Blog post
October 10, 2024

ANZ audiences & journalism: A sunnier outlook 

The role –and nature– of news and journalism is constantly evolving, from how it is consumed to which voices are trusted. New platforms, the rise of citizen journalists, and shifting news consumption habits are continuing to reshape the traditional and new media landscapes, creating both challenges and opportunities for PR and communications professionals. 

In regions like Australia and New Zealand (ANZ), these challenges are particularly significant due to the unique ecosystem and levels of public engagement. With a relatively small number of major news outlets, the way journalism is practiced and perceived in ANZ carries considerable weight. 

And this has a day-to-day impact on how PR & Comms professionals carry out their jobs. What does it mean when trust in journalism fluctuates, or when emerging platforms challenge traditional outlets for influence?    

To kick off our study into the state of journalism and news – in both ANZ and beyond – we’ve started by quantifying how the public talk about the media. 

Compared to the UK and US, Australia and New Zealand audiences are more likely to label journalism as ‘important’, albeit with a not inconsiderable amount of conversation describing it as “dead.” 

What’s behind the difference? Certainly, both countries’ audiences advocate for quality reporting and accountability, as exemplified by New Zealand journalist Jack Tame’s revelation of a gun lobbyist’s lies after the Christchurch attack. At the same time, local journalism faces challenges, with regional outlets shutting down due to lack of government funding, as noted by ACM’s Managing Director Tony Kendall. These in turn lead to spirited defenses of local journalism’s importance. 

However, neither of these trends are necessarily unique to the ANZ regions. The answer can potentially be located when we look at how these conversations take place over time.

Clearly, public conversations around journalism – both in ANZ and elsewhere – are not in their nature consistent. This reflects how particular moments in the news cycle can lead to a sudden outpouring of interest and conversation. 

So what are those moments in ANZ? 

One centres on the recent court cases being mediated between the Australian government and social media organisations. In looking to place a monetary and moral value on news, these proceedings prompt the ANZ public and media to talk about journalism as something ‘important’ and worth protecting.

Another hinges around the return of Julian Assange to Australian soil. This has prompted differing responses across individuals and media outlets – but what’s certain is that it places ANZ at the centre of an important unfolding conversation about the role and responsibilities of the media. 

Australia and New Zealand are global outliers in many sectors, from sport to mining & energy. Journalism, it seems, is another that could reasonably be added to that list. 

So why does this matter? 

PR and communications strategies must adapt to a landscape where sources of information are more fragmented and where citizens themselves can act as newsmakers. It’s important to understand how attitudes around these vital channels and contacts take shape. 

We’ll be exploring the journalist and media landscape through multiple different lenses over the coming couple of months. If you’d like to attend one of the events we’re hosting around the region – or view a webinar recording – please reach out to us at info@isentia.com

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Blog
The fundamentals of stakeholder strategy

A practical guide to tailored stakeholder management, offering strategies and tools to identify, map, and nurture relationships.

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Across the communications landscape, teams are being asked to do more with less, while staying aligned, responsive and compliant in the face of complex and often shifting stakeholder demands. In that environment, how we track, report and manage our relationships really matters.

In too many organisations, relationship management is still built around tools designed for customer sales. CRM systems, built for structured pipelines and linear user journeys, have long been the default for managing contact databases. They work well for sales and customer service functions. But for communications professionals managing journalists, political offices, internal leaders and external advocates, these tools often fall short.

Stakeholder relationships don’t follow a straight line. They change depending on context, shaped by policy shifts, public sentiment, media narratives or crisis response. A stakeholder may be supportive one week and critical the next. They often hold more than one role, and their influence doesn’t fit neatly into a funnel or metric.

Managing these relationships requires more than contact management. It requires context. The ability to see not just who you spoke to, but why, and what happened next. Communications teams need shared visibility across issues and departments. As reporting expectations grow, that information must be searchable, secure and aligned with wider organisational goals.

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This is where Stakeholder Relationship Management (SRM) enters the conversation. Not as a new acronym, but as a different way of thinking about influence.

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SRM vs CRM: which is right for PR & Comms teams?

Across the communications landscape, teams are being asked to do more with less, while staying aligned, responsive and compliant in the face of complex and often shifting stakeholder demands. In that environment, how we track, report and manage our relationships really matters. In too many organisations, relationship management is still built around tools designed for […]

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