Sydney Star Observer
Encyclopedia
The Sydney Star Observer is a free weekly tabloid and online
newspaper
that caters to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender
community in Sydney
, New South Wales
, Australia
. The paper is owned and published by Gay & Lesbian Community Publishing Limited, a community-owned and oriented business. It has a sister publication in Melbourne
, Victoria
, called The Southern Star.
The typical profile of the audience is aged between 23 years and 50 years, with a higher than average income level. With a 2007 audited circulation
in excess of 20,000 per week, the publishers claim a weekly readership exceeding 57,000 readers.
In May 2007, Scott Abrahams was appointed publishing editor. In October 2007, SSO joined several other publications in every mainland state to form the Gay and Lesbian Australian Media Alliance (GLAMA), to improve support for the gay and lesbian community organisations that rely on community publishers.
Both the tabloid publication and online version contain local, national, and international coverage related to gay and lesbian matters. Non-specifically gay and lesbian items, such as music and film, real estate
, technology, horoscopes, and classifieds are also covered. A strong focus of the publication is on community, such as sport, gay and lesbian business events, and opinion and letters to editor sections.
During 2009 and 2010, a number of special editions were published to celebrate the 30th Jubilee
(2009), 1000th edition (2009), Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras
(2010) and 30 years of the gay scene (2010). Specialist magazinea are produced annually in the prelude and aftermath of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras festival, called fg and PS respectively, and guides for both Queer Screen's Mardi Gras Film Festival
and a travel expo called Out Travel Expo.
Foundation and Twenty10 as well as others.
Online newspaper
An online newspaper, also known as a web newspaper, is a newspaper that exists on the World Wide Web or Internet, either separately or as an online version of a printed periodical....
newspaper
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...
that caters to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
community in 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...
, 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...
. The paper is owned and published by Gay & Lesbian Community Publishing Limited, a community-owned and oriented business. It has a sister publication in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, called The Southern Star.
History and readership
The newspaper first went to print as a tabloid in 1979 under the name The Sydney Star and is the oldest and the largest publication in circulation of its kind in Australia.The typical profile of the audience is aged between 23 years and 50 years, with a higher than average income level. With a 2007 audited circulation
Newspaper circulation
A newspaper's circulation is the number of copies it distributes on an average day. Circulation is one of the principal factors used to set advertising rates. Circulation is not always the same as copies sold, often called paid circulation, since some newspapers are distributed without cost to the...
in excess of 20,000 per week, the publishers claim a weekly readership exceeding 57,000 readers.
In May 2007, Scott Abrahams was appointed publishing editor. In October 2007, SSO joined several other publications in every mainland state to form the Gay and Lesbian Australian Media Alliance (GLAMA), to improve support for the gay and lesbian community organisations that rely on community publishers.
Format and content
In hardcopy tabloid format, The Star (as it is commonly known) is published on a Wednesday morning and distributed to 500 locations throughout Sydney, regional NSW and interstate. Copies can be found in gay and lesbian community outlets such as pubs, nightclubs, gay and lesbian friendly retail shops, gyms, sex on premieses venues, medical practices, and community centres. Subscriptions are also available.Both the tabloid publication and online version contain local, national, and international coverage related to gay and lesbian matters. Non-specifically gay and lesbian items, such as music and film, real estate
Real estate
In general use, esp. North American, 'real estate' is taken to mean "Property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals, or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this; an item of real property; buildings or...
, technology, horoscopes, and classifieds are also covered. A strong focus of the publication is on community, such as sport, gay and lesbian business events, and opinion and letters to editor sections.
During 2009 and 2010, a number of special editions were published to celebrate the 30th Jubilee
Jubilee
-Anniversaries and celebrations:*Jubilee , Royal Jubilee years are depicted in Egyptian history*Jubilee , the Jubilee year specified in the Torah*Jubilee , a special year for the remission of sins and universal pardon...
(2009), 1000th edition (2009), Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras
Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras
The Sydney Mardi Gras is an annual LGBTQI pride parade and festival in Sydney, Australia, and draws in thousands of visitors from around Australia and overseas...
(2010) and 30 years of the gay scene (2010). Specialist magazinea are produced annually in the prelude and aftermath of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras festival, called fg and PS respectively, and guides for both Queer Screen's Mardi Gras Film Festival
Mardi Gras Film Festival
The Sydney Mardi Gras Film Festival is held as part of the annual Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras celebrations every year. It is hosted by the non profit organization, Queer Screen and is one of the worlds largest platforms for LGBT cinema....
and a travel expo called Out Travel Expo.
Community support
The shareholders of the publishing company have never drawn dividends from any profits generated by The Sydney Star Observer. Instead, The Star has made donations to support the community through entities such as the AIDS Trust, Victorian AIDS Council, the Bobby GoldsmithBobby Goldsmith
Bobby Goldsmith was one of Australia's early victims of acquired immune deficiency syndrome . Goldsmith was an Australian athlete and active gay community member who won 17 medals in swimming at the first Gay Olympics, in San Francisco in 1982.Goldsmith was assisted by a network of friends who...
Foundation and Twenty10 as well as others.