by Thinus Ferreira
On Thursday M-Net had yet another song-and-dance, performative, so-called official "media launch event" at MultiChoice City in Randburg for the next upcoming Big Brother Mzansi season on DStv in 2025.
On Thursday, just like last year for the previous season, M-Net and MultiChoice yet again utterly failed to communicate with media across South Africa to tell them beforehand that there would be "an official media launch" or to liaise and communicate with them.
While some media got an email on 27 November telling them about and inviting them to the Big Brother Mzansi launch event on 5 December, the PR people at MultiChoice and M-Net's Mzansi Magic (DStv 161) channel did absolutely nothing to communicate with the rest of the other press who remained blissfully unaware.
The result? MultiChoice and M-Net left media who didn't know about anything, unable to Diarise anything or to Plan for any coverage.
Now, and over the next few months, MultiChoice and M-Net presumably want the media to cover and give Big Brother Mzansi exposure - yet did absolutely nothing to manage media relationships, to communicate with actual people around the upcoming season, or to set any type of productive, positive working tone between Mzansi Magic and media for the season.
To make matters worse: Exactly a year ago in 2023, when exactly the same thing happened, M-Net was told it was a problem. M-Net gave assurances that it wouldn't happen again. Cue December 2024 and guess what happened?
I do not write to scold.
I write because I'm frustrated and upset as a journalist trying to cover the TV biz in South Africa and across the African continent by the ongoing, can't-care-less, let-the-river-run, attitude of people who are Paid to talk, Paid to communicate and Paid to give information through to media so they can do their job or reporting, but who are not doing it.
In the process a lot of damage occurs: Broadcasters losing out on coverage and media losing out on stories and being hamstrung from doing what they do which is to channel information.
Most of all the losers are ordinary TV viewers and people working and interested in the industry who are being done a massive disservice by not getting access to the information they seek, through the media.
How difficult is it to open an E-mail and to write a quick email, to write or send a voicenote on Whatsapp, or - gasp! - pick up that old thing called a Telephone and Call your media, personally, that you say your company has relationships with and then ... Talk To Them?
The extent to which publicists and PR agencies within South Africa's film and television sphere and whoever else mandated and Paid to Talk to The Media, simply don't do it, remains mind-bogglingly astounding (and shocking).
And it's everywhere.
PR people working for TV channels want better but aren't willing to Do better. In fact, most don't even do the basics.
Yet, in some form of cognitive dissonance, they expect ... what? Reams and reams of articles, coverage and exposure, "content" on socials, smiley happy journalists and influencers, and heaps of so-called "positive" stories?
From out of what exactly? What Work? What effort?
On Thursday, after M-Net and MultiChoice's lastest "did-nothing", I spoke with several media across South Africa who all said the same thing to me: Nobody wants special treatment. Nobody needs above-and-beyond effort
But just do actually Do the basics. Talk to us. Talk to us in time so we know, and can plan and can work together. Communicate.
Nothing will always yield nothing. And in fact, doing nothing creates net negative relationships. It's also true in PR and media.
A year from now, in December 2025 when MultiChoice and M-Net have the official media launch of Mzansi Magic's next Big Brother Mzansi season, I fully expect de ja vu: No prior communication, no email, no call.
It's terrible to say it.
And yet, to stay silent and say nothing adds to the ongoing problem and adds to the pervasive paralyses when it comes to the gross lack of basic communication between PRs and media practitioners in South Africa, within our TV industry.
For the most part, media coverage, media liaison and actually working with journalists - talking to them and talking to them beforehand to Let Them Know what is going to happen - for some odd reason remains this "elusive art".
It's something that most "communication architects" and "networking liaison fulfilment officers" just refuse to get - and do - right on the most basic of levels.
The media working to report on television (always) wait with bated breath to hear what you're busy with to try and cover it, instead of having to constantly play catch-up afterwards when there's a lack of basic communication.
Talk to me. Talk to us.
