24-Hour Blitz: Brands Under Media & Social Fire After Gender Pay Gap Research Launch
When data exposing gender-based pay disparities in over 5000 organisations goes public, it triggers intense scrutiny and debate. But how do major businesses and media outlets respond to this revealing information?
The WGEA’s use of ABS data on February 27th brought Australia’s major businesses under public and media scrutiny. This data highlighted issues like overtime discrepancies and gender imbalances. Underperforming companies, including major employers like Qantas and Telstra, faced media scrutiny post-data release and ahead of International Women’s Day. While the report encourages reforms, not everyone sees value in researching the gender pay gap. Analysing how the media covered this data and the implicated organisations, along with gauging the public’s reaction, uncovers trends, dispels misconceptions, and highlights areas requiring advocacy for gender equality in the workforce.
As companies received backlash for having significant discrepancies, media coverage focused on how they planned to rectify the situation. Westpac’s launch of a back-to-work program aimed at narrowing the gender pay gap and promoting diversity in the tech workforce gained attention in the Australian Financial Review (AFR).
Lorna Jane, known for its women’s activewear and employing a predominantly female workforce, received substantial broadcast media coverage. This attention highlighted potential hypocrisy, prompting a humorous tone in some reports. However, beyond the humour, these broadcasts also provided a platform for industry experts like Megan Dalla-Camina, CEO of Women Rising, to discuss tangible solutions. As Megan mentioned in The Project, it’s crucial to analyse the data, identify gaps, and invest in women’s career development for meaningful progress.
Airlines were among the top offenders in WGEA’s data, notably with Qantas revealing a median pay gap of 37 percent. Chief People Officer Catherine Walsh’s looked to mediate the attention on the brand with a public statement. Walsh explained the figure, attributing it to the under-representation of women in higher-paying roles such as engineers. She emphasised that upskilling women for these positions would require time and concerted effort.
Telstra, as a major employer in Australia, has drawn significant attention from journalists covering the data release.
Similarly, Westpac’s status as a top Australian company has made it a prime target, especially when political figures call them out on social media channels.
Let’s talk about the first WGEA report! In 37 of Australia’s top companies women earn at least 50% less then men, 107 employers pay between 40% & 50% less & 135 companies pay them 30% to 40% less. Seriously! Expecting women at CBA & Westpac will be talking to bosses today. 👎🏻👎🏻
In community discussions, opinions on the gender pay gap are sharply divided. While some dismiss it as a myth, others critique the Labor Party for its perceived socialist alignment. Critics note that the discourse often focuses solely on the pay gap without considering the breakdown of workforce composition.
Yet the argument promoted by the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) and the Labor Party is that there is a systemic underpayment of women in the workforce.
This intentionally misleading claim only serves to promote divisive socialist ideologies.
This suggests a need for clearer communication in the media to emphasise that the gender pay gap data isn’t about equal pay for the same role but broader workforce discrepancies. These gaps expose systemic inequalities, such as women’s underrepresentation in higher-paying roles or industries and challenges related to maternity or caregiving responsibilities, perpetuating inequality throughout their careers.
More lies! There is NO gender pay gap, this was outlawed in the ‘60’s. A female Qantas Pilot earns exactly the same pay as a Male Qantas Pilot. Same for Female/ Male Nurses, Police, Ambies, Tradies, etc This is just more Labor Weasel-words
Beyond these controversies, many agree that the public availability of gender pay gap data is a step towards addressing these discrepancies. Politicians who express opinions that fail to encourage progress and action on this topic garner significant, and often highly critical media coverage. One senator’s post on X provided a case in point:
With media scrutiny and public awareness, companies are increasingly held accountable, paving the way for fairer, more inclusive workplaces. Analysing media discussions helps us understand how audience perceptions of impactful and divisive data differ from those of major figures or organisations, and how mainstream media can influence these perceptions moving forward.
Loren is an experienced marketing professional who translates data and insights using Isentia solutions into trends and research, bringing clients closer to the benefits of audience intelligence. Loren thrives on introducing the groundbreaking ways in which data and insights can help a brand or organisation, enabling them to exceed their strategic objectives and goals.
The advent of LLMs and AI search means that there has been a colossal shift in how audiences are consuming information today, and a reciprocal shift in how all types of organisations, from government agencies to brands are responding . But while discussion amongst PR and comms pros tends to fall disproportionately on how brands are impacted, the needs of the former are just as keenly felt, and often quite distinctive.
So how can government agencies respond, especially in a time of global flux, when major policy changes need to be communicated and important stakeholders need to be managed? After all, government organisations do care about reputation, much as brands do, but have quite distinctive goals when it comes to ensuring accurate information reaches the right audiences.
There is a new entry point for stakeholders
The era of "Let me Google that" is rapidly fading. Instead of clicking through to official websites, people are asking chatbots for direct answers. What’s striking is that government agencies often have no visibility on how they’re being talked about in the LLM space, even as it becomes a central channel for messaging and reputation.
When AI models become the primary gatekeeper, audiences bypass official portals entirely — driving down site traffic and leaving agencies vulnerable to misinformation, negative sentiment, or worse, being left out of the conversation altogether.
Therefore, the entry point is different. For commercial brands, this shift is profound but in some ways mediated – an FMCG brand, for instance, often discovered through third-party platforms in any case. But for government entities, the stakes are entirely different. As the sole, authoritative source for public information, they need citizens on their websites to get accurate details. Government agencies, especially if they are the authority or regulator in a particular industry or sector, need to make sure audiences know where to go to get the right information.
Different types of government agencies have different considerations
Not all government agencies are alike, and they all have different parameters that are quite non-negotiable for them, just by the way they function.
Service delivery agencies - these rely heavily on content freshness. They can’t risk outdated sources impacting eligibility or process changes not reaching audiences.
Regulators - these need to transmit authority and trust. Regulators have to make it a priority that they’re amongst the first place audiences go to for information and that the industry they’re regulating does not put them in the shade on the channels stakeholders are actually using
Policy departments - did the AI's account of a policy match what was actually announced? They want to be able to make sure the accuracy of a policy (and ideally, its effectiveness) is translated when audiences search through LLMs.
Local and state authorities want to make sure the services they carry out on behalf of locals are visible too. Much like service providers, there is a question around access and awareness of programmes and regulations, but also an added consideration: not appearing on LLMs discontent amongst those wishing to see a return on taxation and electoral mandates, and give credence to bad actors.
What do government agencies want to get out of this new LLM-mediated landscape?
Reputation is important, but that exists downstream from maintaining a flow of accurate information. It’s useful for communications teams in government organisations to self reflect and ask themselves the following questions:
Where are citizens going to find information about your services if not your website — and do you know what they're being told?
If there was a significant policy change or incident in the last twelve months, do you know how it's currently being characterised when someone asks an Al tool about your agency?
When you communicate a major service change or policy update, do you have any way of measuring whether it’s surfacing in searches about you?
How do you currently understand the gap between what your agency publishes and what citizens actually receive when they search for information?
Are there community groups, advocacy organisations, or media outlets shaping perception of your agency - and do you know if that's feeding into what Al models say?
These are gaps they already realise, but they don’t actually know what to do about it – how to manage or measure them. They need a tool that allows them to know this critical piece of information and make informed decisions.
Ngaire Crawford, Pulsar Group’s Executive Director for AI Strategy says, “It’s easy to disregard LLM reputation as part of a difficult AI landscape or something that is only really relevant to more product-based communication or marketing. Government communications is about social licence, and ensuring the public have access to up to date and accurate information about things that matter to them, the role that Generative AI plays in how a community understand an issue will only continue to grow, and knowing the impact that you can have in that through small shifts in channel strategies or more consistent messaging is a crucial part of the communications toolkit.”
Lumina AI View: AI visibility for PR & Comms
Lumina AI view is built for communicators who want to understand how their organisation and their competitors are being talked about by various AI models – including ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude. AI View users get an insight into which sources are being cited, and how they would need to respond as a way of protecting their reputation or making sure correct information about them is being disseminated.
The tool provides an AI view score — a composite metric ranging from zero to 100, designed to help track brand performance over time and facilitate comparisons against competitors. It is calculated using five weighted factors — sentiment, visibility, authority, dominance and freshness. Beyond the overall score, the platform provides a summary of a brand's AI narrative based on four distinct reputation pillars — direction, performance, integrity and innovation.
These pillars help users identify exactly which dimension of a brand's reputation is under pressure, offering specific, actionable insights for board presentations or reviews. Ultimately, while the AI view platform provides the necessary intelligence, the strategic decisions regarding how to respond to these insights remain with the organisation.
Spotlight: An Australian Council
This progressive local government council is located in Australia’s leading center for culture and sports.
The council earned an AI view score of 74 reflected by strong reach and authority. Publications like CBD News and its own website are the most cited by LLMs — interestingly, most of them being cited by Claude.
Content freshness scored lower at 48. Their website still carries error pages and annual reports from a few years ago. If a report — one that is seen as an organisation’s most comprehensive and authoritative content, is still being cited even if it’s older, might potentially be in the way of the organisation’s own perception. Which means more work is needed to prevent outdated content from still appearing.
What type of content is showing up?
Most citations for the council originate from government sources, followed by news outlets, reports, and blogs. The domain is evenly split between owned content and content earned from external sources media articles and independent authorities.
While most are recent, some older articles from major outlets such as The BBC remain visible and may significantly influence how LLMs perceive the council. Owned content typically addresses last year’s budget plans and the council’s latest vision for the city, which LLMs are referencing. Government sources are the major content type, however, external sources have a greater impact on the council’s overall LLM score.
The stakes are higher for government agencies
When brands track LLM visibility, they often ask, "Are we shown in a positive light?" or "Are we cited accurately?" For the government, additional questions arise: "Is this information accurate enough for someone to act on?" and "Are we still viewed as more authoritative than what we oversee?" Mistakes can have serious consequences, such as individuals applying for ineligible programs or missing critical deadlines for new initiatives or elections. This can quickly lead to public frustration. It is essential for government communicators to recognize these risks.
If you would like to know more about our Lumina suite, please reach out here and our team will get in touch with for you a quick demo.
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Blog
Why is tracking government visibility on LLMs different from tracking brands?
Government agencies often can’t see how AI chatbots describe them. Here’s why LLM visibility matters and how to track it.
There is a new frontier where public perception is shaped: Large Language Models. Right now, LLMs are answering critical questions about your organisation. What are they saying? And more importantly, which sources are shaping those answers?
To navigate this landscape, public relations professionals don't need generic tools, but rather technology that speaks their language, and addresses the realities of a changed media and informational landscape.
That is why we're unveiling Lumina AI View, the latest addition to our intelligent suite of AI tools from Isentia. Trained specifically on the workflows and challenges of modern PR & communications, Lumina AI View helps you understand exactly what AI knows about you, and how it learned it.
A new standard for AI visibility
AI View tracks your citation strength and source quality alongside those of your competitors, giving you a clear view of where you hold authority and where you have gaps.
Lumina AI View maps your AI reputation from the ground up, allowing you to:
See which sources matter: When tools such as ChatGPT or Gemini discuss your organisation, which outlets do they cite? Track your source footprint over time and view the impact of key target media on how you’re discussed. We measure your citation strength and source quality alongside those of competitors, giving you a clear view of where you have authority and where you have gaps.
Gain industry-specific insight: Your competitors get cited from Financial Times and Bloomberg. You get cited on Reddit. Each brings opportunity – and risk. Discover how you measure up against industry standards, and target the sources that actually influence how AI represents you.
Catch narrative shifts early: AI responses change when new sources appear, sentiment shifts, or old controversies resurface. Get alerts when citation patterns change suddenly, before they impact the way you’re perceived by stakeholders.
Measure your progress: From media monitoring to full media intelligence
Lumina AI View is built on the principle that insights get stronger with repeated measurement. To help you maintain a clear view of your reputation, our proprietary scoring system provides regular updates that show you:
Evolving trends in how sources cite your organisation
Competitive standing and benchmark metrics
Where models differ in information presented, and sources cited
Whether you run it weekly, on-demand, or whenever you need a check-in, patterns will emerge, trends will become clear, and you will build a baseline that makes any sudden narrative changes both comprehensible and the prerequisite to action.
Lumina AI View is part of Lumina AI, a comprehensive suite of AI tools built specifically for communicators. Our Lumina suite evolves traditional media monitoring into narrative intelligence, enabling you to truly understand how perceptions form, evolve, and impact your reputation.
Get in touch to register your interest and see what Lumina AI View can do for you.
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Blog
Introducing Lumina AI View: AI Visibility Built for PR & Comms
Lumina AI View, the latest in Isentia’s AI suite, is trained on PR & comms workflows to help you understand what AI knows about you — and how it learned it.