MAKHADO - In a bid to understand each other’s areas of operations, and to broaden their existing working relationships, representatives from the media and government communicators within the province assembled at LA Ndou Guest House on Friday, exchanging views and addressing their differences at the Media Summit.

The expelled former editor of the Sunday Times, Mr Mathatha Tsedu, told government communicators that the "one-size-fits-all media release" does not work. He said that the communicators must be able to understand whether their information deserves to be sent to local or national media institutions. "You must remember that if there will be an official opening of a road, the press release is not supposed to talk about the mayor who will cut the ribbon, but it must give details on how the communities of that particular village are going to benefit from the road," he said.

Tsedu said that for a communicator to succeed in the field, he must be able to spell correctly, to inform journalists about events in time, as well as to know the deadlines of all the various media institutions.

The General Manager of Communications in the Premier’s Office, Mr Charley Nkadimeng, said some of the information wanted by reporters needs to be researched. Nkadimeng said that communicators are not supposed to instruct journalists to forward their questions in writing, because it would be difficult for the reporter to ask follow-up questions.

When asked if the media summit was not aimed at instructing the media on what to do, the PRO of the Makhado Municipality, who had organised the summit, Mr Peter Muleya, said that the summit was mainly focused on building the relationship with the media, to understand how the two institutions should handle each other. "As a municipality, we are extending our gratitude to all the media representatives who co-operated in making the summit successful," he said.