Good things come to those who tune out

We’re all waiting for something. 

The interminable speculation around a date for the Australian Federal election seems to be mercifully nearing its conclusion, with the real battle set to replace a transactional tit-for-tat that’s felt every inch the actual campaign. Meanwhile, election night across the nation won't quite look the same, with Anthony Green set to hang up his hat after 30 years as ABC’s Chief Election Analyst. 

The world has been glued to updates about the Pope’s health (which, at the time of writing, is improving despite ongoing kidney failure) and the prospect of President Trump (mark it off in weekly newsletter mentions bingo) following through on his promise to do any number of things, including forcibly turning Gaza into a White Lotus-esque resort.

Into these anticipatory periods comes the need for content. Lots of it. 

The Albanese government is utilising both old school methods, with opposition research driving an effective news cycle around Peter Dutton’s GFC share purchases, and new media, with Albo’s Abbie Chatfield podcast interview the latest attempt to reach a small sliver of voters.

Filling airtime, column inches, and social media feeds between cautious and carefully worded healthcare updates on the Pope is even more difficult, particularly when a natural inclination to speculate on what happens next is balanced (or not) with sensitivities around an 88-year-old fighting for his life. 

Trump, of course, has mastered controlling the narrative by constantly shifting it, replacing anticipation with exhaustion and delirium.

Finding the right balance between providing enough content to build anticipation and a deluge of dirge makes all the difference in making the big moment mean something when it does eventually arrive.