[IMFSA] SA needs to capitalise on positive stories more

South Africa was receiving a fair amount of attention in the media internationally and much of it not all that positive – but we are also not capitalising on positive stories like the 2010 FIFA World Cup enough, either.

This was the view of Wadim Schreiner from Media Tenor at the International Media Forum at The Forum in Bryanston today. Media Tenor works with foremost global media organisations to measure public perception. South Africa is not surprisingly receiving a lot of negative attention right now, and not just over the xenophobic attacks of the last week, but by other high profile stories which rightly, or wrongly, catapult us into the international spotlight like Zim, the dismissal of the deputy health minister, Zuma’s trial, the death of Lucky Dube, crime, and so on.

But there are also positive stories such as tourism and 2010 – what is lacking according to Schreiner, is the volume of these positive stories deserve.

Communications challenges for SA in 2008 that we need to address regarding international public perception:

1. SA’s foreign policy on Zim
2. Crime
3. The energy crisis and production issues
4. International trade and economic downturn
5. Waning confidence in corporate SA
6. Under reporting of 2010
7. Political uncertainty of ANC/political environ
8. Human rights abuses, xenophobic violence, etc.