Media release

23 October 2015

MBIE spend on media monitoring – context

The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) has released important contextual information about its recently reported media monitoring spend of $800,000 over the last two and a half years.

Acting Chief Financial Officer Iain Cossar says MBIE released an OIA response in March 2015 about how much it pays for media monitoring. The response was picked up by a number of media agencies today. However, the context that was not included is as follows:

“The figures provided cover the period when the Ministry was still operating as four separate agencies through to the current financial year.

“They reflect the inherited contractual arrangements of the four former agencies. The 2013/14 figures were also under the former agencies where contracts were pending renewal,” says Mr Cossar.

The cost was $329,937 in 2012/13, $318,815 in 2013/14. The cost for the 2014/15 was $226,000. It is estimated that the total spend for the 2015/2016 Fiscal Year will be just under $226,000

“In 2013, the Ministry moved to the All of Government media monitoring contract. The MBIE merger has reduced this amount significantly, $199,173 over this period.

“Media is monitored for the 17 portfolios MBIE has responsibility for (14 Ministerial and three associate Ministerial portfolios). For this year, on a portfolio basis it equates to a cost of approximately $13,000 per portfolio,” he says.
Every government department monitors the media to ensure staff are kept up to date with issues and concerns as expressed by the public so it can inform their work. Some manage this in-house with staff dedicated to the work, others contact a service.

“MBIE conducted an internal review of the Media monitoring services in January of 2015. Current media monitoring services include print publications, televised broadcast, radio broadcast, Internet media, blog posts.
It was determined that coverage of regional print publications as well as New Zealand radio and television broadcast is critical for MBIE employees to successfully do their job. Therefore alternative services including Google Alerts are not able to cover the full range of services required by the Ministry,” says Mr Cossar.

The portfolios monitored by the media monitoring service for MBIE are:
· ACC
· Auckland
· Better Public Services
· Building
· Business & Industry
· Canterbury
· Charitable Trust Boards & Incorporated Societies
· Competition Law Review
· Consumer
· Cycle Trails
· Employment Relations
· Energy & Electricity
· Energy Safety
· Financial Markets
· Fuels & Biofuels
· Government Procurement
· Health & Safety
· Housing
· ICT
· Immigration
· Insolvency
· Intellectual Property and Traditional Knowledge
· MBIE and Our People
· Minerals and Mining
· Pike River
· Proceeds of Crime
· Regional and Sectoral Development
· Science, Research & Development
· Takeovers and Mergers
· Tourism and Major Events
· Trading Standards (MAPSS)

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