Media Training Consulting and Writing Skills Courses

Very few companies have people who can actually write readable work.  I can write and more importantly, simplify anything from marketing material to reports and internal and external communications.  Remember you only get one chance to get a message across so good writing is essential.  I can also advise you in any dealings with the media.

Writing Training

Media Mentors’ writing training courses are designed to give people the tools to improve their written work.

Media Training

My media training for media interviews is an essential skill for anyone who has to deal with journalists, whether on radio, television or print.

An unexpected summons to the president's table made for interesting dining, writes Marion Scher.

OK - I should have known this wasn't going to be an ordinary week when I arrived to rehearse one of my clients for the speech and found there were 12 large hairy men waiting for me to choreograph a can-can for them for their annual awards event. I was an ice skater/dancer in a previous career, so no biggie ... And as you can imagine, it was quite hilarious.

The next night was our National Press Club Awards and, being a judge of several categories, I dressed in "elegant" dress as the invitation had ordered and drove from Johannesburg to Pretoria to walk up the red carpet at the CSIR Conference Centre. The red carpet, I hasten to add wasn't for us lowly hacks but for our guest of honour, the Newsmaker of the Year for 2009, one President Jacob Zuma.

It appears this is my year for rubbing shoulders with statesmen, as I recently had the great privilege of once again meeting President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalyn Carter, who I’ve had the honour of working with since 2005 through my work with the Carter Center Journalism Fellowships for Mental Health Journalism: http://www.cartercenter.org/health/mental_health/fellowships/index.html

They were in Johannesburg for a meeting of The Elders: www.theelders.org which is an extraordinary group comprising 10 ‘elder’ retired statesmen and women, whose aim is to give back individually and as a group, by using their collective wisdom and power.

It was a heady experience being in a room surrounded by four Nobel Peace Laureates, five ex heads of State, as well as people like the amazing Ela Bhatt who runs the largest women’s trade union group in India with over 1000 000 members, along with setting up the Indian School of Micro-finance for Women.

Our very own beloved Archbishop Desmond Tutu is also part of this group, together with Graca Machel, whose interests lie particularly in human rights and educational issues.