Comms Room Channel

Everyday media engagement—not major crises—is where many public sector organisations quietly lose control of their narrative. Despite having robust strategies and approval frameworks in place, too many still struggle when faced with routine journalist enquiries, tight deadlines, and stories built on incomplete or incorrect assumptions.

Public sector communicators are working in one of the most demanding environments in government. Expectations are rising, scrutiny is constant, and the need to communicate clearly, consistently and credibly has never been more important. At the same time, teams are being asked to do more with fewer resources, respond faster, and maintain public confidence in an increasingly complex information landscape.

Clear communication is often cited as a cornerstone of effective government—but in practice, legal complexity still dominates many public-facing messages. In this interview, Rochelle Hurst, National Manager, Education & Industry Engagement at AUSTRAC, shares a candid perspective on why legalese persists, why plain English does not weaken legal or policy integrity, and what happens when government messages miss their mark.

Workplace loneliness isn’t an abstract wellbeing issue anymore—it’s becoming one of the most telling markers of organisational health. And while many Australian companies believe they’ve built strong cultures, the real story emerging beneath the surface is far more complex. Few people understand this tension better than Neil Morrison, Chief People Officer at Staffbase, who has spent his career at the intersection of communication, leadership and employee experience.

A new Global Business Connectivity Outlook Report shows that while companies are expanding globally and investing heavily in AI, many leaders still face major cross-border connectivity challenges. The inaugural report by global Managed Services Provider (MSP), Coevolve, canvasses the views of global leaders in relation to their business outlook and technology strategies.

A report from Medianet has laid bare the delicate balance Australian organisations must strike as they roll out Artificial Intelligence across their operations. The AI Tightrope: Balancing AI, Reputation and Workforce Impact analysed more than 50,000 media and social media items between January and August 2025, offering one of the clearest snapshots yet of how AI is shaping public perception, corporate credibility and workplace expectations.

Striking the right tone in climate communication has never been more important—or more challenging. Audiences are increasingly fatigued by doomsday narratives, yet they’re equally wary of messages that gloss over the scale of the problem. Finding the middle ground, where hope and urgency coexist, is essential for keeping people engaged without overwhelming them. For years, climate storytelling leaned heavily on alarming projections.

In corporate communication, intent matters—but impact matters more. Audiences have grown increasingly alert to messaging that feels self-congratulatory, overly polished or quietly promotional. As organisations lean into storytelling to build trust, a recurring challenge emerges: how do you communicate your work without making the story all about you? Avoiding performative or self-centred narratives isn’t just a stylistic choice; it’s essential for credibility.

A Zoom study reveals how young Australians exposed to AI view its impact on customer experience and workplace use, highlighting their expectations and concerns. Dubbed ‘AI natives’, the findings reveal this cohort is seeking seamless integration between AI and human expertise.

The ACMA has introduced new rules requiring organisations to register branded SMS identifiers, such as “myGov” and “AusPost,” with their telco provider. ACMA Chair Nerida O’Loughlin said the SMS Sender ID Register will deliver new protections against scammers using text messages to impersonate well-known brands. “With this new system in place mid-next year, the public will be able to have greater confidence that SMS messages with a sender ID are legitimate.