Simon Troeth is Director – Media at the Minerals Council of Australia.

He has a long and distinguished career in both the media and politics.     

Simon started his career as a print journalist, working for the Herald Sun and several other newspapers before moving in to politics where he spent 15 years working for state and federal politicians and was the Principal Media Adviser to the Premier of Victoria.

He has also had several roles as media and policy advisers and was the Director of Strategic Communication for the Victorian Department of Justice.

Simon has worked for three industry and has also worked as a consultant specialising in communications and government relations strategies.

Discussed in this episode:

• How communication has changed over the last 30 years
• The growing nature of immediacy and personalization in how we consume media
• Government has acknowledged the need to get closer with their audience
• Important behaviours to follow when interacting with journalists
• How to make an effective pitch
• What’s more important, getting your own channels right or interacting with the media effectively?

• Government sometimes operate inside out, they think ‘this is important, they need to hear this’ instead of asking ‘what do they need to hear?’
• The importance of understanding how your audience perceives your organisation

• Why evaluation is one of the best investments you can make as a communicator
• How to attract and retain audience attention