Beyond the Noise: How Quality Journalism Drives Real-World Influence

“Now we’re all drowning in information and data. Our attention is totally splintered,” he said.

However, the research shows audiences focus on what is important to them. Braun noted the findings showed that 68 per cent of Hong Kong adults are fully or mostly focused when using news apps – the highest attention level measured across channels. News is also a key morning destination, with engagement rising again in the afternoon as professionals seek perspective.

“Once people are on news apps, they pay more attention than anywhere else,” he said.
 

News media generate more meaningful responses
The study also found that news environments generate more meaningful responses than platforms built around quick interactions. Trust emerged as another defining factor. SCMP ranked first among major news brands in Hong Kong for the level of trust in its accuracy and quality, and first for brand indispensability – a position Braun said underscores the link between credibility and influence.

Real-world leadership
The conversation then shifted from research to real-world leadership in a panel titled Leading Through the Noise, moderated by Huang and featuring Hugo Montanari, managing director of Rosewood Hong Kong & K11 Artus.

Montanari described the challenge of steering a luxury hospitality brand amid geopolitical uncertainty, shifting travel patterns and compressed booking windows.

“There’s a lot of noise in the market,” he said. “What I try to do every day is make the best judgment with all that information that is out there.”

While his team tracks data closely, from booking windows to daily pricing adjustments, Montanari said behaviour remained his most reliable compass. “There’s no better person in my field than our guests, our associates and our partners,” he said. “We focus on listening carefully to what they have to say.”

He also underscored the necessity of strategic alliances, noting that “no brand should stand alone.” Success, he argued, relies on shared values rather than commercial transactions alone.

For Montanari, trust is not abstract. “Trust delivers pricing power,” he said, explaining that emotional connection and consistent delivery allow brands to resist discounting and build resilience.

Brand requires authenticity
The summit concluded with a fireside chat titled The Craft Behind the Influence, featuring five-time Olympian Stephanie Au in discussion with SCMP’s editorial director of specialist publications, Cat Nelson. Au reflected on narrative control in the social media era, the discipline required to sustain excellence across five Olympic cycles, and the responsibility that comes with influence.

Recalling her first Olympic appearance, Au recalled having little control over her public image. “That’s all I did: just pose and take a photo,” she said. “It was their story to tell about me.”

Social media has changed that dynamic, giving athletes greater agency but also new pressures. “You get to create your own content… and people see exactly who you are by how you want to portray it,” she said. “But once you let everyone know who you are, you’re kind of being judged.”

Au also discussed how building her brand requires authenticity, noting that it is rooted in vulnerability. “You are never truly competing against others, but against yourself,” she said, adding that you are only done when you have given your personal best.

Across the research findings and reflections, a common thread emerged: whether in media, hospitality or elite sport, influence is built on focus, credibility and the ability to read with perspective. In an era of distraction, audiences make time for trusted journalism, and that focused attention continues to drive real-world impact.