Media Relations and Issues Management
Media Engagement
Since the large number of stakeholders that the University need to communicate with and engage make it impossible for meetings to be held with all stakeholders in any given year, it becomes imperative that the institution implements a strategy of communicating its programmes and projects, performance and achievements through the mainstream media. Further, the media and stakeholder community do have a need to know and understand what University does, how it spends tax money, and why it engages in certain programmes and activities.
The media is therefore important in ensuring and enhancing knowledge and understanding of institutional activities.
The media engagement and communication objectives are to:
- Enhance media image and institutional reputation
- Enhance stakeholder perceptions through the media
- Manage media and stakeholder issues and contain negative coverage
Issues Management
Stakeholders often vigorously debate issues that concern them in the media or take up such issues directly with the institution. The debate or engagement of issues directly or through the media can, unless actively and strategically managed, have a negative impact on stakeholder perceptions and on the institution. It is thus important that the institution proactively manage issues to avoid being impacted negatively by on-going stakeholder and media debates.
The Division plays an essential role in assisting the institution develop and implement effective issues management strategies. This approach assists in not only preventing and containing negative impacts, but also allows the university to intervene more intelligently and engage the issues in a way that allow it to influence and set the agenda on own and related issues.
The issues management objectives are to:
- Manage issues in order to avoid and contain negative impacts on the institution
- Engage the issues with a view of communicating a Rhodes position and perspective
Staff
Zama Matiwana
Azwi Mufamadi
