25/05/2026
Roll call for Massey communication graduates 🙋 hands up in the comments.
2026 marks 50 years of teaching communication at Massey!
This photo is a throwback to campus in 1976, half a century ago, when studying for a career in communication looked very different. Students were learning to craft media releases, understand audiences and deliver clear messages in a world shaped by print, radio and television. Campaigns were slower, more linear and often built around one-way communication.
Today, those same foundations extend across social media, digital storytelling, real-time analytics and platform-first content creation.
Associate Professor Doug Ashwell, who has taught communication since 2000, says while technology has changed dramatically, the core purpose of communication has not.
“How to relate to people and talk to one another, that's what employers still look for. That's what we teach: how to connect to other people.”
Professor Elspeth Tilley adds that communication has become an essential capability across all sectors. Organisations now expect their people to be able to communicate clearly, quickly and effectively.
“As Massey marks 50 years of communication, our programme’s evolution reflects a simple truth. While the ways people communicate may continue to change, the need to connect, inform and engage, human to human, has never been more important.”
Cheers to 50 years of communication at Massey University.
