Media analysts agree that the reason why Asia and Australia's richest woman, Gina Rinehart, acquired a larger stake in Fairfax Media is to exert more influence. They see her overt opposition to the mining tax and carbon tax, as well as her attempts to suppress the publication of family feud, as the reasons behind her buy-in.

A group, however, suggested that rather than hike her stake in Fairfax - whose fortunes and political influence are touted to be waning - Ms Rinehart should instead buy Twitter, the popular microblogging site with millions of members which includes U.S. President Barack Obama.

Technology Speculator writer Charis Palmer, who suggested that Ms Rinerhart acquire Twitter to have a firmer hold on public opinion, quoted an article by Eureka Report contributor Tom Elliott that the billionaire, like many people her age, is still trying to understand how much global media has changed in the past five years.

Mr Elliott opined that Ms Rinehart still believes newspapers still form opinion.

"The reality is newspapers aren't as influential as they used to be and audiences continue to seek out opinion from a variety of sources, often to confirm the beliefs they already hold," Ms Palmer wrote.

She explained Twitter's growth in popularity to consumers' clamor for real-time discussions and instant news.

"The influence and opinion able to be conferred through Twitter is now being acknowledged by newsrooms around the world, and concern about that is driving a raft of social media policies that staff are being forced to adhere to," Ms Palmer pointed out.

She cited the rise of multiple Web sites to measures which has the most influence and why as an indicator of the shift of public opinion influence from traditional printed newspapers to social media.

Among the reasons that Ms Palmer cited why the reclusive billionaire should buy into Twitter are the microblogging site's income-generating potential based on $260 million revenue forecast for 2012, a wider audience of 400 million worldwide and 1 million in Australia, the ability to censor tweets, Twitter's use in a political campaign and her financial capability to buy Twitter.

Ms Rinehart's personal fortune is estimated at $18 billion, while Twitter rejected a 2011 offer of $10 billion from Google.

GetUp, an online campaign group, criticised through paid advertisements in Fairfax publications such as The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald Ms Rinehart's recent acquisition of a 12.8 per cent stake in Fairfax Media. GetUp believes the billionaire is using her money to get better coverage for Australia's mining industry.

"The mining industry in Australia already wields incredible power, made obvious by the success of its campaign to water down the (Mineral) Resources (Rent) Tax (MRRT)," GetUp National Director Simon Sheikh said in a statement.

GetUp's belief is shared by media analyst Peter Cox who pointed out that Fairfax is the second largest media player in Australia with 24 per cent of newspaper circulation, next to Rupert Murdoch's News Limited which holds 68 per cent.

"Like around the world, you wouldn't be investing in newspapers... or free-to-air television as a financial investment for the future when both of these industries are facing both structural and cyclical changes," Mr Cox told AFP.

"I think that would be illogical. Without a doubt she is buying Fairfax shares to have influence," Mr Cox insisted.

However, he conceded that Ms Rinehart would find it hard to change Fairfax's editorial direction since the company is known for its journalistic credibility.

"If she started doing things that messed around with that then it would be damaging to the brand. Board members wouldn't put up with it," Mr Cox said.

ABC presenter Jonathan Holmes, in a commentary at The Drum on the Wednesday column of Andrew Bolt (Ms Rinehart's favourite columnist), believes that it would be hard for the billionaire "to parley a partial shareholding into much in the way of influence over the editorial policies of a media company with a strong tradition of journalistic independence."

Mr Cox cited Fairfax's publication this week of email exchanges between Ms Rinehart and her two estranged daughters who asked for money for bodyguards as proof of Fairfax's independence.

On Wednesday, a hearing for suppression orders initiated by Ms Rinehart in September was conducted by three judges at the New South Wales Court of Appeals. The proceeds of the hearing were suppressed.

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