“In particular, Crikey has published in full News Corps' Weekly Operating Statement for a week ending 30 June 2013, as well as a number of articles referring to the contents of the Weekly Operating Statement. “The disclosure of this document is entirely unauthorised, and News is taking the necessary and appropriate action against Crikey (including considering all available legal avenues). “News will also take appropriate action against any other entity or individual who publishes the Weekly Operating Statement and/or its contents, including by referring to or summarising its contents.” A report in The Australian headlined “Ghosts of Williams’ strategy laid bare as News forges ahead” reported that “the Australian posted a loss of $27 million before depreciation” in the year in question. The report added: “Editor-in-chief Chris Mitchell previously said: ‘The Australian is on track to halve its loss for the financial year (2013-14).’ Yesterday, Mitchell confirmed it had.”

The report said that since chief executive officer Julian Clarke took charge “print and digital advertising revenues have improved at News”. The accounts reveal far more detail than News Corp gave at its fourth-quarter results this month and display how heavily the company has bolstered its newspapers with profits from online real estate giant REA Group and ­pay television joint venture Foxtel. Operating losses at The Australian widened from $19.3 million to ­$27.1 million against a budgeted loss of $7.56 million, according to the last weekly internal operating accounts for 2012-13. Revenue tumbled from $135 million to $108 million, versus a budgeted $133 million. In addition the company’s national digital services suffered losses of $5.1 million, although these were slightly down from a ­$7.44 million loss a year earlier. The accounts were compiled less than two months before then-News Corp chief executive Kim Williams was ousted and in the same week as Rupert Murdoch demerged his global News Corp ­operations from his highly valued US film and cable television business 21st Century Fox, in the wake of the phone-hacking scandal in the UK.

After a visit to Australia to celebrate the The Australian’s 50th anniversary in July, Mr Murdoch tweeted: “Just had an exciting week in Australia with great team digging company out of many holes”. It is thought that News Corp ­Australia’s revenue declines in the year ended June 2013 were exacerbated by a national sales structure, which has since been unwound by Mr Williams’s ­successor, Julian Clarke. The accounts show the extent to which News Corp Australia, like other traditional media companies, has struggled to respond to the structural decline in print circulation ­and advertising. Sydney tabloid The Daily Telegraph suffered a 65 per cent plunge in ­operating income to only $8 million as revenue fell 14 per cent to ­$160 million. Operating income at The Sunday Telegraph slid 53 per cent to $7 million on revenue 15 per cent lower at $94 million.

The weekday Herald Sun in Melbourne suffered a 41 per cent drop in operating income to $35 million as revenue fell 13.5 per cent to $250 million in 2012-13 . Revenue for the Sunday edition fell 17 per cent to $75 million with operating income down 31 per cent to $21 million. Mr Clarke said in an emailed statement: “The figures quoted are 14 months out of date, have been illegally circulated and are not part of our statutory accounts. They do not reflect the current performance of the business.” In an internal memo to News Corp staff, Mr Clarke said the figures had been “circulated illegally”. News Corp’s most recent official annual accounts released this month showed Australian newspaper revenue fell another 18 per cent in US dollar terms, compared with the previous year. News Corp said more than half the decline, which comprised a $US314 million drop in advertising revenue and a $US45 million fall in circulation revenue, was related to the drop in the value of the Austrlaian dollar.

Mr Williams, who was chief executive at the time of the accounts, said: “I’ve no doubt there will be a festival of vengeance against me. I have nothing to say." He added: “What all print journalism companies are dealing with are completely immutable and unstoppable forces. And people who deny that is the case are clearly living in a different world than I am living in. “I haven’t seen the Crikey piece. Apparently there’s some suggestion that this is all my fault.’’ He added: “Obviously, I beg to differ.’’ Mr Williams defended his decision to pay $30 million for the media business of ABC presenter Alan Kohler, which the figures show cost News Corp Australia $2.5 million despite its $3.5 million revenue. “Here’s one thing about purchase prices: people always have 100 per cent hindsight.’’