News and views

25 April 2018 | 1:20 min read

There is one over-riding reason Facebook has managed to dominate the world’s communications. The apathy of traditional media who rolled over and accepted Facebook’s flimsy claim it’s a “platform”, not a publisher.

Why the world’s media didn’t gang up on the cuckoo in its nest is unfathomable, but it didn’t and so fake news, false representation, lies, tax dodging, abuse and bullying have become the order of the day.

10 April 2018 | 1:30 min read

Everyone knows the importance of good writing. It can touch your reader or move them towards you. Yet, much less frequently recognised is the ability of bad writing to achieve the reverse. Although, talk to any company director whose monthly lot it is to wade through windy reports, and you soon hear about an almost overlooked area of real corporate pain.

9 April 2018 | 1:30 min read

Running out of water, or clean air, or energy is no longer the stuff of make-believe, apocalyptic films.

It’s a harsh reality that demands real attention and clear communications.

Take the case of drought-stricken Cape Town, which has only just avoided running out of water – a problem caused by the El Nino weather pattern.

6 April 2018 | 1:30 min read

Warning: this article contains a lot of cricketing references. If you are unsure of the meaning of any term, please Google it. I have not deliberately set out to exclude. That wouldn’t be cricket.

A lot has been intoned about the recent cricketing hoo-ha involving the Australian cricket team.

1 April 2018 | 2:30 min read

Although it takes time for a trend to become clear, sometimes events are so overwhelming, so bizarre, it’s as though we are sleep walking into a game changing reality.

This is about data. About gossip, rumour and lies versus “truth” and “facts” – words whose very meaning have been distorted.

28 March 2018 | 1:30 min read

“Shame! shame! shame!” “Stand up, fight back!” “Your kids are going to hate you.”

Those were just some of the slogans protestors shouted at delegates attempting to enter the annual New Zealand Petroleum Conference in Wellington this week.

26 March 2018 | 1:00 min read

Having a penchant for DIY is not that common among young men these days, especially those on big money. It should be encouraged, so good on rookie batsman Cameron Bancroft for keeping a handy supply of sandpaper about his person at all times. All the better to help out if a teammate's bat gets a splinter, say.

20 March 2018 | 1:50 min read

15 March 2018 | 1:20 min read

Associate Partner Marg Joiner attended the electricity sector’s annual conference this week and discovered an air of uncertainty.

With the threats of sea-level rise, more extreme weather events and energy hardship becoming a reality for some New Zealanders, those who make and enforce the rules for our energy sector are still working out what to do.

12 March 2018 | 1:30 min read

The #MeToo and #TimesUp movements provide a salutary backdrop to the cases of inappropriate behaviour that have rocked the corporate world on both sides of the Tasman and share a common trait with reputational risk – they are a classic example of crisis contagion.

Crisis contagion is where an issue in one organisation quickly spreads across sectors becoming an industry, national, or even global outrage.