The government and the media: communicating South Africa's message

Janine Lazarus Media Consultancy's highly experiential workshop: The Government and The Media: Communicating South Africa's Message, scheduled to take place at the CSIR International Convention Centre in Pretoria on Thursday 6 November 2008, has been developed with the view to not only assist government communicators to improve their relations with the media, but to help them acquire the acumen necessary to translate complex issues into simple messages that can be easily grasped by the people of South Africa.

The one-day programme, featuring an expert panel of communication officials from the government and parastatal sectors, a media analyst and seasoned journalists, will challenge attendees current methods of communication, while providing them with proactive and integrated communication strategies to translate the success of our fledgling democracy.

The host of experts will present several case studies of their unique communication experiences in each respective sector, sharing both their challenges and lessons learned with their audience. The insightful presentations will be followed by an interactive panel debate in which members of the audience will be invited to put their questions to the experts and to share their experiences.

Mava Scott, Head of Communications at the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry, will present a critical view of the existing relationship between government and the media. Mava previously headed a communications unit at the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism and in that portfolio, managed successful communications campaigns for major international events such as the World Summit on Sustainable Development, The World Parks Congress and International Waters Conference.

Sasol's Group Communications Manager, Jacqui O'Sullivan, will tackle issues pertinent to communicating in a challenging parastatal communications environment. Jacqui joined Sasol from Motorola where she spent a year as the head of the organisation's communications and public affairs portfolio for Middle East and Africa. She has also served as spokesperson for South African Airways (SAA), where she was head of communications and corporate social investment, as well as the Airports Company South Africa were she managed communications for the then named Johannesburg International Airport.

Member of the South African National Editors' Forum, Jacob Ntshangase, will provide a critical media overview on the dynamics between the media and government. Jacob is the current Executive Director of the Institute for the Advancement of Journalism, and also serves in the United Nations Development Programme's National Steering Committee for South Africa's Global Environmental Facility, and is a member of the Southern African Development Communities Media Training Steering Committee.

Leading media content research director, Wadim Schreiner, will delve in some detail on how the government is perceived in the media. His company, Media Tenor South Africa, is the country's top research institute focusing on quantitative media content analysis.

Workshop host Janine Lazarus, founder of Janine Lazarus Media Consultancy, will introduce the panel of experts and facilitate the interactive debate.

With 24 years of experience in the South African and African media environment as a hard news journalist, presenter, talk-show host and cutting-edge media communications trainer, Janine is the media trainer of choice for a number of local and international blue-chip organisations, government departments and various newsrooms. Her experience will provide government communicators with the tools necessary to communicate key messages to the nation through what is undoubtedly one of the most powerful communication vehicles in the world today: The media.

‘Live' On-Camera Skills Training is on the afternoon's agenda, with attendees being provided with the unique opportunity to be filmed by a hard news camera crew while they grapple with real issues from ‘the hot seat'. The recorded footage will then be played back and critiqued during the workshop.

A DVD copy of all recordings conducted during the session as well as comprehensive training materials will be provided to delegates.

Since government communication teams need to remain constantly vigilant of the very real damage of negative publicity surrounding contentious issues dominating the country's headlines, this workshop is one that is not to be missed!


For booking details and further information, click on the link below for the full invitation:

http://www.fizzmarketing.co.za/Ems/LazarusGov/JanineLazarus_GovWorkshop.htm