The media’s central role in the policy process has long been recognised, with policy scholars noting the potential for news media to influence policy change. However, scholars have paid most attention to the news media as a conduit for the agendas, frames, and preferences of other policy actors. Recently, scholars have more closely examined media actors directly contributing to policy change. This paper presents a case study to argue that specific members of the media may display the additional skills and behaviours that characterise policy entrepreneurship. Our case study focuses on mandatory childhood vaccination in Australia, following the entrepreneurial actions of a deputy newspaper editor and her affiliated outlets. Mandatory childhood vaccination policies have grown in strength and number in recent years across the industrialised world in response to parents refusing to vaccinate their children. Australia’s federal and state governments have been at the forefront of meeting vaccine refusal with harsh consequences; our case study demonstrates how media actors conceived and advanced these policies. The experiences, skills, attributes, and strategies of Sunday Telegraph Deputy Editor Claire Harvey facilitated her policy entrepreneurship, utilising many classic hallmarks from the literature and additional opportunities offered by her media role. Harvey also subverted the classic pathway of entrepreneurship, mobilising the public ahead of policymakers to force the latter’s hand.

媒体在政策过程中的核心作用早已得到认可，政策学者指出新闻媒体影响政策变化的潜力。然而，学者们最关注的是新闻媒体作为其他政策参与者的议程、框架和偏好的渠道。最近，学者们更仔细地研究了直接促成政策变化的媒体参与者。本文提出了一个案例研究，认为特定的媒体成员可能会表现出政策企业家精神的额外技能和行为。我们的案例研究重点关注澳大利亚的强制性儿童疫苗接种，遵循报纸副编辑及其附属媒体的创业行动。近年来，为了应对父母拒绝为孩子接种疫苗的情况，工业化世界的强制性儿童疫苗接种政策的力度和数量都在不断增加。澳大利亚联邦政府和州政府一直站在应对拒绝接种疫苗造成严重后果的最前线；我们的案例研究展示了媒体参与者如何构思和推进这些政策。《星期日电讯报》副主编克莱尔·哈维的经验、技能、特质和策略促进了她的政策创业，利用了文献中的许多经典特征以及她的媒体角色提供的额外机会。哈维还颠覆了创业的经典路径，在政策制定者之前动员公众来迫使后者采取行动。