About The Media Specialist
Our Specialisation
Class actions and major litigation live not only in the courtroom, but also in the court of public opinion. Media coverage can dramatically influence claimant acquisition, public sentiment, settlement negotiations, and the long-term reputations of both law firms and their principals.
Litigation unfolds in two arenas: the courtroom and the court of public opinion. Media coverage can dramatically influence claimant acquisition, public sentiment, settlement negotiations, and reputations.
We bring unmatched expertise in:
· Class action communications — building awareness, driving claimant registrations, and strengthening negotiating leverage.
· Crisis and issues management — anticipating and neutralising corporate pushback, ensuring narratives remain credible and controlled.
· Claimant storytelling — humanising complex disputes to secure national and international coverage with integrity.
· Lawyer and firm positioning — elevating litigators as trusted thought leaders.
· Media training — preparing lawyers, principals, and claimants to engage confidently and effectively with journalists.
· Broader legal matters — including defamation, criminal law, regulatory disputes, and corporate litigation, where reputational sensitivity demands specialist communications.
· End-to-end litigation strategy — aligning communications with legal milestones from filing to trial, settlement, and beyond.
Litigation Media Relations
Best Practices for Communication During Litigation
Litigation is no longer confined to the courtroom. In today’s media environment, every case is also a reputational battle. Headlines, social media commentary, and public opinion can shape outcomes just as much as legal arguments. For law firms, this means litigation strategy must include a communications strategy.
Litigation communications is the art of protecting and strengthening a client’s reputation while legal matters unfold. When law firms and communications advisors work together, clients benefit from a coordinated, proactive approach that keeps both the legal and public narratives aligned.
1. Involve communications from the outset
Effective litigation communications begins well before the first filing. Early engagement ensures legal and communications strategies are aligned, media interest is anticipated, and clear, proactive responses are prepared.
When communications advisors are engaged from the start, law firms avoid scrambling once matters hit the headlines. Instead, narratives are carefully shaped in advance, considering likely media angles, stakeholder sensitivities, and reputational risks.
This preparation allows firms to:
- Develop consistent, credible key messages.
- Train spokespeople for tough questioning.
- Identify “pressure points” opponents may exploit.
- Protect client values and long-term reputation alongside the legal position.
Early planning gives law firms control of the narrative and reduces the risk of reputational damage.
2. Control the narrative — don’t leave a vacuum
Where there is silence, speculation thrives. Without clear, proactive messaging, the story is shaped by opponents or the media — often with damaging results.
A high-profile Australian example is Cardinal George Pell. While his acquittal came through the courts, the absence of a clear, consistent communications strategy meant the public narrative was dominated by speculation and criticism. His legal vindication did not translate into reputational restoration.
The lesson: silence does not protect reputation. A proactive narrative is essential.
3. Focus on long-term reputation, not just the verdict
Winning in court does not guarantee public trust. Poorly managed litigation can leave lasting reputational scars.
James Hardie is a corporate case study in this dynamic. Its handling of the asbestos compensation saga was seen as defensive and evasive, sparking public anger and damaging the brand for years. Even as legal matters were resolved, the company’s reputation was slow to recover.
Law firms should remind clients that litigation communications isn’t only about managing the legal fight — it’s about protecting credibility well into the future.
4. Engage strategically with the media
Media-driven litigation can unfold like theatre. Without discipline, it can easily spiral into sensationalism.
The defamation battle between Geoffrey Rush and The Daily Telegraph illustrates this. While Rush ultimately won in court and was awarded record damages, the reputational toll during proceedings was immense. Polarised and sensational coverage demonstrated how vital it is to engage the media strategically and manage narratives carefully.
Law firms should work with advisors who understand both legal sensitivities and media dynamics, ensuring balanced, accurate coverage instead of trial by tabloid.
5. Plan the post-litigation narrative
The end of a case often marks the peak of media attention. How a verdict or settlement is communicated can either protect or undermine reputation.
Some clients may choose silence; others may use the moment to reset their public image. Either way, post-litigation communications planning is essential.
6. Why this matters
As reputation strategist Tim Jotischky has observed: “When a company’s values are called into question, the fallout can cause serious reputational damage… Preparation is key.”
This applies equally to litigation. Preparation, clear messaging processes, and scenario planning are critical to ensuring clients emerge with their reputations intact.
Our Experience
We have worked alongside law firms and clients on some of the most sensitive, high-profile cases — from class actions to corporate disputes — shaping narratives that influence both legal outcomes and public perception.
With strong relationships across top-tier media (AFR, The Australian, SMH, The Guardian, ABC) and a journalist’s understanding of the news cycle, we ensure clients are not only legally defended but also reputationally protected.
Effective litigation communications is now an essential part of any legal strategy.
For law firms managing sensitive matters, we provide the expertise to anticipate, shape, and control the narrative — safeguarding clients in both the courtroom and the court of public opinion.
Why Strategic Media Campaigns Are Critical to the Success of Class Actions
In today’s litigation landscape, class actions don’t just play out in court — they unfold in headlines, across social media, and on national current affairs programs. Whether the issue is financial misconduct, wage theft, environmental harm or systemic negligence, the public narrative matters.
And that’s why a strategic media campaign is no longer a luxury — it’s a necessity.
Done well, media can elevate a class action from a legal claim to a national conversation. It can encourage participation, apply pressure to defendants, protect reputations, and build momentum toward resolution.
“A class action is not just a legal mechanism — it’s a public accountability tool,” says Louise Greene, legal media relations specialist at The Media Specialist, a boutique agency advising firms on high-stakes litigation media relations.
“If no one knows about it, no one joins it. And if the wrong people control the story, the public — and the court of opinion — may turn against it.”
How Media Campaigns Deliver Real Impact
1. They Drive Class Participation
To succeed, class actions need people. But too often, potential class members don’t even know they’re eligible.
The Robo-debt class action is a clear example. With widespread media coverage across ABC, Guardian Australia, The Project, and major mastheads, over two million Australians were reached — resulting in a $1.8 billion settlement and a national reckoning.
“That level of reach doesn’t happen from a press release,” says Greene. “It happens when you build a campaign with a compelling story, credible spokespeople, and the right media connections.”
Similarly, Shine Lawyers’ PFAS contamination class actions used targeted regional and national media to engage affected communities in Katherine, Oakey and Wagga Wagga — ultimately leading to a $132.7 million settlement for thousands of residents.
2. They Increase Pressure on Defendants
No major corporate wants to be at the centre of a negative news cycle. And for defendants in class actions, media pressure can be a powerful motivator toward negotiation or early resolution.
The 7-Eleven and Domino’s wage theft class actions gained traction thanks to Four Corners and Nine Media coverage, with public pressure forcing internal reforms and faster responses.
“Reputational risk is a language corporate boards understand,” Greene explains. “And nothing communicates risk like sustained national media scrutiny.”
3. They Shape the Narrative Early
If a law firm doesn’t define the story, the defendant will. And many defendants arrive with slick crisis comms teams prepared to discredit plaintiffs or reframe the case as opportunistic.
A strategic campaign ensures the plaintiffs’ side — the human impact, the wrongdoing, the legal merit — is front and centre from day one.
In the Crown Resorts shareholder class action, Maurice Blackburn used media briefings and interviews with institutional investors to reinforce the seriousness of the claims, positioning them within the broader public concern around casino regulation.
“You don’t want the first story people read about your case to be written by the defendant’s PR agency,” Greene says. “By that point, you’ve already lost control of the narrative.”
Why Not Just Use the In-House Comms Team?
It’s a common misstep: delegating class action publicity to a firm’s internal communications or marketing team. While often excellent at profiling partners and managing awards, they’re rarely equipped to handle emotionally charged, legally sensitive, fast-moving media campaigns involving real victims, national outlets and legal complexity.
“This isn’t about publishing staff promotions,” Greene says. “It’s about running a disciplined campaign that aligns with litigation timelines, protects the class, and survives scrutiny — both legal and journalistic.”
Specialist agencies bring:
- Legal-literate media strategy
- Experience with class members and vulnerable individuals
- Strong investigative media relationships (e.g. The Guardian, Four Corners, ABC7.30, The Australian)
- Crisis management capability
- Targeted digital and multicultural outreach
Numbers That Matter
- Law firms using structured media campaigns report 25–40% higher class member sign-up rates, according to industry tracking.
- Media visibility has been shown to accelerate settlement timelines, particularly in shareholder, financial services, and consumer product actions.
- Australians rank trusted media higher than corporate statements for information on social justice and legal matters (Roy Morgan, 2023).
The Role of Media in Shaping Justice
Greene believes we’re only just beginning to understand media’s full power in class actions. “This isn’t about sensationalism,” she says. “It’s about access to justice. When people see others like them standing up, when they see the issue clearly explained in mainstream outlets — they feel empowered to join. That’s what drives systemic change.”
Final Word
Class actions are legal cases — but they are also social, political and reputational events. And the way they’re communicated publicly can be just as important as how they’re argued in court.
A strong media strategy doesn’t replace good lawyering. It enhances it.
Firms investing in litigation PR specialists — especially early in the case — are seeing real results. More clients. Stronger reputational positioning. And, in many cases, faster, more meaningful resolutions.
Because in class actions, the best story doesn’t just win hearts. It helps win the case.
Louise Greene is a media relations specialist and founder of The Media Specialist, an agency advising plaintiffs, litigation funders and law firms on strategic communications in high-profile class actions, public interest litigation and sensitive corporate cases.
Contact Us
Louise Greene on 0479 101 274 or email Louise@themediaspecialist.com.au
Please email us to receive more information on the agency.
Our Clients
Memberships
