POLITICO extends global footprint with Australia launch in 2026

Australia – POLITICO has announced plans to expand into Australia, marking its entry into the Indo-Pacific region as part of its broader strategy to link global power centers.

The news organisation said it will launch operations in Australia and introduce Canberra Playbook when the Australian parliament returns from its winter recess in the third quarter of 2026. 

The expansion is aimed at delivering its political and policy journalism to Australian audiences, while also providing readers in North America and Europe with greater insight into decisions made in Australia that may have international implications.

“POLITICO’s expansion to Australia is natural. We will deliver the same essential U.S. and European coverage that our audiences in the Western Hemisphere depend on. And we will be even better positioned to help readers around the globe understand important economic and geopolitical developments in the Indo-Pacific, from trade and defense to energy and critical minerals,” POLITICO CEO Goli Sheikholeslami said. 

“This investment in a third continent underscores how POLITICO enters its third decade as a strong, successful, and growing news organization, committed to linking international power centers and illuminating politics, power, and policy on a global scale,” she added.

The Australian expansion will be led by Ryan Heath, who returns to the organisation as launch editor for POLITICO Australia. Heath previously launched Brussels Playbook in 2015 and played a role in building POLITICO’s European presence. In his new role, he will oversee the editorial buildout in Australia, assemble the founding team, and initially serve as the author of the Canberra Playbook.

“Australians need journalism that both explains power dynamics and connects the dots globally. That’s why I’m so excited to help lead POLITICO’s expansion into my home country,” Heath said. 

He added, “In this era of great power and technology upheavals, POLITICO’s ability to examine Australia’s most important security and trade relationships is unrivaled. We take politicians and policy seriously – it’s all we do. We will bring that depth and new angles to political journalism in Canberra, just as we have everywhere else we operate.”

Founded in Washington in 2007, POLITICO has expanded its newsroom footprint over the past decade, including its European launch. The company said its move into Australia reflects continued international growth and its focus on covering political and policy developments across key global power centers.