At the end of the Forum a tangible action plan will be produced in the form of a report with recommendations against which progress can be checked.
"This is not just a talk shop. It is also not about foreigners telling South Africans how to do this vital job of communicating their story to the world. This is a dialogue, so that we can arrive at the best possible approach and then make sure it is adhered to," says forum organizer Fergal Parkinson.
Among the international media representatives participating in the Forum are Daniel Dodd, global business and economics editor of BBC News, Nigel Parsons, managing editor of al-Jazeera International, Bill Spindle, the Africa editor of the Wall Street Journal, Zaffar Siddiqi, the chairman of CNBC Africa and Nick Wrenn, the managing editor of CNN International.
SA speakers at the Forum include Dr Essop Pahad, the Minister in the Presidency, Themba Maseko, the head of Government Communications, Wendy Luhabe, the chairperson of the International Marketing Council and Papi Molotsane, CEO of Telkom.
The Forum is aimed at senior executives in business, government and parastatals, as well as communications and marketing professionals. The programme also includes four workshops that will provide practical advice on news writing, crisis communication and effective media relations campaigns.
The top editors are spending their first two days here experiencing the country, meeting government representatives and top businessmen as well as Nelson Mandela.
To find out more about the Forum, visit www.internationalmediaforum.com.
