Media Liaison Strategies in Sekhukhune District Municipality
Sekhukhune District Municipality employs various media liaison strategies such as the Sekhukhune Press Club, Facebook pages, press statements, and quarterly networking sessions to engage with local media effectively. They work closely with media partners including print and electronic media outlets, prioritizing community media. Understanding journalists' operations and building strong relationships are key priorities for successful media engagement.
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SALGA NATIONAL COMMUNICATORS FORUM BUFFALO METRO 2018 Presentation by: Willy Mosoma Spokesperson Sekhukhune District Municipality Code of Good Practice: Media Liaison 1
DISTRICT OVERVIEW Sekhukhune District is a Category C Municipality, mostly rural with 764 villages excluding new settlements. The total population of Sekhukhune District Municipality is recorded as 1, 169 762, constituted by 290 489 households as per Community Survey 2016. The SDM is comprised of a family of four Local Municipalities namely; Elias Motsoaledi, Ephraim Mogale, Makhuduthamaga and Fetakgomo Tubatse. Urban areas make up to 5% of the population situated at Groblersdal, Marble Hall, Burgersfort, Ohrigstad and Steelpoort. 2
SDM CORE FUNCTIONS Water Services; Sanitation Services; Local Economic Development; Spatial Rationale; Disaster Management and Fire Fighting; and Airport Management, to name but a few.
Our Media Liaison Strategies Sekhukhune Press Club (whatsup group (2015) comprised of our local media and recently communicators from our four local municipalities). Facebook pages (Executive Mayor of Sekhukhune and Sekhukhune District Municipality). Press Statements, newspaper articles, direct contact with journalist of all newspapers and radio stations. Quarterly Media Networking Sessions. Continuous visits to Media Houses in general.
OUR MEDIA PARTNERS We are in the main working with all print and electronic media. They are: The SABC News and Current Affairs, CapricornFM News and CapricornFM Talk Show, Energy FM, Radio Turf, Sekgosese FM, Moutse Community Radio, Sekhukhune Community Radio, Tubatse Community Radio, Thaba Ntsho Community Radio, The Sowetan, Citizen, African Times, City Press, Capricorn Voice, Platinum Gazette, Sekhukhune Times, to name but a few.
HOW DO WE GET IT RIGHT We strive to keep it simple and getting the basics right. We know our journalists, their way of operations, the places of work, their beats, their times, their strong points and their weaknesses. And they also know us based on the above. In the main we prioritise our community media, very key partner. And we use cars of officials to transport them to our flagship programmes, eg Budget Speech, SODA, etc.
WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES Austerity measures, during its implementation, the first point of call is communications unit. The effects are reduced advertising which deter our media partners thus hindering information flow. Remember community radio stations are non profit making and community newspapers rely on our adverts and failure to do so is a problem. This also affects our relationship with the mainstream print and electronic media.
REMEDIAL ACTION We have stopped complaining during management meetings and executive meetings. We maximise our potential on personal conduct with journalists. We tell media houses the truth about our reduced budgets to avoid unnecessary expectations. And we utilize other platforms like social media. In addition, our approach is to sell stories to media practitioners knowing very well that we are communicating.
COMMUNICATION FORUMS District Government Communicators Forum is in place and has an adopted Programme of Action. The DCF resolved to revive Local Government Communicators Forums.
WHAT IS THE STORY IN SEKHUKHUNE? Shortage of water makes upto 80% of the media queries. Community disputes against the mines over jobs, empowerment and skills development takes 10% of the media space. Roads, jobs, health care, housing, education, poverty levels, electricity takes 5%. And our Annual Report, Budget / IDP, Mayoral Outreaches, Budget Speech, SODA, Council Resolutions 5%.
WHAT ARE THE STORIES THAT SELLS MUCH? Shortage of water in number 1; Activities of political principals, eg: when a Mayoral vehicle is involved in an accident; Cases of Fraud and Corruption, eg our recent R4,5m fraudulent payment; Political intervention during community protests; General perceived or real scandals.
COMPLIMENTS FROM SDM The district municipality will like to thank SALGA Limpopo office, for making Mr Thipa Selala available to us as we engage with the media all the time; We are pleased to report that as much as only two officials are tasked with media liaison, SALGA has been our big brother. Lastly, our Executive Mayor Cllr. Keamotseng Stanley Ramaila has always been available to the media. Thank you to all media houses, print and electronic, provincial and community for the support.
Departing Words: The poor and the needy search for water, but there is none, their tongues are parched with thirst. But I the Lord will answer them. I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them. I will make rivers flow on barren heights, and springs within the valleys. I will turn the desert in pools of water, and the parched ground into springs. I will put in the desert the cedar and the acacia, the myrthe and the olive. I will set the junipers in the wasteland, the fir and the cypress together, so that people may see and know, may consider and understand, that the hand of the Lord has done this, that the Holy One of Israel has created it
Thank You 15
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