Formal alliance for language, media practitioners

The alliance will support and publicise the rights, skills and general recognition of language and media practitioners. It aims to further the interests of its individual members by:

• Establishing regular communications between the alliance partners
• Coordinating public relations and approaches to media issues
• Lobbying for standardised minimum rates in the media and language industry
• Sharing expertise and resources
• Advertising each association's training courses
• Developing united positions in representing members in industry issues.

Serving all parties

The alliance's convenor and SAFREA chairman, Clive Lotter, notes, "This is a breakthrough for professionals in the media, language and creative industries. For the first time, our organisations can present a united front to industry players when representing our members' interests."

"PEG welcomes the establishment of a forum through which organisations active in the language and media fields can collaborate more closely. This has been an objective of ours for some time now, as our work overlaps with that of kindred associations in many respects. I believe it will lead to the pooling of resources, avoidance of unnecessary duplication and serve to bolster our professions," adds John Linnegar, chairperson of the Professional Editors' Group,

"The organisation is pleased to have a forum for engaging with other organisations in the language and media field, as its work overlaps in many respects," says Anne-Marie Beukes, chairperson of SATI. "It can only strengthen and benefit these professions and facilitate public awareness of the role played by language and media practitioners in a multilingual South Africa."

Thandi Brewer, chairperson of the WGSA, comments, "For movie and TV industry writers to join forces with our language and media colleagues is a natural fit. We have many common interests and will gain by sharing our intellectual property and standing together in representing our interests."

Going Forward

While the alliance parties have already begun to coordinate and develop the common interests of its members, each member association will still retain its own identity and serve its own constituency. LAMP is in the process of identifying like-minded organisations in the language and media fields that will be invited and actively encouraged to join the alliance.