CDR MediaScan at 20: Why Journalist Sentiment Matters More Than Ever
For two decades, CDR MediaScan has tracked one of the most overlooked drivers of reputation in asset management: journalist sentiment.
What began as a UK and European benchmarking study is now a long-running barometer of how the media perceives asset management firms – their leadership, communications strategies and brand value. To mark its 20th anniversary, this year’s report expands into APAC for the first time, offering a broader perspective on evolving media expectations globally.
The headline finding? The fundamentals of reputation haven’t changed. How firms build and communicate it has.
Across UK/EMEA and APAC, journalists still rank investment performance and team quality as the top drivers of brand value. But twenty years ago, communications were product-led and distribution-focused. The post-financial crisis period changed that – firms shifted towards thought leadership, market commentary and insight-driven content. Journalist favourability scores rose. The model worked.
Today, the landscape has shifted again. Geopolitical uncertainty, ESG scrutiny, digital amplification and AI-driven discovery have made asset managers more visible across more channels, and more cautious about what they say in them.
The result: a rise in controlled communications. Journalists across both regions report reduced spokesperson access, greater reliance on written responses and tighter message management. The tension between control and accessibility is fast becoming the defining communications challenge for the industry.
MediaScan’s APAC expansion also revealed sharp regional differences. UK and European journalists prioritise transparency and clarity. APAC media weight leadership visibility, firm scale and institutional reputation more heavily. On AI adoption, APAC journalists are moving faster – integrating it into research and drafting workflows, while UK/EMEA counterparts remain cautious, using it mainly for transcription and trend analysis.
The implication is clear: one-size-fits-all communications strategies don’t work. Global consistency, regional calibration.
As MediaScan enters its third decade, one thing is certain: media relationships are no longer a support function. They are central to reputation, visibility and competitive advantage. In an AI-driven, multi-channel world, understanding journalist sentiment isn’t optional. It’s strategic.
