PRINZ - Public Relations Institute of New Zealand

UC Student Networking Event: The Inside Track
2026-04-30 17:30 - 19:30 (Pacific/Auckland) | James Logie Room 613, 20 Kirkwood Avenue, Upper Riccarton, Christchurch, 8041, New Zealand
May 9th @ 5.30pm - 7.30pm

OverviewOur media landscape here in Aotearoa is undergoing a profound transformation. With the rise of digital platforms and the global exchange of information disrupting local media outlets and threatening the fabric of journalistic practices, this panel discussion will seek to explore the depths of these challenges, but more importantly actively explore solutions for New Zealand’s Fourth Estate. Our panellists will delve into the complexities of the current media environment, discussing key issues such as the decline of traditional news outlets and the impact of these changes on democracy, community engagement, and cultural identity. Please note, the ticket price covers catering costs. Big thank you to EMA for supporting this event. Important ticket information: Virtual and in-person tickets are not interchangeable as there are limited numbers for the in-person event. Ticket purchasing remains the same. The link to virtually join the event will be sent out closer to the date. Feel free to email us with any questions at office@prinz.org.nz

Your Panellists are..Dr Gavin Ellis ONZM is an honorary research fellow at Koi Tū: The Centre for Informed Futures at the University of Auckland. He is a media consultant, commentator and researcher with more than five decades of experience in news media. He holds a doctorate in political studies. A former editor-in-chief of the New Zealand Herald, he lectured on media and communications at the University of Auckland for a decade. He was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2015 for services to journalism and is the recipient of the Commonwealth Astor Award for Press Freedom. He is the author of three books including Trust Ownership and the Future of News (an international study of media ownership models), and numerous research papers including a series on the Christchurch mosque attacks. His most recent research project for Koi Tū has been a media policy position paper that examined ways in which journalism can be sustained in New Zealand. His Tuesday Commentary on media matters appears weekly on his website www.knightlyviews.com.

Mark Jennings Mark is co-editor and co-founder of Newsroom.co.nz, and former head of news and current affairs at 3 News for two decades.

Tim Murphy Tim is co-editor and co-founder of Newsroom.co.nz, and former editor-in-chief and editor of the New Zealand Herald for 14 years.

Alan McDonald Alan is the Head of Advocacy, Strategy and Finance at the EMA. Alan’s role is to develop campaigns and policies to lobby central and local government in support of New Zealand businesses. A former journalist and frequent commentator in the media, Alan has an extensive background in media, corporate affairs and public relations, especially in developing and implementing large scale campaigns to effect significant industry change or achieve critical business goals. Alan is also Board Member for Transparency International NZ (TINZ), the Australasian Society of Association Executives (AuSAE) and the Public Relations Institute of New Zealand (PRINZ).

Claudia Macdonald Claudia started in public relations after a brief stint as a journalist. After a stint working in communications in the UK, she joined creative brand agency DDB Aotearoa in 1995 to start its public relations offering. This became Mango Communications in 2000 and is today one of the country’s largest integrated communications agencies. She stepped down as Managing Director of Mango in 2023, becoming Executive Director with a focus on corporate communications, DEI and people. Her passion is still media and news.

Moderator Kelly Bennett Kelly is the Founder and Managing Director of One Plus One Communications. A trained journalist, Kelly has 25 years international experience in corporate communications and is one of New Zealand’s most experienced and successful PR practitioners. He is the former Deputy Chair of the Communication Council’s PR, Experiential and Social Media Committee (PREScom) and in 2018 was inducted as a Fellow of PRINZ

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