'The Spear': Lekota slams Zuma

NEWSWATCH: COPE leader Mosiuoa Lekota slammed Jacob Zuma in parliament for not protecting the rights of "The Spear" painter Brett Murray and City Press editor Ferial Haffajee, reports IOL. Meanwhile, the Goodman Gallery and the ANC have "made up", reports Mail & Guardian. Read more >>

Blackberry TV ad celebrates people of action

The new BlackBerry advertising campaign, which launched mid May 2012 on Comedy Central, will be flighted in a selection of primetime drama, comedy and lifestyle programmes including Carte Blanche, Expresso, Top Billing, Eastern Mosaic and Step Up Or Step Out. Read more >>

How to do brand storytelling

[Jason Stewart] Word of mouth is very much experience-based: yours or someone else's. We love stories. They grip us. We can visualise scenarios and place ourselves in the same situation, but, most importantly, we start to believe in them. Read more >>

Using social media as a customer service channel

[Diane Charton] Many companies run Twitter, Facebook or YouTube accounts to supplement their other offline and online marketing activities, yet few have understood that social media is quickly becoming as important a customer service channel, as it is a marketing opportunity. Read more >>

New season of Kaelo - Stories of Hope launches in July

The seventh series of Kaelo - Stories of Hope goes on air on e.tv on 3 July 2012 at 5.30pm, followed by a weekly broadcast every Tuesday. Described as the largest CSI multimedia platform in Africa, it offers an integrated multi-media approach (includes the TV series, a printed book, publicity and online and social media engagement). Read more >>

Revamped website for Air Line Pilots' Association

The Air Line Pilots' Association (ALPA-SA) has revamped its website to demonstrate its maturity as a representative body and its experience in dealing with issues. The new-look website reflects the organisation's record of service to the aviation industry, its growth and ongoing value as a representative body for pilots and flight deck crew. Read more >>

South African innovation leads African solutions

At the Open Innovation Africa Summit in Kenya, held on Monday, 28 May 2012, Nokia selected Cape-based mobile application provider Snapplify to demonstrate leading innovation. Read more >>

Newspaper awards take on new sponsor, present new theme

Standard Bank is the new sponsor of Print Media South Africa's (PMSA's) newspaper awards, previously known as the Mondi Shanduka Newspaper Awards. Read more >>

Powerful media panel at PRISA conference

The PRISA annual conference, being held 11-12 June 2012 at the Hilton Hotel in Sandton, offers a powerful media panel discussion with Dr Philip Mtimkulu, commissioner and spokesperson for the Press Freedom Commission, Ferial Haffajee, editor of City Press, Prof Anton Harber of Wits University Journalism and Vusi Mona of GCIS discussing the 'Future of Press Freedom in South Africa'. Read more >>

Calculating performers' royalties - formula out this week

The Copyright Tribunal convened on 21 November 2011 to hear evidence submitted as to the formula to be used to calculate the amount of royalties payable by the NAB to the owners of the copyright in the applicable sound recordings, and the performers of the musical works. Following a further two-day hearing in February 2012, the Commissioner of the Copyright Tribunal was to hand down his decision yesterday, Wednesday 30 May 2012. Read more >>

Too cool to smoke: World No Tobacco Day, 31 May

Today, Thursday 31 May, is World No Tobacco Day, a World Health Organisation (WHO) day dedicated to highlighting why tobacco is harmful to your body, and why quitting is life-saving. Roche's cancer education platform, Be Cancer Aware, is inviting all smokers in South Africa to quit for the day. You can help promote the campaign and show that you're "too cool to smoke" by wearing your shades to work on the day. Read more >>

CPJ condemns City Press 'harassment'

NEW YORK, US: 'The Spear' controversy has made the news overseas: the new-York-based Committee to Protect Journalists* (CPJ) has condemned what it terms "the campaign of harassment and intimidation" against the City Press after it published an image of a painting of President Jacob Zuma more than two weeks ago. Read more >>

Ministers are aware of responsibility to Parliament

Government ministers are aware of their accountability to Parliament and take this responsibility seriously, Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe said on Wednesday, following comments by the Speaker of Parliament Max Sisulu on Tuesday about the number of parliamentary questions that were not being answered in time by ministers. Read more >>

Broad support for National Development Plan - Manuel

South Africans from all walks of life have offered broad support to a draft of the National Development Plan since it was released for public comment in November last year, says Minister in the Presidency Responsible for Planning, Trevor Manuel. Read more >>

MPs frustrated as Aurora, liquidators don't turn up

MPs and officials from the Departments of Labour and Mineral Resources expressed frustration after Aurora Empowerment Systems and their provisional liquidators failed to turn up in Parliament today to detail what is being done to assist employees of Orkney and Grootvlei gold mines, which are in liquidation. Read more >>

[10 Things I Love about]... The Maldives

[Brian Berkman: contributing editor, travel] PR supremo Etienne De Villiers has spent more time in five-star hotel resorts than elsewhere. He returned to Cape Town for the launch of One & Only and then headed straight back to the Islands again. Now, Contributing Editor: Travel Brian Berkman asked De Villiers, as area public relations manager for Anantara Resorts, The Maldives, what he loved most about The Maldives. Read more >>