UASA Media Release: 17 July 2024
In Picture: Participants of the media and communications short course training at Ditsela Workers’ Education Institute in Johannesburg.
Statement by Abigail Moyo, spokesperson of the trade union UASA:
UASA, as part of organised labour, is attending a short course on media and communications hosted by the Ditsela Workers’ Education Institute and Workers World Media Productions. The course focuses on the role of media in South Africa, effective media management, and the use of media as an educational and campaigning tool for labour organisations.
Traditional labour organisations still lack several aspects of communication through media. They must adjust and learn to effectively use media to disseminate information about their work. The training aims to help labour organisations understand the media sphere and learn to use media as an effective communication tool across the board to reach their members promptly and effectively.
The four-day course brings together various labour organisations under the main four federations in the country, including FEDUSA, COSATU, SAFTU and NACTU, to discuss how they position their work for media consumption, relevance to the working class and relate it to mainstream media to reach a broad audience.
The role of the media was identified in disseminating information that influences people’s perceptions or impacts people’s beliefs, expectations, and norms. This makes the media a powerful tool that can have a positive and negative impact on several issues that affect people daily. Because the media can be so powerful, it is vital to ensure that organisations utilise it as a channel to educate, inform, raise awareness, and influence people with positivity. The media should not be used as a weapon of disruption or negativity.
Labour organisations are advised to study and understand their target audience to ensure that they use specific media channels that are easily accessible to them. This way, important information can effectively reach the right audience.
UASA is attending the training through its affiliation with FEDUSA.
For further enquiries or to set up a personal interview, contact Abigail Moyo at 065 170 0162.