New press club launches today

A NEW press club is to be launched in Cape Town today that has been described as a “home for media and communications professionals”.

Minister in the Office of the Presidency Jeff Radebe will be the guest speaker at the launch of Press Club South Africa.

Guests include media planners, advertising agencies, media owners, journalists, public relations agencies and communications experts.

A founding co-ordinator of the club, Awande Dlamini, said it was established in response to a need for a transparent and transformed space for media and communication practitioners to talk about the role of media as a driver of democracy and the changes and fluctuations of the industry.

He said the club would bring together media, communications, marketing, PR and advertising experts. The aim was to use their knowledge to create platforms for young talent in the industry, allowing them to participate in the media dialogue.

“We want to create the space for a sense of belonging to a society who value the core principles of our work as media professionals. We have not found that elsewhere. For decades media channels have been used to broadcast news to ensure citizens have access to decisions and conversations that affect their lives. Our objective is to create space for conversations on media, our future and our role. As young professionals, we need to own that space collectively.”

Dlamini said the club aims to hold monthly dialogues, where professionals will interact with thought leaders on topical issues.

Meetings will be advertised at www.pressclubsa.com and on Twitter @pressclubsa