From our work at home bubbles to yours, we’ve put together the latest edition of One Plus One Equals Three – a snackable summary of interesting things that have happened in and around our industry over the last month or so.
This issue looks at NZME’s purchase of BusinessDesk, the coverage (or lack thereof) surrounding COP26, and the passing of iconic PR figure David Finn.
Climate change reporters – where are they?
In the wake of COP26 last month, Newsroom climate change reporter, Marc Daalder, has argued that journalist coverage of the event has fallen woefully short of the weight (and tone) it deserves. With media largely caught up in the commotion surrounding the conference – from Greta Thunberg’s protests, to which celebrities flew in on a private jet – Daalder claims coverage of the critical issues (what’s at stake and what will be done for the planet) has been lacking or non-existent. Calling the old excuse that climate change gets fewer clicks “inadequate”, Daalder says there must be incentives for reporters in every field.
NZME purchases BusinessDesk for $5 million
BusinessDesk editor Pattrick Smellie sent shockwaves through the media industry late last month, with the announcement that NZME has acquired the publication for $5 million. The move marks a huge milestone for BusinessDesk, which first launched in 2008 as a subscription-only news platform – and will enable NZME to significantly bolster its news offering. In his letter, Smellie says, “this move is about investing in our journalism and our growth to create New Zealand’s best and largest business news operation,” and reassures readers BusinessDesk will continue to operate as an independent organisation. He said subscribers can continue to expect high-quality news, paired with new content made possible with the support of NZME.
Discovery’s plans for TV expansion brings more channels, shows, and opportunities
After its purchase of MediaWorks’ free-to-air television business last year, Discovery has announced the first of its aspiring plans for the New Zealand television industry – involving the launch of two new channels, expanded news offerings and a 70% increase in local content. From March 2022, Kiwis will be able to feast their eyes on a variety of new programmes set to air on new channels, Gusto and Rush. A transformation of Choice TV, Gusto will feature the brand new Newshub Live at 8:00pm, while Rush will act as a companion to Bravo. The expansion also opens exciting new avenues for advertisers to get inside more Kiwi content.
Facebook changes name to Meta in major rebrand
As we all know by now, tech giant, Facebook, has changed its name to ‘Meta,’ coined from the Greek term meaning ‘beyond.’ The change will only be applied to the parent company, and not its individual platforms including Facebook, Instagram and Whatsapp. CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, explained that the company had outgrown its previous name (and, presumably, the increasingly negative connotations associated with it). He suggests “the name alone could not possibly represent everything that we’re doing today, let alone in the future,” as over time users will no longer need Facebook to access all of Meta’s services. The rename also signals plans for Meta to further develop an online world, which Zuckerberg has dubbed the ‘Metaverse’ – where people can game, work and communicate in a VR environment.
A new working class: Gen Z’s growing affinity for LinkedIn
A new study has revealed that Gen Zers are increasingly turning to social media to advance their careers. LinkedIn has skyrocketed in popularity with the demographic since last year, becoming a key online hub for Gen Zers to connect, hone new skills, and build their personal brand. With different priorities and expectations from their predecessors, the study also found that Gen Zers are seeking unconventional career paths and embracing the gig economy, with around 50% working freelance in 2020. Pursuing opportunities which align with their values of diversity and equity is also a top priority. So how exactly will LinkedIn and the workplaces they serve evolve to keep up with this generation’s demands? Watch this space, we definitely will be!
Mistake made by YouTube reveals its real significance
London News group Novara recently fell victim to Youtube’s often arbitrary rules, when notified that its YouTube channel had been removed from the platform. After years of work to gain over 170,000 subscribers, the company was left scrambling to recover. The mix-up shed light on the immense power of the platform, which removes over 2000 channels every hour in response to perceived breaches of its guidelines. Those guidelines are extremely shadowy, however, and in Novara’s case, the channel was deleted with no clear reason as to why. While in this instance the channel was reinstated within hours, YouTube has been criticised for not offering the same consideration and responsiveness to similarly affected channels in non-English-speaking countries.
Despite 80 journalists covering climate, New York Times won’t ban fossil fuel advertisers
The New York Times has been under increasing fire for continuing to accept advertising revenue from fossil fuel industries, and other so-called ‘dirty’ advertisers. Chasing what they called “the biggest story of our time”, the NYT established its climate desk in 2017, and now has over 80 international journalists, who have covered over 4000 climate-related stories. Despite this effort, however, NYT International President, Stephen Dunbar-Johnson, said the publication doesn’t see itself as an activist organisation, and declined to comment on the portion of funding obtained from fossil fuel advertisers. This stance differs from its competitor, The Guardian, which became the first outlet to put a ban on all fossil fuel ads in 2020. Advertising revenue enables journalists to hold all individuals and organisations accountable for their actions – which begs the question, where do you draw the line?
One of PR’s founding fathers fades away
David Finn, an iconic figure in the global public relations industry, has died at the age of 100. After co-founding Ruder Finn in 1948, Finn worked with a long list of corporate giants and not-for-profits. A talented artist, he was a highly respected figure in the arts, whose creative flair was behind many of his firm’s internationally successful campaigns. Ruder Finn became the first agency to have a formal code of ethics, with Finn setting the standard around holding businesses accountable to criticism. The last living pioneer of modern public relations, Finn’s death marks the end of an era – following the earlier passing of his peers, Dan Edelman, Al Golin, Harold Burson and Gershon Kekst.
