Sydney loses local papers as The Sydney Sentinel and Inner West Review close

By ERIN MODARO

Two Sydney local newspapers have announced they will no longer be in operation. Both The Inner West Review and The Sydney Sentinel have ceased publishing, with the Review announcing this week that the paper is shutting its doors.

Peter Hackney, the founder and editor-in-chief of the independently owned Sydney Sentinel , told City Hub that the decision to cease publishing is “bittersweet”.

Hackney, who started the Sentinel in September of 2020, says that “it’s time for me to do something different”.

“Now that it’s possible again, I want to travel. I also have the desire to focus on my own writing. Neither are really possible while running a publication full-time.”

While Hackney said that the closure of an independent media outlet is “bound to have an impact” on the accessibility of local news, he says that media is a fast-changing space.

“The nature of our industry is that the media landscape is ever-changing, and I have faith in existing, emerging and future journalists and outlets to deliver high-quality local and community news.”

Inner West Review cites rising costs for print

Inner West Review Editor Sarah Maguire announced the paper’s closure in the Review’s final publication.

“We are closing. There is no easy way to say it” Maguire wrote.

The Inner West Review launched digitally in September of last year, and released its first print newspaper in February of 2022.

Now, Maguire noted the struggles community newspapers face, saying “a free community newspaper is wonderful, but difficult”. Maguire cited that paper prices are rising “astronomically”, contributing towards the cost of producing printed papers.

The Sydney Sentinel satire paper comments

A satire publication bearing the same name as The Sydney Sentinel, however, does not express disappointment to see the news publication close its doors.

“It’s not surprising that a publication void of enough creativity or ethics to come up with their own name flopped” The Sydney Sentinel satire paper told City Hub.

The satire paper, describing their content as a “satirical glare across Sydney, the world and beyond, like a majestic ibis standing atop a bin judging everything”, was established before Hackney opened his own Sentinel.

The Sydney Sentinel satire, who’s mascot is an ibis bird holding a martini and smoking, is still actively publishing parody news.