Communicating in the age of misinformation
2022-04-04 13:00 - 14:00 (Pacific/Auckland)
Wednesday 25th February 2026 @ 9:30am - 12:00pm (1 x morning session)

OverviewIn a world where everyone’s clamouring for “data-driven” insights, this course goes beyond the numbers. It’s about learning to think critically, interpret evidence wisely, and make sound, ethical decisions in your PR practice. You’ll explore how to balance data with judgement, recognise cognitive bias (in yourself and others), and turn information from multiple sources into meaningful, defensible insights. We’ll cover practical tools for interpreting results, testing assumptions, and reporting outcomes (without losing sight of people, context, or purpose). We’ll demystify core data concepts like reliability, validity, statistical significance, correlation vs. causation, and bias – all within a PR context. You’ll explore tools, tips, and a variety of approaches to ‘measure what matters’. By the end, you’ll not only be more confident in working with data: you’ll be a more critical, credible, and trusted communicator. By the end of the session, participants will be able to: Identify the right data sources and types for different PR goals.Understand and apply basic principles of data reliability, validity, and significance.Recognise bias and misinterpretation, and know how to avoid them.Distinguish between correlation and causation when analysing PR outcomes.Confidently report results with integrity and credibility, aligned to the Barcelona Principles.Build a balanced, meaningful measurement approach using both qualitative and quantitative data.This course is ideal for: PR and communications professionals who want to strengthen their analytical and decision-making skills.Anyone who’s ever said, “I’m not a numbers person”, but wants to understand how data can sharpen their thinking. Experienced professionals who want a practical refresher on data literacy, bias awareness, and critical interpretation aligned with the Barcelona Principles.Teams seeking to embed a culture of reflection, rigour, and ethical measurement. Zoom links will go out closer to the date.

Meet the facilitator Julia Kennedy is a strategist and facilitator with a background in public health and organisational development. She often says she’s “not a data person”, yet she’s spent years interpreting complex data and using it to drive critical, effective decision-making across health and community sectors in Australia and New Zealand. Through her consultancy, The Thread, Julia helps purpose-driven organisations make sense of complexity, clarify strategy, and turn insight into action. She brings warmth, humour, and clarity to topics that can feel intimidating – like measurement and evaluation – making them engaging and accessible.

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