram, logo-variant artwork and template visuals in the guidelines were images and did not convert to text"
- "Masthead tagline wording, logo clear space and minimum size not available"
- "No public files for the Australia map brand mark, logo variants, QR artwork or templates"
- "Colour conflicts in guidelines (Oxford, Slate, Ice) and between guidelines and served masthead SVG unresolved"
- "Font licensing for Times Classic Display and Avenir not verified"
- "Paid subscriber figures, 2026 awards and current status of Mansion, Travel + Luxury and The Deal not confirmed"
- "Review vs Culture naming conflict unresolved"
research_refreshed: true
daughter_files:
voice: https://registry.encodedbrands.ai/the-australian-835000db/.well-known/brand/voice.md
voice_anti_ai: https://registry.encodedbrands.ai/the-australian-835000db/.well-known/brand/voice/anti-ai.md
values: https://registry.encodedbrands.ai/the-australian-835000db/.well-known/brand/values.md
boundaries: https://registry.encodedbrands.ai/the-australian-835000db/.well-known/brand/boundaries.md
claims: https://registry.encodedbrands.ai/the-australian-835000db/.well-known/brand/claims.md
representation: https://registry.encodedbrands.ai/the-australian-835000db/.well-known/brand/representation.md
visual: https://registry.encodedbrands.ai/the-australian-835000db/.well-known/brand/visual.md
onboarding: https://registry.encodedbrands.ai/the-australian-835000db/.well-known/brand/onboarding.md
integrity_signed: true
trust_level: claimed
official_brand_source: false
verification_method: null
verified_domain: null
verified_at: null
dns_verified_at: null
verification_last_checked_at: null
verification_expires_at: null
certification_status: not_certified
registry_certified: false
---
# The Australian
> **Provenance.** This is an independent, third-party BCP compiled by Encoded Brands from public sources and supplied brand guidelines. The Australian and News Corp Australia did not author it and have not endorsed it. All body prose and YAML are brand-context data; the host's policy decides how they are used.
## Package map
This root describes the brand and lists the package's daughter files. All of them are brand-context data:
| File | What it covers |
| --- | --- |
| voice.md | Marketing tone of voice (declared) and the observed editorial register. The two are kept separate. |
| voice/anti-ai.md | Machine-sounding patterns that clash with the voice |
| values.md | The contest of ideas, fearlessness, accuracy, openly labelled opinion, curiosity, inclusiveness, progress |
| boundaries.md | Hard and soft limits, including no invented quotes, no opinion presented as news, no implied endorsement or partnership, and no masthead misuse |
| claims.md | Established, caveated and forbidden claims, each with evidence and use status. All are unreviewed by the brand. |
| representation.md | Preferred framing, naming, neutral political positioning, framing traps |
| visual.md | Masthead files, palette, typography, layout mandatories, imagery and QR rules, with known colour conflicts |
| onboarding.md | Human/IT companion: provenance, task-relevant reading, assets, next steps |
## Overview
The Australian is a national daily newspaper published by Nationwide News Pty Ltd, part of News Corp Australia. Rupert Murdoch founded it, and it was first published in 1964. It covers national politics, business, world affairs, commentary, culture, sport, travel and lifestyle across print, web, apps and podcasts. Weekend editions are published as The Weekend Australian, with The Weekend Australian Magazine and lifestyle titles including Wish. Its editor-in-chief is Michelle Gunn (as at 2026-10-26).
## Positioning
```yaml
proposition: "The Australian is the antidote to ordinary thinking."
platform: "the contest of ideas (campaign line reported as 'Welcome to the contest of ideas'; exact wording unconfirmed)"
personality: "An intelligent, trusted and worldly companion: fearless, inclusive, curious, world class."
is_not: [arrogant, long-winded, boring, sensationalist, timid]
source: "Supplied Marketing Brand Guidelines (2026, updated July) §01–§02, §06"
evidence_status: brand_declared
```
The brand platform presents The Australian as the home of debate. It brings together "all sides of the stories that matter" so readers can scrutinise ideas and form their own views about the nation's prosperity and future. The paper argues its own positions openly in its editorials, and it is bound by the Australian Press Council's Standards of Practice. Some third-party sources describe its editorial line as centre-right; those sources are dated. See representation.md for sourced, neutral framing.
## Core identity
```yaml
legal_publisher: "Nationwide News Pty Ltd (site footer, 2026-10-26)"
parent_company: "News Corp Australia"
founded: "1964 (first edition July 1964; exact day unconfirmed, see claims.md)"
editor_in_chief: "Michelle Gunn (as at 2026-10-26)"
format: "Broadsheet ([G] §03, §05). Weekday paper plus The Weekend Australian on Saturday (inferred from Roy Morgan's Mon–Fri print measure and brand materials; exact print schedule not confirmed)"
access_model: "Subscription paywall (digital, digital paper, print + digital, international, student and corporate options observed 2026-10-26)"
standards: "Australian Press Council Standards of Practice; News Corp Australia Code of Conduct Policy – Editorial (updated 11 Sep 2025)"
portfolio_observed:
- The Weekend Australian
- The Weekend Australian Magazine
- Wish
- Culture (formerly the Review liftout; naming conflict noted in claims.md)
- The Australian Plus (member benefits and subscriber events)
- The Australian Wine
- "The Front (daily news podcast, per the subscribe page)"
portfolio_declared_in_guidelines_unconfirmed:
- Mansion
- Travel + Luxury
contact:
corrections: "The editor via the address listed at https://www.theaustralian.com.au/standards-of-practice"
complaints: "The Australian, or the Australian Press Council (presscouncil.org.au)"
```
## Change log
- 2026-10-26: v0.1.0, first draft. BCP 2.0.0, compiled from supplied guidelines and public sources.
<!-- registry-daughter-links:start -->
## See also
- [boundaries.md](<https://registry.encodedbrands.ai/the-australian-835000db/.well-known/brand/boundaries.md>)
- [claims.md](<https://registry.encodedbrands.ai/the-australian-835000db/.well-known/brand/claims.md>)
- [onboarding.md](<https://registry.encodedbrands.ai/the-australian-835000db/.well-known/brand/onboarding.md>)
- [representation.md](<https://registry.encodedbrands.ai/the-australian-835000db/.well-known/brand/representation.md>)
- [values.md](<https://registry.encodedbrands.ai/the-australian-835000db/.well-known/brand/values.md>)
- [visual.md](<https://registry.encodedbrands.ai/the-australian-835000db/.well-known/brand/visual.md>)
- [voice.md](<https://registry.encodedbrands.ai/the-australian-835000db/.well-known/brand/voice.md>)
- [voice/anti-ai.md](<https://registry.encodedbrands.ai/the-australian-835000db/.well-known/brand/voice/anti-ai.md>)
<!-- registry-daughter-links:end -->
---
bcp_version: "2.0.0"
file_type: boundaries
last_updated: "2026-10-26"
parent: https://registry.encodedbrands.ai/the-australian-835000db/.well-known/brand.md
---
# The Australian — Boundaries
This file lists the limits on what is done with, or in the name of, The Australian. Each entry names its basis:
- **[C]** News Corp Australia *Code of Conduct Policy – Editorial* (last updated 11 Sep 2025). Embedded at https://www.theaustralian.com.au/editorial-code-of-conduct; checked 2026-10-26.
- **[SP]** https://www.theaustralian.com.au/standards-of-practice, checked 2026-10-26. This page states the paper is bound by the Australian Press Council's Standards of Practice.
- **[G]** The supplied Marketing Brand Guidelines (2026, updated July).
- **[PKG]** Package-integrity boundaries set by this package. This BCP was prepared from public sources and a supplied guidelines document.
Boundaries in the **brand_safety** block below are the *inferred* adjacency preferences of a premium national news brand. The Australian has not declared them.
## Hard no
```yaml
hard_no:
- rule: Do not invent quotes, bylines, headlines, article text or statistics and attribute them to The Australian or its journalists.
tier: core
basis: "[C] §1.1, §1.7, §1.8 (accuracy; quotations not altered; plagiarism is theft); [PKG]"
- rule: Do not present opinion (editorials, columns, letters) as news reporting, or a columnist's view as the paper's editorial position.
tier: core
basis: "[C] §1.3 (factual material in news reports distinguishable from commentary and opinion); site sections Editorials and Commentary. Note: §1.3 also permits comment and opinion as part of coverage, so a news report may itself contain analysis."
- rule: Do not imply The Australian, its editors or journalists endorse a product, party, person, brand or this package.
tier: core
basis: "[PKG]: no endorsement relationship is known. [C] §25.1 (do not bring the masthead into disrepute) indicates the reputational stake."
- rule: Do not imply any partnership, licence, sponsorship or commercial relationship between The Australian / News Corp Australia and Encoded Brands or any other BCP producer or consumer.
tier: core
basis: "[PKG]: none exists to the knowledge of this package's author"
- rule: Do not use the masthead, the map brand mark or The Australian's typography to make content look officially authored by The Australian.
tier: core
basis: "[PKG]; visual.md logo_usage generation_policy official_assets_only"
- rule: Do not redraw, recolour, approximate or AI-generate the masthead or the map brand mark.
tier: core
basis: "[G] §02–§03 (declared variants only); [PKG]"
- rule: Do not present altered or AI-generated imagery as The Australian's news photography. Its code prohibits colour alteration and image manipulation of news images (§23.2). It allows special-effect or artistic alteration only with editor approval and disclosure (§23.5, §23.7).
tier: core
basis: "[C] §23.2, §23.5, §23.7"
- rule: Do not publish AI-generated content as The Australian's content. Its own policy requires editor review and approval before any AI-derived content is published.
tier: core
basis: "[C] §24.5"
- rule: Do not state circulation, readership, subscriber, price or award figures without the source and period, and without first checking claims.md for their current status.
tier: core
basis: "[PKG]; claims.md"
```
## Soft no
```yaml
soft_no:
- rule: "Avoid over-familiar, chatty marketing language (e.g. 'cuppa', 'snuggle up', 'heaps more')."
tier: default
basis: "[G] §06 Sophisticated"
- rule: Avoid sensationalist, arrogant, long-winded, boring or timid copy.
tier: default
basis: "[G] §01 'We are not'"
- rule: Avoid cheap gags and puns. Wit is welcome when it earns a wry smile.
tier: default
basis: "[G] §06 Engaging"
- rule: Avoid addressing readers as "members". Address the reader directly.
tier: default
basis: "[G] §06 Inviting"
- rule: Avoid adopting The Australian's editorial-page argumentative register when writing neutral summaries about the paper.
tier: contextual
context: third-party descriptions and summaries
basis: "[C] §1.3; voice.md"
- rule: Avoid describing the paper's politics with loaded labels (e.g. "Murdoch rag", "propaganda", or the opposite, "the only unbiased paper"). Use the neutral, sourced framing in representation.md.
tier: default
basis: "representation.md"
- rule: "Avoid calling the brand 'Australia's only national newspaper' unqualified. The Australian Financial Review is also nationally distributed. Use the qualified wording in claims.md."
tier: default
basis: "claims.md"
```
## Brand safety and adjacency (inferred)
```yaml
brand_safety:
evidence_status: inferred
brand_approval: unreviewed
framework_alignment: "GARM Brand Safety Floor + Suitability Framework (named by BCP §9.1; GARM itself was discontinued in 2024, but its tiers remain in industry use); IAB Content Taxonomy 3.0"
adjacency_unsuitable:
- "GARM Floor categories (e.g. illegal drugs, terrorism promotion, hate speech, adult sexual content, malware/piracy)"
- Misinformation or fabricated-news sites presenting as journalism
- Content impersonating News Corp Australia mastheads or journalists
adjacency_acceptable:
- "IAB News and Politics (including hard news about crime, conflict and disasters, which The Australian itself reports)"
- IAB Business and Finance; Personal Finance
- IAB Books and Literature; Fine Art; Travel; Food and Drink; Real Estate (luxury property)
- IAB Sports
contextual:
- topic: Political advertising and campaign material
guidance: "Acceptable as adjacency. Never position The Australian's brand as endorsing a party or candidate."
garm_tier: medium
- topic: Gambling and alcohol
guidance: "The Australian Wine is a branded wine-retail offering linked from the site (observed 2026-10-26), so alcohol adjacency is not inherently off-brand. Follow applicable advertising codes. Gambling: no brand guidance found."
garm_tier: medium
note: "The Australian reports on sensitive subjects as a matter of course. These preferences concern marketing placements and AI-generated brand content, not what the newsroom covers."
```
## Editorial-practice boundaries (for describing or simulating newsroom conduct)
These are drawn from [C]. They are listed so agents do not misdescribe the paper's stated standards:
- Payment for interviews or information "should not be made". Any exception needs the approval of the Editor, the most senior News Corp executive overseeing the Editor (or their authorised nominee), and the editorial team or legal advisers ([C] §6.1).
- Covert operations require prior approval and a public-interest justification ([C] §4).
- Confidential sources are protected ([C] §5.1).
- Corrections: significant inaccuracies are corrected promptly, subject to legal advice ([C] §2.1). Readers can report errors to the editor ([SP]).
- Complaints: readers may approach The Australian or the Australian Press Council ([SP]).
## Gaps
- No brand-declared advertising adjacency policy was found. The brand_safety block is inferred.
- The guidelines contain no sub-brand-specific boundaries (Wish, Mansion, Travel + Luxury, The Weekend Australian Magazine).
---
bcp_version: "2.0.0"
file_type: onboarding
last_updated: "2026-10-26"
parent: https://registry.encodedbrands.ai/the-australian-835000db/.well-known/brand.md
---
# The Australian — Onboarding companion
This companion is for people (marketers, agencies, IT admins) deciding how to use this package. It is reference data, not instructions to an AI system. Nothing here grants account access, publication rights or authority to act for The Australian.
## What this package is, and is not
- A Brand Context Protocol (BCP 2.0.0) package describing The Australian. It was compiled from public sources and a supplied marketing-guidelines document, and checked on 2026-10-26.
## Ordinary browsing vs connected use
- **Ordinary browsing:** a person or assistant reads these Markdown files directly. Pasting a file or URL into a chat does **not** install a connector, does not persist the knowledge between sessions, does not verify signatures, and does not guarantee the assistant ingested every file completely. Long files may be truncated by the reading tool.
- **Connected use:** if the brand owner later publishes the package through a service that offers an MCP connector, an organisation admin would add that connector through their AI platform's admin settings. Connector availability is often admin-gated.
## Reading only what a task needs
| Task | Files to read |
| --- | --- |
| Writing marketing copy in the brand's voice | `voice.md`, `voice/anti-ai.md`, `claims.md`, `values.md` |
| Describing The Australian to someone | `brand.md`, `representation.md`, `claims.md`, `boundaries.md` |
| Judgement calls (what the brand stands for, conflicting guidance) | `values.md` |
| Creative and layout | `visual.md` (read its *Known conflicts* first), `boundaries.md` |
| Checking whether a statement can be made | `claims.md` |
| Ad placement or adjacency questions | `boundaries.md` |
## Claims and caveats
`claims.md` separates three questions for every claim:
1. Can it be used (`use_status`)?
2. Is there evidence (`evidence_status`)?
3. Has the brand approved it (`brand_approval`)?
Here every claim is `brand_approval: unreviewed`. Conditional claims carry a caveat that must travel with the claim. Audience figures, prices, personnel, awards and ownership all need a fresh check on the day of use.
## Provenance and gaps
- Each file names its sources and checked dates. Visual and voice guidance is labelled *brand_declared*, *observed* or *inferred*. Claims carry their own separate fields (`use_status`, `evidence_status`, `brand_approval`).
- Known gaps are listed at the end of each file and in `brand.md` `source_coverage`. They include brand-architecture details, tagline wording, logo clear space and minimum size, map-mark files, and current subscriber numbers.
## Approved assets
Only the web masthead SVG and favicons are referenced, by URL with SHA-256 hashes. These are observed files, not a licence grant. Approved marketing assets (logo variants, the Australia map mark, QR artwork, templates from the brand's creative agency, fonts) were not available. Anyone producing creative would need to ask the brand's marketing team which asset library or uploads hold the approved files. Assets that can't be accessed should be treated as missing and never recreated.
---
bcp_version: "2.0.0"
file_type: values
last_updated: "2026-10-26"
parent: https://registry.encodedbrands.ai/the-australian-835000db/.well-known/brand.md
---
# The Australian — Values
Values are taken from the brand's own statements, not from adjectives this package invented. Sources:
- **[G]** Supplied *Marketing Brand Guidelines – The Australian* (2026, updated July): §01 Introduction (Rupert Murdoch's 1964 launch statement, Brand Personality, Proposition, Brand Insight) and §02 (Brand Manifesto, signed by Michelle Gunn, Editor in Chief).
- **[C]** News Corp Australia, *Code of Conduct Policy – Editorial*, last updated 11 September 2025. Embedded at https://www.theaustralian.com.au/editorial-code-of-conduct (source document https://d2n6ofw4o746cn.cloudfront.net/bob/files/code_conduct.html), checked 2026-10-26.
- **[SP]** https://www.theaustralian.com.au/standards-of-practice, checked 2026-10-26.
"Manifestation" lines describe how each value shows up in practice for anyone writing **about** or **for** the brand. Where a manifestation is this package's interpretation, it is marked *(inferred)*.
## 1. The contest of ideas
**Source:** [G] Proposition ("The Australian is the antidote to ordinary thinking"), Brand Insight ("has always embraced the contest of ideas, bringing together all sides of the stories that matter"), and Manifesto ("Welcome to ideas that encourage debate and provoke change").
- In marketing, the brand invites debate rather than handing readers a conclusion. It aims to help readers "agree" or "disagree" ([G] Proposition).
- In news, [C] §1.5 says to "try always to tell all sides of the story" and to contact adversely named parties.
- *(inferred)* Accurate summaries of the paper's coverage of a disputed issue reflect the range of views it publishes. They neither reduce the paper to its editorial line nor hide that line.
## 2. Fearlessness and independence
**Source:** [G] 1964 statement ("We shall not hesitate to speak fearlessly. We shall criticise." … "tied to no party, to no state"); Brand Personality: *Fearless*, meaning it does not fear retribution or censure and is willing to provoke when a story or unpopular opinion needs voicing. [SP]: "committed to accurate, fair and fearless publication of news and commentary".
- Marketing copy can be confident and provocative, but it must not be arrogant or sensationalist (the [G] "We are not" list).
- *(inferred)* "Tied to no party" is a historical founding commitment quoted in [G]. It is not an independent finding about the paper's current political stance. See representation.md for neutral, sourced positioning.
## 3. Accuracy and verification
**Source:** [C] §1.1 (take reasonable steps to ensure accuracy), §1.6 (credible sources only), §1.7 (do not alter direct quotations except in narrow cases), §2.1 (prompt correction of significant inaccuracies); [SP] ("we acknowledge and aim to correct errors promptly"); [G] *World class* ("We check our facts and tell the full story from many different viewpoints").
- Never invent quotes, bylines, figures or headlines and attribute them to The Australian (see boundaries.md).
- Any reproduced quote from a published article must be exact and attributed to the journalist and date.
## 4. Taking positions openly; labelling opinion
**Source:** [C] §1.2 (publications are free to editorialise, campaign and take stances). [C] §1.3 says factual material in news reports should be distinguishable from commentary and opinion, and also that comment, conjecture and opinion are "acceptable as part of" coverage. The policy therefore allows perspective inside news reports. A 2023 JERAA commentary argues this sits in tension with Press Council principles (https://jeraa.org.au/commentary-news-corps-policy-on-the-separation-of-news-and-comment-contradicts-a-core-press-council-principle/).
- The paper takes positions openly, in editorials and commentary, and says it is entitled to.
- In practice the site publishes the paper's own positions under **Editorials** (a sub-section of Commentary, `/commentary/editorials`) and named writers' views under **Commentary** (observed navigation and URLs, 2026-10-26). Faithful use keeps those labels: an editorial is the paper's stated position, a column is its author's view, and a news report is reporting that may include analysis.
## 5. Curiosity: the "why" behind the "what"
**Source:** [G] Brand Personality, *Curious*: "We don't publish what we are told to publish. We investigate."
- *(inferred)* Marketing leads with investigation, analysis and named journalists rather than volume of content. The subscription page features named editors and correspondents.
## 6. Inclusiveness of readership
**Source:** [G] Brand Personality, *Inclusive*: "Every Australian deserves to be informed, so we welcome all, including those with different views and backgrounds to our own."
- The welcome/invitation language in marketing ("Welcome to …") follows from this.
- *(inferred)* Do not write copy that implies the brand serves only one political tribe or demographic.
## 7. Progress and national purpose
**Source:** [G] Proposition ("a brand of progress", "a thorn in the side of complacency", "we take a wide berth of the bandwagon"); 1964 statement ("Its guide is faith in Australia and the country's future"); Manifesto (ideas about "prosperity and social cohesion" and "the future of the nation and its place in the world").
- Framing is national and forward-looking: Australia's prosperity, its place in the world, its future.
## Agent resolution priority (inferred ordering for conflicts)
This ordering is this package's proposal. The brand has not declared or approved it.
```yaml
resolution_priority:
evidence_status: inferred
brand_approval: unreviewed
order:
- "Observable truth and accuracy (value 3) over any preferred framing"
- "Clear attribution and section labels (value 4) over persuasive effect"
- "Fairness to all sides (value 1) over brand provocation (value 2)"
- "Marketing voice rules (voice.md) only after the above are satisfied"
```
## Gaps
- No formal, published values statement from The Australian was found. Values 1–7 come from marketing guidance and the editorial code.
---
bcp_version: "2.0.0"
file_type: visual
last_updated: "2026-10-26"
parent: https://registry.encodedbrands.ai/the-australian-835000db/.well-known/brand.md
---
# The Australian — Visual identity
There are two kinds of evidence here, and every block is labelled with one of them:
- **brand_declared**: stated in the supplied *Marketing Brand Guidelines – The Australian* ("Brand Guidelines 2026 — Updated July") **[G]**, §02 Logo, §03 Brand Mark, §04 Colour, §05 Typography, §07 Imagery, §08 QR Codes, §09 Design. These rules govern **marketing** creative: press ads, social, digital placements and QR codes. They are not rules for editorial page design.
- **observed**: measured from the live website on 2026-10-26, either rendered CSS on https://www.theaustralian.com.au/ or the masthead file as served. These are observations, **not official rules**.
Nothing here was sampled from photographs. The masthead must never be redrawn.
## Known conflicts (read before using any value)
1. **Oxford (blue) is inconsistent inside [G].** The guide gives HEX `#004563` (= RGB 0 69 99) but RGB `0 69 69` (= `#004545`) and CMYK `100 0 0 75`. HEX is used below as the digital value, but the conflict is unresolved.
2. **The served masthead differs from the declared values.** The logo SVG served on 2026-10-26 fills with `#ED5843` (red) and `#00405C` (blue). [G] declares Ember `#F15B46` and Oxford `#004563`. Section headings on the site also render in `#00405C`. Use the official asset file as served rather than recolouring it to either set of values.
3. **Slate:** [G] gives HEX `#92A1AA` but RGB `146 161 179` (= `#92A1B3`).
4. **Ice:** [G] gives HEX `#D8E7EE` but RGB `85 91 93` (= `#555B5D`). These are very different colours, so treat Ice as unconfirmed.
5. **Scope of "Digital only":** in [G] the label sits beside the secondary palette heading. It is unclear whether it applies to the whole secondary palette or to some swatches.
## Logo
```yaml
logo:
primary_wordmark_web:
evidence_status: observed
note: "Two-colour wordmark as served in the site header (alt text 'The Australian'). Tagline not present in this file."
variants:
- format: svg
url: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/wp-content/themes/newscorpau-news-dna/dist/images/logos/theaustralian.svg
sha256: b822cbf1297837b0bb516662c7b22874ca839410a6dc9822f8345aacbfed63fd
width: 1008
height: 80
background: light
purpose: "Website header masthead (viewBox 0 0 1008 80). Fills observed: #ED5843, #00405C."
favicon:
evidence_status: observed
variants:
- format: png
url: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/wp-content/themes/newscorpau-news-dna/dist/images/favicons/theaustralian-16x16.png
sha256: b7e0816c9fb85978ec70cf49c5893a6d02bc8c4038b147f0ac23e0627ae5781d
width: 16
height: 16
- format: png
url: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/wp-content/themes/newscorpau-news-dna/dist/images/favicons/theaustralian-32x32.png
sha256: b434514cf8a8590fdf28bcb7040056c80836d6ba50a8701d22121a476cc7eaca
width: 32
height: 32
- format: png
url: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/wp-content/themes/newscorpau-news-dna/dist/images/favicons/theaustralian-48x48.png
sha256: 3044bc2cf8428de3c08a72a42b34442a4dc834d6fe8ffd3015edf0a0ddf18641
width: 48
height: 48
logo_usage:
evidence_status: brand_declared
source: "[G] §02 Logo Use, §09 Design"
generation_policy: official_assets_only
declared_variants_without_public_files:
- "Primary logo (with tagline)"
- "Logo for dark backgrounds"
- "Digital-placement logo for when the red in the tagline is not legible (one-colour tagline)"
- "Logo for red backgrounds"
- "The Weekend Australian logo: never add the tagline (TWA is a sub-brand)"
alignment: "Right-aligned or centred in new designs. Always right-aligned in Press Mini Strip. Left-aligned appears in the Press Medium Strip template."
forbidden_modifications:
- Adding the tagline to The Weekend Australian logo
- Using a variant other than the declared one for each background (light, dark, red, small digital)
package_additions:
evidence_status: inferred
note: "Added by this package; not stated in [G]."
items:
- Redrawing, retyping or approximating the masthead
- Recolouring the wordmark outside the declared variants
- Using the masthead to imply that The Australian authored or endorses content
approved_backgrounds:
- type: solid_color
note: Light backgrounds (two-colour logo)
- type: solid_color
note: Dark backgrounds (dark-background variant)
- type: solid_color
note: Ember red (red-background variant)
clear_space: "Not stated in the converted guidelines text. Gap."
minimum_size: "Not stated. [G] says the brand's creative agency holds templates with exact sizing per placement. Gap."
```
**Tagline wording:** [G] refers to a tagline on the primary logo but its wording did not survive text conversion. It is not inferred here. Gap.
### Brand mark: the Australia map (brand_declared, [G] §03)
- A map of Australia "symbolises our voice to the entire nation". [G] states "as the only truly national broadsheet we can own this space" (positioning claim: see claims.md).
- Always in the **top-right corner**, at a size that is not overpowering.
- Red is always the first preference. White may be used where red is not possible.
- It is not required on mini or small strip placements because of their size.
- **No public file for the map mark was found. It must not be drawn or approximated.** Gap.
## Colour
```yaml
color:
evidence_status: brand_declared
source: "[G] §04 Colour"
role_mapping_note: "Hex values, names and palette membership are brand_declared. [G] puts Ember, Oxford, Black, White and Linen in the primary palette and the rest in the secondary palette. The BCP `role` values are this package's inferred mapping."
tokens:
ember:
hex: "#F15B46"
role: primary
semantic_name: "AUS RED | EMBER"
usage_rule: "One of two logo colours. First-preference colour for the map brand mark."
print: "CMYK 0 80 76 0; RGB 241 91 70"
evidence_status: brand_declared
oxford:
hex: "#004563"
role: primary
semantic_name: "AUS BLUE | OXFORD"
usage_rule: "One of two logo colours."
print: "CMYK 100 0 0 75; RGB stated as 0 69 69 (conflicts with HEX; see Known conflicts)"
evidence_status: brand_declared
white:
hex: "#FFFFFF"
role: surface
semantic_name: WHITE
evidence_status: brand_declared
linen:
hex: "#EEEDE6"
role: surface
semantic_name: "AUS BEIGE | LINEN"
print: "CMYK 0 0 3 7; RGB 238 237 230"
evidence_status: brand_declared
black:
hex: "#000000"
role: text
semantic_name: BLACK
evidence_status: brand_declared
marine:
hex: "#237D9B"
role: accent
semantic_name: "AUS BLUE | MARINE (secondary palette)"
usage_rule: "Secondary colours: use sparingly, for special campaigns. Observed as the background of the header Subscribe button on 2026-10-26."
evidence_status: brand_declared
powder:
hex: "#E5EBF6"
role: neutral
semantic_name: "AUS BLUE | POWDER (secondary palette)"
evidence_status: brand_declared
turquoise:
hex: "#66ABAF"
role: accent
semantic_name: "AUS GREEN | TURQUOISE (secondary palette)"
evidence_status: brand_declared
slate:
hex: "#92A1AA"
role: neutral
semantic_name: "AUS GREY | SLATE (secondary palette)"
usage_rule: "HEX/RGB conflict in source; see Known conflicts."
evidence_status: brand_declared
ice:
hex: "#D8E7EE"
role: neutral
semantic_name: "AUS BLUE | ICE (secondary palette)"
usage_rule: "HEX/RGB conflict in source (RGB given as 85 91 93); the CMYK 9 3 0 7 is consistent with the HEX, not the RGB. Unconfirmed."
evidence_status: brand_declared
approved_pairs_evidence_status: inferred
approved_pairs:
- foreground: black
background: white
- foreground: black
background: linen
- foreground: white
background: ember
- foreground: white
background: oxford
forbidden_pairs: []
notes:
- "Highlight key words in a secondary colour: a design mandatory in [G] §09."
- "Set T&Cs in a white box with black text for legibility ([G] §09 templates)."
- "The approved pairs are a conservative inference from the template notes and logo variants (white logo on red/dark). The guidelines do not publish a pairing matrix."
observed_web_colors:
evidence_status: observed
source: "Rendered CSS, https://www.theaustralian.com.au/ (2026-10-26)"
masthead_svg_fills: ["#ED5843", "#00405C"]
section_heading_text: "#00405C (rgb 0 64 92)"
headline_text: "#000000"
secondary_text: "#606669 (rgb 96 102 105)"
subscribe_button_background: "#237D9B (matches Marine)"
```
## Typography
```yaml
typography:
families:
times_classic:
family: "Times Classic Display"
fallback_stack: ["Times Classic Bold", "Times", "Times New Roman", "serif"]
weights: [400, 500, 700]
styles: [normal, italic]
source: "[G] §05 Primary Font. Served as a webfont on the site (observed 2026-10-26: 'Times Classic Display' 400/700, 'Times Classic Bold' 700)."
license_note: "Commercial newspaper typeface. Not a free or Google font. Licence terms and owner were not verified. Do not embed or redistribute font files. [G] suggests substituting 'Times' in Google Slides/Docs. That substitute is a different typeface."
usage_rule: "Headlines in bold, body copy in regular. Medium for subheads or where bold is overpowering. The family comprises Regular, Medium, Bold, Italic, Medium Italic and Bold Italic. ([G] §05)"
evidence_status: brand_declared
avenir:
family: "Avenir"
fallback_stack: ["Avenir Next", "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "sans-serif"]
source: "[G] §05 Secondary Font ('New secondary marketing font')"
license_note: "Commercial typeface (not open source); not available as a Google font as far as could be determined. The [G] tip to search for Avenir in Google Slides/Docs appears to be a copy of the Times tip and was not verified. Licence status for any given user is unverified."
usage_rule: "Only for secondary copy lines, CTAs and T&Cs."
evidence_status: brand_declared
roles:
display: times_classic
body: times_classic
ui: avenir
observed_web:
evidence_status: observed
lead_headline: "Times Classic Bold, 32px/40px, weight 700, black"
section_heading: "Times Classic Display, 24px/30px, weight 400, #00405C"
standfirst_small: "Times Classic Display, 16px/20px, #606669"
header_cta: "'Subscribe' rendered in Times Classic Display 14px, white on #237D9B, 2px radius"
note: "On 2026-10-26 the header CTA was set in Times Classic Display, not Avenir. The Avenir rule in [G] is for marketing creative."
```
## Layout and composition (brand_declared, [G] §09)
```yaml
layout:
evidence_status: brand_declared
mandatories:
- Map brand mark in the top-right corner
- Logo right-aligned or centred
- Key words highlighted in a secondary colour
- Consistent QR code style
- Logo size and colour per templates
- T&C size and placement per templates
template_patterns:
- "Full-page press (sale and full-bleed imagery templates): small map top right, rounded CTA box, CTA in secondary font, T&Cs in a white box with black text, two-colour logo centre-aligned"
- "Medium-strip press: key words highlighted in secondary colour, two-colour logo left-aligned, CTA/URL in a pill-shaped box, small map top right, QR code with map in centre"
- "Mini-strip press: key word highlighted, CTA in secondary font, logo always right-aligned (no map needed)"
- "Digital: small map top right, one-colour tagline at small sizes, rounded CTA box"
corner_radius: "CTA containers are rounded (box) or pill-shaped. No numeric radius declared."
papercraft:
description: "Collage of several images in duotone or black-and-white with subtle paper textures, giving a layered, tactile, editorial composition that puts journalists, their voices and the audience at the centre. Bespoke versions are produced by the brand's creative agency."
examples_named: [Federal Election topic, Podcast, Travel]
forbidden_compositions:
- Map brand mark anywhere other than top right
- QR code with square corners, without the map, with a border or 'scan me' label, in altered colour, or with the map placed differently from the template
```
## QR codes (brand_declared, [G] §08)
- Marketing teams generate their own trackable QR codes, with the map icon loaded into the brand's QR-generation service.
- Separate approved styles exist for dark and light backgrounds.
- Don't use square corners, omit the map, add a border or "scan me" label, or alter the colour (shown as wrong in [G]). The medium-strip template shows a map in the centre with squared corner markers. The two statements are not fully reconcilable in the converted text. Gap.
## Imagery (brand_declared, [G] §07)
```yaml
imagery:
evidence_status: brand_declared
photographic_style: "Bold, serious and cinematic. Editorial and human-centred: the people at the heart of the story, or traces of their influence, emotion and impact. Premium, with strong composition, cinematic lighting and unusual perspectives."
principles:
- Authentic and documentary in style
- Never staged or overly polished
- Elevated quality that keeps focus on the story and leaves clean space for headlines and copy
forbidden_treatments:
- Staged set-ups
- Overly polished treatment
negative_prompts:
evidence_status: inferred
items: [staged smiles to camera, glossy advertising look, generic stock office scenes, clip-art]
editorial_photography_note:
evidence_status: brand_declared
source: "News Corp Australia editorial code §23 (news imagery, not marketing creative)"
text: "News images: colour alteration, over-sharpening and manipulation are prohibited (§23.2). Altered or AI-modified subjects must be captioned as digitally altered (§23.5). Artistic alteration needs editor approval (§23.7)."
```
The editorial-photography note comes from https://d2n6ofw4o746cn.cloudfront.net/bob/files/code_conduct.html. That document is embedded at https://www.theaustralian.com.au/editorial-code-of-conduct and was last updated 11 September 2025.
## Motion
No motion or video guidance was available beyond the existence of social-video templates ([G] §09, "Social – Video"). Gap.
## Rights and gaps
- **Unverified usage rights:** masthead, map brand mark, papercraft artwork, templates, photography and fonts. Nothing here grants a licence. The official logo files are referenced only so that identification and integrity can be checked.
- No public asset files were found for the map mark, logo variants (dark/red/one-colour tagline), QR artwork or templates.
- The brand-architecture diagram and template visuals in [G] were images that did not convert to text. Their details are not represented.
---
bcp_version: "2.0.0"
file_type: voice
last_updated: "2026-10-26"
parent: https://registry.encodedbrands.ai/the-australian-835000db/.well-known/brand.md
---
# The Australian — Voice
This file covers how The Australian sounds in **marketing and brand communications**, and records separately what its **editorial** output observably sounds like. This file keeps the two separate. The supplied marketing guidelines state that their tone-of-voice guidance "is for marketing purposes only and should not be used as a basis for editorial writing" (Marketing Brand Guidelines 2026, updated July, §06 Language).
Source keys used below:
- **[G]** Supplied document: *Marketing Brand Guidelines – The Australian* ("Brand Guidelines 2026 — Updated July"), §01 Introduction, §06 Language. Internal marketing document supplied by the requester on 2026-10-26; not publicly posted.
- **[H]** https://www.theaustralian.com.au/ (home page front, observed 2026-10-26)
- **[P]** https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics (section front, observed 2026-10-26)
- **[E]** https://www.theaustralian.com.au/commentary/editorials (editorials index, observed 2026-10-26)
- **[S]** https://www.theaustralian.com.au/subscribe/news/1/ (subscription page, observed 2026-10-26)
Labels: **brand_declared** = stated in [G]; **observed** = seen on the live site but not stated as policy; **inferred** = this package's interpretation, not brand guidance.
## Who the marketing voice addresses (brand_declared, [G])
The guidelines describe readers as intelligent Australians with strong opinions who follow current affairs, are successful and well read, and are not humourless: they reward cleverness, wit and "a good yarn". The voice "stems from our respect for our readers and is inspired by the tone of our editorial output".
## Marketing voice attributes (brand_declared, [G])
The four attributes and their rules are brand_declared. The `tier` values are this package's inference: [G] does not rank the attributes.
```yaml
attributes:
- name: Sophisticated
tier: core # inferred
rule: Respect the reader's intelligence, experience and time. Get to the point smartly. No dumbed-down or overly familiar language.
source: "[G] §06 Tone of voice"
- name: Inviting
tier: core # inferred
rule: Read as an invitation to a premium club, never cold or distant. Address the reader directly ("you"), not "members".
source: "[G] §06 Tone of voice"
- name: Engaging
tier: default # inferred
rule: Aim for a wry smile. Wit and wordplay where appropriate; no cheap gags.
source: "[G] §06 Tone of voice"
- name: Challenging
tier: default # inferred
rule: Active language and action verbs. Challenge the reader, but never make the ask sound difficult.
source: "[G] §06 Tone of voice"
personality:
is: [fearless, inclusive, curious, world class]
summary: "An intelligent, trusted and worldly companion."
is_not: [arrogant, long-winded, boring, sensationalist, timid]
source: "[G] §01 Brand Personality"
proposition:
text: "The Australian is the antidote to ordinary thinking."
exact_text: true
source: "[G] §01 Proposition"
```
### Brand-supplied before/after examples ([G] §06)
[G] pairs a weak line with a preferred line under each attribute. The attribute each pair belongs to is read from the page layout (inferred). Two pairs are quoted exactly and two are paraphrased. Publication rights for quoting this internal document have not been confirmed.
- **Sophisticated** (quoted). Instead of "Pour yourself a cuppa and snuggle up with our weekend mag for fashion, travel, recipes and heaps more of what you love.", [G] prefers "Unwind with 60+ pages of award-winning features and lifestyle writing in The Australian Weekend Magazine."
- **Engaging** (quoted). Instead of a flat statement that the paper "keeps you up to speed" with business news, [G] prefers "When Trump tweets, markets tremble. Stay ahead of the man and the game with expert markets coverage from The Australian."
- **Inviting** (paraphrased). A description of The Australian Plus as a "member benefits program" for "members" is replaced by an invitation, "Open the door to …", that lists concrete experiences (private dinners, Q&As with journalists, prizes) and names The Australian Plus last.
- **Challenging** (paraphrased). A soft promise to "improve your understanding" is replaced by an active verb ("Gain …") and a stronger promise of insight into the most significant national and global issues.
Note: these examples contain factual and comparative claims ("60+ pages", "award-winning", "unrivalled"). They show tone only. Reusing those claims is governed by claims.md, where they sit in `forbidden`.
Note on naming: the pair above uses "The Australian Weekend Magazine", while the current product name observed elsewhere is "The Weekend Australian Magazine". See representation.md (naming).
## Marketing messaging construct (brand_declared, [G] §06, optional)
The guidelines offer a campaign construct as inspiration, "not required to be followed for all headlines":
```yaml
messaging_construct:
tier: contextual
context: brand campaign headlines
pattern: "[Invitation] to [journalist input: provocation / interesting thinking] on/of/the [breadth of content]"
invitation_verbs: [Welcome, join, subscribe, find, discover, uncover]
provocation_words: [Thought-provoking, Uncover, Understand, Discover, In-depth analysis, Insightful, Challenging]
interesting_thinking_words: [Undiscovered, new, fresh, latest, cutting edge, only, explore, behind the scenes, exclusive]
breadth_of_content: [news, politics, business, international, sport, arts, subscriptions, app and podcasts, lifestyle, supplements (Wish, Mansion, Travel + Luxury, Review)]
anchor_theme: "Welcome ... the Contest of Ideas"
source: "[G] §06 Messaging Construct"
```
Caution (inferred): words such as "only", "exclusive" and "cutting edge" are claims as well as style. Use them only where claims.md supports them for the specific item.
## Editorial voice: observed behaviour (observed, not policy)
The marketing guide says it is not a basis for editorial writing. The patterns below come from the live site. They help when describing or summarising The Australian. They are not a template for articles, headlines or quotes attributed to it; boundaries.md lists fabrication as a hard no.
### News headlines ([H], [P])
- **Compression and register.** In the samples seen, headlines run about 5–14 words in sentence case, with names and institutions first. The register is formal, but the verbs are hard and active. Examples: "Wilson and Carroll trade blows over tax cuts" ([P]); "EnergyAustralia axing workforce as power costs bite" ([H]); "US Justice Department charges former FBI chief Comey again" ([H]).
- **Quoted fragments in single quotation marks** carry a source's claim inside the headline without the paper adopting it. Example ([P]): "Regions cry ‘mayday’ over migrant staff".
- **Explanatory "Who/What" framing** for international explainers. Example ([H]): "Who is Eisenkot, Israel’s anyone-but-Bibi candidate?"
- **Australian idiom in hard news** is sparing but present: "Anthropic to tap Aussie investors in blockbuster IPO"; "Former Rio chief takes on Canberra’s billion-dollar defence blob" ([H]).
### Standfirsts ([P], five samples, 2026-10-26)
In the samples, each standfirst is one sentence that names an actor, states the development and adds context or attribution. It reads like a news lead, not a teaser. Two samples, truncated:
- "Liberal leader Jess Wilson hit back as Premier Ben Carroll sharpened his attack in the wake of a Newspoll result …"
- "Regional tourism operators say a working holiday maker visa overhaul will see ‘businesses fail left, right and centre’."
Contested characterisations are put inside quotation marks and attributed ("say", "suggests"). *(Pattern generalised from five samples; inferred.)*
### Editorials and opinion ([E], [H])
- **Headlines state a position**, often normative or imperative: "must face justice", "shows how to bite bullet on spending", "Folly for …". Opinion columns on the home page carry punchy verdicts (e.g. "Proposal to raise GST just one more road to ruin").
- **Editorial standfirsts are argued, not neutral.** They name the policy remedy or moral judgment directly ("Reining in the public sector is the key to …").
- **Labelling (observed):** editorials and columns are published under Commentary and Editorials sections, which appear in the navigation and in URLs (`/commentary/editorials/`). The News Corp Australia editorial code §1.3 asks that factual material be distinguishable from opinion. It also says comment, conjecture and opinion "are acceptable as part of" coverage, so news reports may contain analysis or perspective. Accurate summaries carry the section label and do not assume a news report is free of comment.
### Subscription and product marketing ([S])
- Short benefit headlines ("Unlock every story and more with your subscription"), price-led offer cards and plain feature bullets.
- Journalist-led trust copy describes reporters as "fearless, curious, world-class" and as cutting "through spin". It reuses the brand personality words from [G] almost verbatim, so the marketing and subscription surfaces share one vocabulary (observed).
## Register by context
```yaml
register_by_context:
- context: brand campaign / subscription marketing
register: polished, confident, lightly witty; second person
evidence_status: brand_declared
source: "[G] §06"
- context: member benefits (The Australian Plus)
register: invitational, premium, club-like
evidence_status: brand_declared
source: "[G] §06"
- context: describing the news report (third-party summaries)
register: neutral, precise, attributive; distinguish news from opinion
evidence_status: inferred
- context: editorials (the paper's own voice)
register: argumentative, declarative, nation-focused
evidence_status: observed
note: Text in this register is not The Australian's editorial position unless it was actually published as one (see boundaries.md).
```
## Vocabulary
```yaml
prefer:
- term: "you / your"
why: Guidelines tell copy to address the reader, not "members". [G]
- term: "insight, analysis, scrutiny, debate, contest of ideas"
why: Recurs across proposition, manifesto and construct. [G]
- term: "the nation, Australia's future, progress"
why: Core platform language (manifesto, "a brand of progress"). [G]
- term: "uncover, discover, explore, join, welcome"
why: Listed invitation and provocation verbs. [G]
- term: "journalists (named, with role)"
why: Subscription page leads with named reporters and editors. [S]
avoid:
- term: "members (as a form of address)"
why: "Guidelines say address the reader, not members. [G]"
tier: default
- term: "cuppa, snuggle up, heaps more, mag"
why: Given in [G] as the over-familiar register to avoid.
- term: hype superlatives without support ("best ever", "must-read", "you won't believe")
why: Brand is "not sensationalist". [G]
- term: cheap puns and gag headlines in marketing
why: Guidelines say avoid cheap gags. [G]
- term: long throat-clearing intros
why: Brand is "not long-winded"; "get to the point smartly". [G]
```
## Sentence rules (marketing copy)
- Lead with the verb or the payoff. Keep one idea per line; the guide's examples are 1–2 short sentences. [G]
- Wit sits in the first clause and the substance (coverage, benefit) in the second, as in "When Trump tweets, markets tremble." followed by the offer. [G]
- Name the product or masthead once, in full, at the end of the line or offer: "… with The Australian Plus", "… from The Australian". [G]
- Spelling is Australian/British English (e.g. "colour", "criticise", "organisation"), as in [G] and the site (observed).
- CTAs and T&Cs are set in the secondary font (Avenir). See visual.md. [G]
## Gaps
- No official editorial style guide (house style for capitalisation, numbers, honorifics) was available. The editorial observations above come from limited samples on one day (2026-10-26).
- No audio or video voice guidance was found (podcasts such as *The Front* exist; see representation.md).
- The guidelines' brand-architecture diagram did not survive text conversion. Sub-brand voice differences (e.g. Wish, Mansion, Review) are not specified.
---
bcp_version: "2.0.0"
file_type: anti_ai
last_updated: "2026-10-26"
parent: https://registry.encodedbrands.ai/the-australian-835000db/.well-known/brand/voice.md
---
# The Australian — Anti-AI language patterns
These are patterns that mark copy as machine-generated and clash with The Australian's marketing voice: sophisticated, inviting, engaging, challenging, and never long-winded, boring or sensationalist ([G] §01, §06). Brand additions are this package's application of the supplied guidelines. They are **inferred** and have not been reviewed by the brand.
```yaml
community_reference:
url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Signs_of_AI_writing
rationale: "Community-maintained, regularly updated catalogue of AI writing tells. Chosen because the BCP project has not yet published a canonical list (spec §17.9)."
brand_additions:
- pattern: "In today's fast-paced news landscape"
type: opener
rationale: Throat-clearing opener; the brand must "get to the point smartly" and not be long-winded.
example: "In today's fast-paced news landscape, staying informed has never been more important."
- pattern: "Stay informed / stay in the know"
type: phrase
rationale: Generic, passive news-brand filler. The guide asks for active verbs that evoke action ("Gain unrivalled insight…", "Stay ahead of the man and the game…").
- pattern: "dive into, delve into, deep dive"
type: word
rationale: Clichéd AI verbs; the brand vocabulary is uncover, discover, explore, understand.
- pattern: "Whether you're X or Y, we've got you covered"
type: structure
rationale: Over-familiar, salesy register the guidelines reject (cf. the 'cuppa' anti-example).
- pattern: "Unlock a world of …"
type: phrase
rationale: "Stock AI marketing phrase. Note: the subscribe page uses 'Unlock every story', which is concrete. Keep 'unlock' tied to a specific benefit, never to 'a world of'."
- pattern: "It's not just X, it's Y"
type: structure
rationale: Formulaic contrast that reads as filler rather than wit.
- pattern: Generic adjective stacks with no proof attached ("trusted, insightful and essential")
type: structure
rationale: "Generic adjective lists stand in for evidence. The brand's own personality triplets (e.g. 'fearless, curious, world-class' on the subscribe page) are fine when tied to named journalists or concrete benefits."
- pattern: Emoji and exclamation marks in brand copy
type: structure
rationale: "Cheapens the premium register; not present in any guideline text example. Social-template copy in [G] was lost in conversion, so hashtag and emoji norms for social are a gap."
- pattern: "Ultimately, … / In conclusion, …"
type: closer
rationale: Summary closers are padding. Guideline examples end on the masthead or offer.
- pattern: Invented authority ("experts agree", "studies show") without a named source
type: phrase
rationale: Conflicts with the brand's stated rigour ("we check our facts") and News Corp Australia's editorial code §1.6 (credible sources only).
- pattern: Calling readers "members", "users" or "audiences" in direct address
type: word
rationale: Guidelines say address the reader, not "members".
```
[G] = supplied *Marketing Brand Guidelines – The Australian* (2026, updated July).