A new kind of advocacy
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese likes to say that when we change the government, we change the country. That is a consequence of the decisions a government makes as well as how it arrives at those decisions. From a communications perspective, the change of government has changed the way it is necessary for advocacy organisations to […]
The federal budget was all about narrative
The federal budget showed that the government is an excellent listener, responsive to advocates who make a strong case and enlist popular support through the media. Now is a good time for advocacy bodies to consider whether their strategy calibrated to achieve results in this political environment. Read more here.
Women were told we could have it all. Instead, we got a stale cupcake
There are problems in the world and then there is International Women’s Day, which comes around again on Wednesday. The sisterhood is angry and bored with it. It’s a day so well-intentioned and patronising that it might as well be a pat on the head during a high-stakes meeting. The first and most pressing problem […]
Parasocial relationships are the oldest new thing
Parasocial relationships. You might not have heard of them, but you’ve probably been in one. Parasocial relationships are defined as one-sided relationships between a media figure, and a fan or a follower. The follower expends emotional energy on the media figure, but the media figure isn’t aware of the individual follower’s existence, just fandom as […]
If you’re told ESG is the next big thing, beware of greenwashing
Joe Kennedy famously said that when the shoeshine boy gives stock tips, it’s time to get out of the market. The story goes that the investor exited the market just ahead of the great Wall Street crash of 1929, clued in to a bubble created by dilettantes piling in. More recently, an ad popped up […]
‘McDonald’s democracy’: the franchise rewriting Australia’s political landscape
While it is traditional for the losing party to indulge in the post-election rite of extracting philosophical meaning from an election and discovering new demographic dynamics, in exploring these important factors, it should not be missed that the 2022 election is about more than shifting demographics and philosophical appeal. It is a story of political […]
On song? Why it’s so hard to call the tune from opposition
Language can be used to welcome voters into policy discussion. Or it can slam the door in the face of electors, bolt it with jargon and camouflage the entrance with boringness. It is no surprise that politicians, whose job it is to jam incredibly complex policy areas into a partisan framework, prefer the Tomb Raider approach. Instead […]
5 ways to protect your brand when the next tech giant flicks the switch
Facebook’s fight against the news media bargaining code is finally over. After a week since publishers and users in Australia were stopped from sharing or viewing news articles on the platform, the tech giant has lifted the news ban and restored all blocked pages. If your brand or organisation got caught or you’re looking for […]
Counteracting the COVID-19 anti-vaxxer infodemic on social media
Tackling vaccine hesitancy is one of the most urgent priorities in the fight against COVID-19. Understanding and managing the anti-vaxxer movement on social media is now critical to support the upcoming immunisation program. Public health authorities in Australia and around the globe are increasingly concerned by how quickly the anti-vaccination movement is growing, and how […]
If the ABC didn’t exist, conservatives would have to invent it
Originally published in The Sydney Morning Herald If the ABC didn’t exist, conservatives would have to invent it. It provides two vital functions to the right side of politics: it is the foe which unites the army, as well as a decoy which distracts progressives from the main game. The ABC once again […]