Last month we blogged about issues hi-jacking in the media and some of the do’s and don’t’s to get it right.
So what might be the big topics on the national media agenda in 2012? Our thoughts are as follows…
The Carbon Price and The Green Economy
We’re no doubt going to see a lot of discussion in the media around the impact of the carbon price in the lead up to 1 July. Businesses grappling with what it all means are going to be asking what they should be doing to prepare, and economists are going to be theorising about how it’s going to impact our economy and international competitiveness. What will be interesting to watch throughout this is the rise of the ‘Green Economy’, an entirely new industry geared toward reducing carbon emissions.
Australia’s Productivity and Innovation Challenge
There has been much discussion recently about Australia becoming a high-cost, low-productivity country that is losing ground on our international peers. It seems the Government and peak business bodies are broadly in agreement that we need to lift local innovation and productivity to improve our competitiveness and secure our prosperity. The $64 million dollar question is; how do we do this?
Our Two-Speed Economy
Australia has survived the global financial crisis better than most other countries, and outlook for our economy remains generally positive. That said, the majority of this growth is coming from mining booms in WA and QLD and isn’t consistent across industries, particularly in the retail sector which claims to have been hit hard by a decline in consumer spending. What does this mean for our long term prosperity?
Business Confidence
While we’ve weathered the global financial crisis well, research from GE suggests that it has had a negative impact on business confidence in Australia. Many reports and surveys have also found that Australian businesses believe we will have bad economic conditions in the next 12 months. What’s that going to mean for growth and R&D investment? How does that play to our productivity challenge?
Changing Demographics, Lifestyles
Factors like an aging population, more women in the workplace, a second baby-boomer generation and an increasingly mobile workforce are changing lives and lifestyles. What will be the impact of this? How will we need to adapt?
The National Broadband Network
Always a hot media topic, the NBN rollout is set to move up a gear in 2012 as more locations are announced and the number of areas under construction increase over time. As this national infrastructure becomes a reality, opportunities for comment will arise about how we use it in areas like healthcare, education, business and for entertainment
The Government Agenda
With a federal election looming in 2013 we’re likely to see political campaigning step up a notch in 2012, and the media question the motive of almost anything the Government does. This is a highly volatile area, and one only for those with a strong political agenda! Elections aside, 2011 saw a general shift in Government policy away from the US and towards Asia. It will be interesting to see this trend unfold in 2012.
Energy and Resources
Resource scarcity, the rise of electricity bills and the cost of living is likely to make headlines again. Related to this, food security and the amount of Australian farmland bought up by our neighbours like China will also remain on the agenda.
Consumer Spending and Online Retail
The increase in online spending and the erosion of “bricks and mortar” retail has seen many retailers complain about declining sales and unfair terms on which they need to compete with overseas online retailers. Will this mean that local retailers need to re-think their strategy, or should the regulations around online retailing be changed?
Healthcare reform
Almost always on the agenda, healthcare reform has been a topic of increased debate as our population ages and requires more and more specialised medical attention. This, combined with other factors like the increase in chronic disease, is putting increased pressure on our already stretched healthcare system. Broadly there is seen to be a need for efficiency and better ways of delivering care, particularly in rural areas. What are the factors that need to be considered, and how do we go about doing this?
As you can see, plenty to talk about in the months ahead.
