Premium Interviews Coronavirus communications: crises offer the chance to try new things and ask for forgiveness later Career Advice Emergency management comms specialist Natalie Staaks speaks about getting the right information out in a crisis: "if you wait until you’re 100% sure of the…
Revealed: how Australian politicians would bridge the trust divide Thursday October 17, 2019 By Mark Evans Editors' Picks We hear a lot from citizens about the failings of Australian democracy and the need for reform. But how do politicians view the growing trust…
We want to learn about climate change from weather presenters, not politicians Monday September 23, 2019 By David Holmes & Stephanie Hall Editors' Picks One of the great paradoxes of climate change communication in Australia is that politicians command the most attention on the issue, yet are among the…
Premium Expert briefings The media loves a good bureaucrat beat-up. Don’t be a victim: these are the mistakes public servants make with journalists Tuesday September 10, 2019 By Harley Dennett Engagement When the clock is ticking towards a publication deadline you need to ask yourself: is my department undertaking the most valuable effort it can in…
Revenge of the robodebt contractors: Centrelink fends off further claims with risky media strategy Friday August 30, 2019 By Stephen Easton Communications & Technology Centrelink continues to duck, weave, and occasionally throw a defensive jab as former contractors speak out about their experiences of working on the robodebt system,…
Investigative journalism, the 'watchdog reporting' of news, has adapted to the austere media environment of the digital age Monday August 5, 2019 By Andrea Carson Communications & Technology Despite the recent Australian Federal Police raids on News Corp and ABC journalists, highlighting the political and legal pressures reporters face in the post-September 11…
Surprise appointment: NT Police Commissioner to lead AFP Thursday July 25, 2019 By Stephen Easton Australian Capital Territory The Northern Territory's most senior police officer, Reece Kerhsaw, will become the next commissioner of the Australian Federal Police when Andrew Colvin steps down at…
Re-elected Prime Minister's public message to department heads Thursday May 23, 2019 By Stephen Easton Federal Prime Minister Scott Morrison brought department heads out in front of the media cameras on Thursday and told them not to get in the way…
Almost 1000 data breaches in a year, and citizens don't know who to trust with privacy Monday May 20, 2019 By Stephen Easton Communications & Technology There were 964 data breaches reported to the federal regulator in the first year of mandatory reporting rules and “malicious or criminal attacks” were behind…
Dr Martin Parkinson: Brexit, multilateralism and how the media impacts policy work Friday October 19, 2018 By Martin Parkinson Career Advice The secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet was interviewed by the UK government's Civil Service Quarterly about what a post-Brexit UK can…
Media outlets boycott forum of governments in wake of ABC ban Wednesday July 4, 2018 By The Mandarin Foreign Affairs & Immigration While government officials might privately daydream about banning certain media outlets or journalists from covering their activities, the prospect suddenly became very real in wake…
Kyle Sandilands' former HR boss becomes NSW public service commissioner Monday April 9, 2018 By Stephen Easton Career Advice After being the HR boss for the company that has controversial radio host Kyle Sandilands on the payroll, surely a few hundred thousand public servants…
When it comes to trust, a good offence is your worst defence Monday March 6, 2017 By Matthew Beard Features Centrelink bosses think they stayed within the law but they "rode roughshod" over conventional attitudes to privacy, writes ethicist Matthew Beard. Governments should pick their…
Losing oxygen to leakers and the media, Centrelink's comms fall back to 'the facts' Wednesday January 25, 2017 By Stephen Easton Communications & Technology The Department of Human Services rejects speculation that 90% of Centrelink's automated assessments of past welfare entitlements are wrong, as more staff speak out against…
Census response rate estimated over 96%, but is there any trust left? Wednesday October 12, 2016 By Stephen Easton News News outlets have stopped listening to the ABS message. Despite IT issues and talk of a boycott, the 2016 Census may have had a pretty…