Scope Communications launches new survey to map trust, media habits across the region
A new annual survey aimed at understanding how people across the Queenstown Lakes District and Aotearoa find, interpret and trust information has been launched by Wānaka-based consultancy Scope Communications.
The Scope Communications Media, Trust & Information Survey 2026 will capture insights into how audiences are navigating an increasingly complex information environment shaped by traditional media, social platforms and emerging AI tools.
Scope Communications managing director Celia Crosbie says the survey responds to a rapidly evolving communications landscape, where misinformation, information overload and shifting consumption habits are changing how communities stay informed.
“The way people access and assess information is changing quickly,” she explains. “From local news and national outlets to social feeds and AI-generated content, there’s more information than ever before – but also more complexity around what to trust.”
The survey will explore: where people get their information; what sources they trust – and what they question; how behaviours are shifting in response to misinformation, overload and AI and what makes communication effective, particularly at a local level.
The goal is to build a clear, data-led picture of information behaviours both locally and nationally, with results tracked year-on-year to identify trends, Crosbie says.
“We want to understand what this looks like on the ground, here in our region and across the country. These insights will help inform how organisations connect with their audiences in a way that is relevant, credible and effective.”
The survey is open to a broad cross-section of respondents, with Scope Communications seeking diverse participation to ensure the data is robust and reflective of real-world experiences.
“There are no right or wrong answers – just people’s lived experience of how they engage with information,” Crosbie adds.
All participants who complete the survey will go in the draw to win one of two three-packs of Central Otago wine from Gibbston Valley. Winners will be drawn on June 30, with one entry permitted per person.
The survey is now live and can be completed online at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/9TGV98K
