Nik Gowing Event: ‘Skyful of Lies and Black Swans’

Last week, Porter Novelli and The Hugo Group were honoured to host legendary BBC news reporter, Nik Gowing, in Auckland. Recognised by BBC World as its longest serving reporter, Gowing has fronted coverage of some of the greatest news events over the last 17 years, including announcing Princess Diana's death on air and spending six hours in front of the camera in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks on New York.

Nik shared his most recent study ‘Skyful of Lies and Black Swans’ with a captivated audience, describing how in a moment of major, unexpected crisis, the institutions of power – whether political, governmental, military or corporate – face a new, acute vulnerability of both their influence and effectiveness.

Nik referenced several recent large scale events, including the tragic Norway shooting and civil unrest in Egypt, to demonstrate how real-time media is changing our world. According to Nik, the use of cheap, ‘go-anywhere’ cameras and mobile phones is increasingly challenging the credibility of the human and financial resources of government and corporations in an acute crisis. In Norway, for example, people on the island of Utoya, were discussing the shooting and reaching out to friends and family, long before the police had mobilised themselves. This led to the public – both within Norway and internationally – finger-pointing and criticising security forces for not moving quickly enough.

One of Nik’s main points, and one that seemed to hit home with more than a few businesspeople in the room, was that technology has dramatically slashed the news and information cycle from a few hours to no more than a few minutes. It is clear that corporates can no longer afford to get left behind, distancing themselves from the online space. With instant sharing sites such as Twitter such a dominant part of our lives now, reputations can be made and destroyed in a moment. Now, more than ever, it is vital that organisations are participating and learning how to have conversations that protect and support the on-going credibility of their brand.