After a few years of fragmentation, misinformation, and public fatigue, Kiwis are turning back toward professional journalism – and that shift is reshaping not just human behaviour, but the way AI understands and distributes information.
For brands, this convergence is gold. Rising trust in news and the rapid adoption of AI aren’t two separate trends. They are interconnected forces that are redefining how reputation, credibility, and visibility are built in 2026. And they place earned media – the heart of PR – at the forefront.
Yes, the channels have changed, but the value of credible storytelling has never been higher.
Kiwis are seeking quality, credible journalism now more than ever
The Trust in News in Aotearoa New Zealand 2026 report – released earlier this month (April 2026) by the AUT Journalism, Media and Democracy research centre – outlines a meaningful shift:
- General trust in news has risen from 32% in 2025 to 37% in 2026.
- Trust in the news that people consume themselves has increased from 45% to 50%.
These aren’t small movements. They signal a public recalibration – proof that people are cautious of AI‑generated content, deepfakes, and algorithmic noise, and are instead looking to media outlets for information.
Radio New Zealand, the Otago Daily Times, and TVNZ continue to rank among NZ’s most trusted outlets. These brands have become anchors in a sometimes-chaotic information environment, particularly on social media.
Where New Zealanders Get Their News in 2026
The report also highlights Kiwis’ diversified media consumption:
- 38% rely primarily on online news sites and apps
- 20% rely on TV
- 19% rely on social media/video platforms
- 61% say they pay most attention to traditional news media and journalists
The Waikato Times, Newsroom, The Listener, and interest.co.nz, ranked highly, followed by The Press, The Post, National Business Review, Stuff, BusinessDesk, NZ Herald and ThreeNews.
AI depends on these credible media outlets
But here’s the part most people don’t see: as trust in news media rises, AI is leaning even more heavily on those same trusted sources.
Recent industry analysis shows that 94% of links cited by AI systems come from non‑paid media, with earned editorial coverage making up the overwhelming majority. In other words: AI trusts the same sources that people are trusting.
This creates a powerful feedback loop:
- The more credible the media environment becomes, the more reliable AI outputs become.
- The more people rely on AI for answers, the more important credible media becomes as an input.
Why this matters for brands
For organisations, this convergence changes the value of PR in three ways:
- Earned media now has exponential reach
A single article no longer lives only on a news site. It becomes part of the dataset AI uses to answer questions, summarise topics, and recommend solutions. That means one well‑placed story can be surfaced thousands of times across conversational search, AI assistants, and automated summaries.
- Credibility compounds across platforms
As trust in news rises, the credibility of earned media rises with it. When your organisation appears in a trusted media outlet, that credibility is recognised by both humans and machines. It becomes a marker of authority that influences how your brand is interpreted, ranked, and repeated.
- The cost of not being visible is increasing
Brands that rely solely on paid or owned channels risk becoming invisible in AI‑driven discovery. If AI can’t find credible third‑party reporting about you, it has nothing authoritative to cite. And if people are turning back to journalism to verify what they see online, your absence becomes noticeable.
The new PR mandate
PR has always been about shaping narratives, building trust, and earning attention. But in this new environment, PR also plays a structural role: It feeds the information ecosystem that both humans and AI rely on.
That means:
- Creating stories that journalists want to cover.
- Providing expertise that reporters trust.
- Ensuring your organisation is part of the public record in credible, verifiable ways.
- Building a body of earned media that AI can recognise, reference, and amplify.
The takeaway for 2026
For brands, the message is clear: Earned media is no longer a ‘nice to have’. It is the foundation of visibility and credibility in an AI world.
Strong storytelling and media relations is the key to success, particularly in NZ, where our media industry is small but mighty, and predominantly under resourced.
At Scope Communications, we build quality, newsworthy stories on brands that resonate with people, feed the algorithms, and rise to the demand for trustworthy information.
Want to find out more? Get in touch.
