However, internships might not be what you had envisioned throughout university, and could be the cause of a bit of a rough transition from the student life to the professional life.

I have been at Fleishman-Hillard for a month and one thing is for sure: as you start, there are a few tips you should know that your college degree has most definitely not taught you! I hope to give you a mini crash-course on ‘internship 101’ to ensure a smooth transition.

• Have the right mind-set and attitude

The biggest mistake that we graduates make is to expect to immediately put in practice what we have studied. And rightly so- we have after all been studying hard for the past 3-4 years, right?

Well, that is partly wrong.

If I had gotten R10 for every time I heard the word ‘strategy’ throughout my degree I probably wouldn’t even have started working! I am not undermining our education- having the fundamental knowledge of your future profession and the strategic insight is very important. However, it is very unlikely that you will be put in a position of big responsibility.

Instead, you will most likely be doing the ‘not-so-fun-stuff’ like compiling media lists, doing research and other odd bits and pieces that are the building blocks to implementing a strategy.

This might not seem so glamorous, but don’t see it as a negative thing.

Be prepared to do the so-called grunt work. A positive attitude and being proactive are your tools to greater things. Your supervisor is more likely to give you increased responsibility if you show that you are willing to learn and do whatever comes your way!

• Don’t be afraid to ask questions…. the right ones!

Becoming part of an agency can be quite daunting. Don’t let this get to you. Ask questions that are clever and that show that you want to learn and add value. If you ask questions to which the answers are blatantly obvious you will look unprepared and will not make a good impression.

• Accept criticism

Depending on your personality this will either come naturally or it might, in fact, be the hardest task you will come across in your professional life. The majority of the time, the first draft of your work will never be the right one. Don’t take criticism as a personal attack. Rather, view it as an opportunity to explore and acknowledge your weaknesses so that you can work on continuously growing and improving!

Finally, my biggest tip is essentially to be prepared to work hard! Nothing comes easily and at the end of the day you will only progress professionally thanks to you and how well you can work with the people around you! Make an effort to make good relationships that will help you not only to learn and improve but also to love what you do and the environment you work in.

Twitter handle: @AliceCardarelli

Our internal Global mantra is ‘Go Beyond’ and I believe we have effectively been living this value for a long time.  Robust, sophisticated PR agencies in SA have been finding multiple revenue channels for years.

The integration of Digital over the last five years effectively stamped out any form of complacency that might have crept into an SA based agency.  The competitive landscape has evolved in this time period with ad agencies and niched digital shops operating in the reputation management space.

While some may have feared this increase in competition, the brave (I like to think FH SA is in the fold) have started investing and ‘playing’ in the traditional above-the-line space.

While we will never make 30 second commercials, we are certainly being asked to plan, book and place advertising, particularly in the online space.  In the words of our CEO, Dave Senay, we will certainly engage with clients in the ABL space as long as the execution of the idea aids the brand’s reputation and helps tell a compelling story.

So while the responsibility for the online conversation continues to be blurred, the responsibility for the entire online spectrum will be awarded to the agency that best understands the client’s business.

The agencies that will survive will be the agencies that integrate best, that become masters of all channels – we strive to tell great stories for our clients regardless of the audience, regardless of the channel, at any time… as long as the stories continue to drive behavior.

The Association of Independent Tour Operators and the Federation of Tour Operators in the UK have put their weight behind an open letter to the Greek prime minister, in a bid to persuade the government to use PR to deal with the country’s tarnished image to boost the economy, in the wake of their pecuniary meltdown and public riots.

The Greek National Tourism Organisation has not historically made use of PR services but publicly stated that it is certainly one of the options they are considering as visitor figures continue to plummet.

As a communications professional I have to wonder why the Greek government needs persuasion.  I’m proud to say that perhaps the Greek parliament should refer to South Africa’s success in using marketing and communications to effectively manage its reputation and increase visitor figures – all in the pursuit of job creation and a sustainable travel sector.

For starters, South Africa’s tourism sector has grown robustly since it successfully rebranded itself as a top sightseeing destination, especially among business travellers.

South Africa’s Tourism Minister, Marthinus Van Schalkwyk, speaking at the World Tourism and Travel Council trade show in Sendai and Tokyo earlier this month, said South Africa was outperforming other countries in the tourism despite the economic downturn.

According to a survey released by Pretoria’s Department of Tourism on 12 March 2012, South Africa welcomed more than 8.3 million visitors last year, topping the previous record set when it hosted the World Cup soccer tournament in 2010.

Its current numbers present a stark contrast to the fewer than 500,000 it chalked up in 1994, the year its long-reviled apartheid system was abolished and Nelson Mandela elected as the nation’s first black president.

While South Africa is still struggling with a host of serious issues, especially sky-high rates of crime, unemployment, HIV and AIDS, its tourism sector remains buoyant. Especially pleasing are the numbers of repeat visitors.

Cape Town, the country’s legislative capital, was ranked the top travel destination in a survey conducted last year by Tripadviser.com, a U.S.-based travel website, beating New York, Paris, London, Rome and Rio de Janeiro, among other locations.

Van Schalkwyk said this was not solely down to the spill-over effect of hosting the World Cup, and highlighted the promotion of its world-class convention centres to boost business tourism.

Last year, tourism accounted for about 8% of South Africa’s estimated $363 billion gross domestic product.  Lastly, South Africa is expecting 15 million tourists to visit in 2020, generating an additional $50 billion for our economy.  Surely this kind of revenue would be welcome in the homeland of Aristotle?

By Kim Hudson, FH Associate Director

Most importantly, the commission has recommended that the current system of self-regulation be replaced by a new system of independent co-regulation. The commission describes the proposed system, which will be unique to South Africa, thus:

“Independent co-regulation is a system of regulation that involves public and press participation with a predominant public membership but without State or government participation. It is accountable to the public.”

The proposal strikes a middle ground between the extremes of self-regulation preferred by the press and statutory regulation proposed by the ruling ANC. It promotes press freedom while raising the bar for the newspapers in terms of standards, accountability and fairness.

Significantly, the proposal received an initial warm reception from Gwede Mantashe, the powerful secretary general of the ruling ANC.  Although the ANC NEC has yet to pronounce on the commission’s report, one can’t think of any good reason why it would reject it.

The good work done by the commission renders redundant the governing party’s plan to have parliament investigate the desirability of a possibly punitive statutory Media Appeals Tribunal to rein in a press it accuses of being Eurocentric, untransformed  and a law unto itself.

The other key recommendations include that:

*The Press Council of South Africa have a stronger public representation, with seven of its 12 members drawn from the public and five nominated by the industry. At least half of the members should be women.

*The waiver clause prohibiting complainants users from later going to court be scrapped.

*The Press Code be amended to allow for acceptance of third party complaints and to enhance protection of the rights of children.

*There be a hierarchy of sanctions for violations of the Press Code, including, for the first time, monetary fines for extreme cases violation of the regulatory process.

*Consideration be given to the development of a media transformation charter with clear targets and deadlines.

All freedom-loving South Africans and democrats the world over need to give the country a pat on the back for, once again, rising to the challenge by finding a creative solution to yet another divisive issue that many feared heralded the death of free speech and erosion of constitutional democracy.

The expected changes reaffirm the constitutionally enshrined right of the Fourth Estate to continue playing its watchdog role without fear, which is essential to democracy.

Communicators will find particularly pleasing the recommendations aimed at improving the standard of journalism. While journalistic standards are generally laudable, ethical lapses and shoddiness remain a problem, with devastating effects on our client’s reputations.

A combination of the proposals aimed at raising the professional and ethical bar for journalists, and the stricter sanctions for violations of the Press Code should result in reporting that is fairer, more accurate, more ethical and more balanced.

Theoretically, the resultant fairer treatment of our clients by the press will greatly minimise the amount of malicious damage to their reputations and subsequent need for damage control. In short, our jobs are about to become a bit easier.

*Thabo Leshilo is former head of Sanef’s media freedom committee. He sat on the PMSA and Sanef committee that established the Press Freedom Commission.

 

Name:  Thabiso Moloi

Qualification: (BA) Degree Corporate Communications

Portfolio: Consumer

Favourite motto: Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication

Twitter handle: @14_japs

Advice:  It is very important to create and keep an updated version of your CV. Always include information such as personal details, educational background, milestones and career objectives.  As this is your first job and because you don’t have much experience, make sure that you include an introductory paragraph about your strengths, tertiary achievements and your career goals.

Name: Bianca Vallun

Qualification: BCom Honours with specialisation in Communication Management

Portfolio: Technology

Favourite motto: Real success is finding your lifework in the work that you love.

Twitter handle: @missvallun

Advice: When preparing for an interview, first impressions are always vital. Be well prepared and knowledgeable by researching all aspects of the company including their key clients, partners, competitors and if applicable, their global offering. Make sure you understand what the company specialises in especially when entering the working environment for the first time. Take the time to find any additional information about the company or their employees that could add value to your interview.

Name: Keagile Mabusela

Qualification: National Diploma in International Communication

Portfolio: Sustainability

Favourite motto: You never learn anything by doing it right; experience is the name so many people give to their mistakes.

Twitter handle: @kaykeagile

Advice: In the world we live in, first impressions count. To ensure that the interviewers take you seriously, you have to be presentable and dress like a professional. If you are successful and get the job, try and adapt to the culture and dress code of the organisation and the types of clients they have.

Name: Brittany Preece

Qualification: BCom Honours with specialisation in Communication Management

Portfolio: Consumer

Favourite motto: Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.

Twitter handle: @BrittPreece

Advice: In such a fast-paced industry, it is crucial to stay up-to-date with changes in the PR, media and digital space. Online platforms have made it easy to access this information through industry websites, blogs and social media sites. I’d suggest setting up a Twitter account and following various media titles, agencies and thought leaders to gain more insight into the communications environment. In other words, research and know as much as you possibly can and that will give you an advantage.

Name:  Alice Cardarelli

Qualification: Bachelor of Business Science with a double major in Marketing and Management

Portfolio: Financial Services

Favourite motto: A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. – Lao Tzu

Twitter handle: @AliceCardarelli

Advice: Whether we like it or not, our Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn profiles are likely to be checked by potential employers. If you’re not the ‘private’ type and your social media platform is accessible to anyone, make sure that it is free of any potentially offensive material or pictures and comments that might jeopardise your possibility of getting a job.

Name: Ntombi Mashaba

Qualification: Studying towards Btech International Communications specialising in International Relations

Portfolio: Corporate

Favourite motto: Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else. -Judy Garland

Twitter handle: @MashabaNtombi

Advice: Once you are done doing in-depth research on the company that you are interested in, it is important to consult your peers, lecturers, mentors and even your family in order to establish their perceptions or knowledge of the organisation.

“Believe and act as if it were impossible to fail.” – Charles Kettering

I accomplished a few things with his. Firstly, I truly engaged him in a project that could profit us both, and secondly I got the rather selfish gratification I made him work for his money. It feels good to be the client! But it also made me think about my own job, and how public relations is valued and rewarded. And to what extent we help our clients get their minds wrapped around the true value of our services.

We, and the entire PR industry, are working very hard to seek new ways to get higher rewards for delivered value. I purposely say delivered, as we still get paid only for perceived value. And the perceived value of our profession is still vastly lower than that of lawyers and management consultants. If we want this to change, it is upon ourselves to make a better business case. One way is to concentrate more on objectives-setting and measurement.

Actually proving the value of communications is complicated. Even if we get it right, many clients aren’t ready for measurement, as their own performance and rewards aren’t based on any metrics either. Also, with the procurement function increasingly taking ownership of negotiations between client and agency, the investment discussion is dominated by cost rather than by value.

In my research on delivering value based on measurement I came across many complicated acronyms, methodologies and processes. Simply read the book “Shoot the puppy” and you’ll know what I mean. But I also bumped into the following statement: “the concept of measurement is often confused with counting,” And that brought a lot of clarity to my own thinking.

For public relations to be recognized and rewarded for delivered value, we need to educate our clients on the true concept of measurement. And the road to measurement begins with objectives. And with asking our clients “why?”

Here’s an illustrative anecdote. When confronting the explorer who first located the wreck of Titanic with the fact that new research had unveiled the ship had gone down even faster than everyone assumed, he replied stoically; “It hit an iceberg and it sank – get over it”. Research, he basically says, should not start without an anterior objective, but more importantly: it shouldn’t stop at delivering observations only. What difference does it make to get confirmation there is a gap between what is, and what should be. The question is, what are you going to do about it? Raise the Titanic?

An objective is a qualitative “thing”. By deciding a measure and a corresponding target, you quantify the objective, and will be able to define how much your efforts contribute to the target. But here’s the catch: as soon as you quantify an objective, your efforts will probably work towards realizing the target, not the objective. But is this target really the best translation of the objective?

This shows it’s really important to engage our clients not only in objectives, but also in discussing and defining targets. Sometimes clients might have “targets” in their head and never think about the objectives behind them (i.e. “give me clippings!”). At other times the client might love to talk about objectives but is unable to agree on specific targets (“we want more loyalty!”).

Anything which you can express in numbers and percentages is quantifiable – and believe me, you can express everything in numbers and percentages if you try to. It’s just a matter of finding (a combination of) the right measures – and if they are achievable; is it in effect possible to reach this goal? And can you influence or control it?”

We all would like to control the weather, but setting targets like “have 25 sunny weeks in England per year” is rather impossible. Alternatively, an Olympic athlete can set a target like “win the gold medal” but how can you possibly control the performance of your competitors? In this case, this target is the objective, and the target would become something like “jump at least 7 centimeters higher than the current world record in 5 out of 7 practice sessions in the month before the games”.

It doesn’t always have to be sophisticated, but there’s absolutely no shortage of options to measure. To name just a few: Abilities, Attitudes, Awareness, Behavior, Confidence, Efficacy, Engagement, Intentions, Knowledge, Participation, Sales, Time and Visibility can all be measured. And most importantly; all of these can be influenced by communications.

True, measurement will often fall back on counting, but if you focus on getting the objectives set properly, you’ll at least have ensured you have something to measure – so that’s where the game really starts. Everytime you have an intake, or discuss a briefing with a client, or analyse an RFP; look through the measurement lense – chances are you will personally improve the assignment and get better results for your client. And both are immensely valuable and rewarding for our industry.

The Press Freedom Commission (PFC) is due to release the results of its much-anticipated probe of the country’s system of press self-regulation on Wednesday (April 25). It is most likely to herald a major change in the way transgressions by the press against the public are resolved.

The PFC was initiated by Print Media South Africa, a representative body of newspaper and magazine owners, and the South African National Editors’ Forum. It was launched in July last year.

This followed concerted, vicious criticism by the ruling ANC that the current system, whereby an industry-appointed ombudsman adjudicates complaints, is buddy-buddy.

The Press Ombudsman was severally criticised as toothless because he cannot fine journalists and newspapers for getting things wrong, to the detriment of the public.

The ANC prefers a punitive Media Appeals Tribunal that would impose harsh penalties on journalists and their employers, including even jailing them.

The press and other advocates of freedom of speech have slammed the proposed tribunal as part of a plan by the government to muzzle the media because of their relentless exposes of government corruption.

Many ANC politicians, some of whom have been caught with the proverbial hand in the proverbial cookie jar, have questioned the media’s constitutionally-enshrined watchdog role. Their argument is that the press, being unelected, can’t hold them accountable.

Phil Mthimkhulu, a commissioner and spokesman for the PFC, says their mandate was to “devise a gold standard regulatory framework for print media that would be in line with the SA Constitution.”

The commission did desktop research, undertook international visits and called for public submissions. Such was the enthusiasm that the calls for submissions elicited 230 responses.

The commission also heard oral submissions in three of the country’s major centres – Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town.

“The following areas emerged as areas of concern from a number of stakeholders: independence of the Press Council of South Africa (PCSA) and the ombudsman’s office, the waiver that is signed by complainants before their case is taken up, protection of children, the independence of the appeals mechanism, the representation of press members in the PCSA and adjudication, the absence of punitive measures throughout the PCSA process, the regulation of the digital publishing space, transformation and whether self-regulation as a system was the best for SA,” says Mthimkhulu.

Given the progressive makeup of the commission – it is made up of such respected people as Anglican Church bishop Thabo Makgoba and is chaired by retired Chief Justice Pius Langa – my educated guess is that it will seek to strike a balance between promoting press freedom and the need to protect the public against unfair treatment at the hands of the few newsroom cowboys with poisoned pens.

The press can expect to be slapped with fines in future for recklessness in addition to allocating space for corrections and apologies, as required by the current South African Press Code.

The press might not like it but, they’ll have no option but to roll with the punches. This and the expected increased independence of the office of the Press Ombudsman will go a long way towards obviating the need for the ANC to continue with its plans for a drastically punitive media tribunal that would be inimical to media freedom.

By Thabo Leshilo, FH Director

*Thabo Leshilo is former head of Sanef’s media freedom committee. He sat on the PMSA and Sanef committee that established the Press Freedom Commission.

“We have a duty to build and develop this nation and to call to book the putative leaders who, due to sheer incapacity cannot deal with the complexity of 21^stcentury governance and leadership, cannot lead.” These are strong words indeed but the sentiments are certainly not new, but usually said behind closed doors and at the dinner table.

The Minister of Police, Nathi Mthethwa, government spokesperson Jimmy Manyi and [significantly] secretary general of the ANC, Gwede Mantashe, slammed Khoza. Mantashe even went as far as to accuse him of being disrespectful, warning that his comments might threaten foreign investment.

On the same footing, many have also defended Khoza and reiterated his views. We live in a democratic society, after all. Freedom of speech is enshrined in the Constitution. Such debates are necessary to put pressure on the government to be more accountable as demanded by citizens. Khoza should be admired for his courage.

But, as a communications professional, I also question his choice of platform. Annual reports are usually about the financial performance of organisations and their future prospects. The chairman’s review should stick with the economic challenges and point to opportunities for future business growth.

The merits of what Khoza stated aside, such controversial opinions belong in the opinion and analysis pages and public speaking forums – where they can be challenged and debated. That does not happen in annual reports.

Another question that needs asking is: is it worth the reputational risk, which, by the way, could affect a company’s profits – something that should be his duty to protect? The SA Democratic Teachers’ Union in Kwazulu-Natal has already called for government to shift all its accounts from Nedbank.  Mantashe himself has already made this veiled threat. “We will not turn our back on Nedbank if they want to engage. An issue that must be discussed in earnest is whether banking with an institution that sees you as foolish and insane makes any sense.”  (Sowetan, April 13).

Whatever the merits of Khoza’s opinion, business leaders need to strike a balance between gambling with shareholder funds and freedom of speech. My advice is to err on the side of shareholder value. That, after all, is their fiduciary duty.

Nedbank now faces a reputational issue [not crisis], which can be managed. I would recommend an olive branch, and discussion on how the banking industry could be given the opportunity to be part of the solutions to the problems which impact business in the country.

After all this is the subtext of Minister of Finance, Pravin Gordan, when he says there is a need for cooperation and “generosity and goodwill to sustain SA’s democratic vision.” (Business Day, April 17).

He has held several key editorial positions during his illustrious career – including being transport editor, news editor, night editor and assistant editor at Business Report. He is a past winner of the coveted Sanlam Business Journalist of the Year Award – in the small business and RDP section.

Thabo has edited Pretoria News, Sunday World in 2002, Business Times and Sowetan. He is credited with the successful re-launch of Sowetan in 2004, which had suffered a huge loss in circulation.

He was awarded the Nieman Fellow in Journalism at Harvard for 2008/9. On his return from Harvard, Thabo was appointed the first public editor of Avusa Media’s eight newspapers.

Leshilo has served on the board of the SA Press Association and is a board member of the Institute for the Advancement of Journalism. He has a Bachelor of Administration degree from the University of Limpopo.

“While Fleishman-Hillard is one of the few global agencies having invested in South Africa we believe very firmly in being locally relevant. To this end we could not wish for someone with better local business and media understanding.

“Thabo is well-placed to strategically advise our portfolio of blue chip clients,” says Kevin Welman, Managing Director of Fleishman-Hillard South Africa.

“I have been here only one week but can already attest to the level of passion the team have for their clients. It feels good to be part of this team,” says Leshilo.

The whole Durban affair was bigger than people realise (and here I even exclude the myriad of side-events so many of us scrambled between)… It included the 17th time the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change convened, as well as the 7th time the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP 7) met.

But that’s not all folks! Durban also hosted the 14th meeting of an Ad hoc Working Group on Long-term Cooperative Action under the Convention (AWG-LCA); the 16th meeting of an Ad hoc Working Group on Further Commitments for Annex I Parties under the Kyoto Protocol (AWG-KP); and a 35th meeting of the Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI) and the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA).

It took more than 12,480 people, constituted of 5400 government officials, 5800 UN representatives and NGOs, and more than 1200 media to get conversation going.They must know each other so well by now, it’s hard to imagine what’s left to talk about…

Well, in the fray of activity, it would seem they managed to sign on a few dotted lines – 36 to be exact! These outcomes cover a wide range of topics, notably the establishment of a second commitment period under the Kyoto Protocol, a decision on long-term cooperative action under the Convention, the launch of a new process towards an agreed outcome with legal force applicable to all parties to the Convention, and the operationalization of the Green Climate Fund.

After Copenhagen’s debacles and a serious mission to resuscitate a multilateral climate regime in Cancun, Durban negotiators proved top-notch in saving a Kyoto that will lead to negotiations on a more inclusive 21st century climate regime.

The Durban surprise package, I believe, restored sufficient momentum for a new (finance-struck) frontier to negotiate terms that humans will actually be able to stomach – on a personal business and citizenry level. Traditional lines of division have, of course, also shifted…

Lest we forget… although the Green Climate Fund is criticised by many as a big mouth with no teeth, we shouldn’t be too cynical about KEPT PROMISES – we all make up a community, a business and a nation – and as consumer behaviour changes, so our behaviours in all spheres will.

Well, this is my last hour in the office – blogs from the sun chair may be decidedly less rushed, more reflective and blessed with more exciting infographics so see you there!