'Foreign invaders' threaten struggling Australian media

Sydney

AUSTRALIA'S role as a testing ground for global media giants such as The New York Times, and Britain's Daily Mail and The Guardian could hasten the decline of embattled local players as they fight for eyeballs and advertising dollars, analysts warn.

With traditional sources of circulation and advertising revenues drying up, the world's biggest news brands are spreading their wings to grow digital audiences.

One of the first places they have set up, producing local content for the domestic market, is Australia - already home to some of their largest foreign audiences, and with a ready population of early technology adopters and keen news consumers.

But with the market near-saturated, analysts say the foreign outlets, with their deep pockets and mostly free content, are eatin…