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Start date 09 October 2026

Who’s telling your story?
Owning the narrative: a masterclass in media management

Every headline shapes perception. Every opinion carries consequences. And when a crisis hits, every word matters.

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Event Details

Date

Friday 9 October 2026 
10:00–13:00 (SAST)  

Cost

R3,450. (Including VAT)

Format

In-Person

Host

Kevin Ritchie

Location

Henley Africa campus, 1 Witkoppen Rd, Paulshof, Johannesburg, 2191

Masterclass Overview

This three-hour interactive and immersive session blends real life case studies from the newsroom to the boardroom, divided into three distinct sections: 

1. The news

A dog bites a man isn’t news, but when a man bites a dog, it is.  

Discover what makes the news machine tick. Learn how journalists think, what makes a story compelling and how to engage with the media without losing control of your message. 

2. Opinion

Everyone has an opinion. Why should anyone care about yours? 

This section explores how credible voices are built – and how quickly credibility can be lost. 

Move beyond simply being visible. Learn how to contribute with purpose, build genuine thought leadership and make your voice count. 

3. Crisis

You said something you shouldn’t have. Your phone is ringing off the hook. Social media is on fire. There’s an angry crowd at the gate. 

It feels like the end of the world. 
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But is it?

Explore what happens when a story escapes your control – and learn how to respond when the pressure is at its highest. Through real-life examples, you’ll uncover what contains a crisis, what makes it worse and why the right response can protect more than your reputation. 

Your personal and professional worlds are connected

From thought leadership to Facebook likes, understanding owned media to earned media, this masterclass will give you an insight into how your personal world influences your professional world – and vice versa.  

It will show you how important communication is, whether it’s internal communication with staff members and shareholders or building your brand across platforms – building bridges rather than burning them. 

This is an interactive session with Kevin sharing personal experiences from both sides of the battle of ideas, as we unpack and explain real life case studies from the info wars. It’s also an opportunity to share any experiences you have and establish what worked and what failed – and, most importantly, why. 

Because if you don’t take ownership of your story, someone else will tell it for you. 

Learn how to shape the conversation, protect your reputation and become the master of your own story. 

 

About your host:

Kevin Ritchie is a former journalist whose 27 years in newspapers included editing the Diamond Fields Advertiser in Kimberley and The Star, in Johannesburg.

Ritchie studied law, African Political Studies and later journalism at Rhodes University in Makhanda (Grahamstown) in the Eastern Cape and he was an inaugural fellow of the Bloomberg Media Initiative Africa programme. He received several South African journalism awards during his career and wrote the two-volume Reporting the Courts – A Handbook for South African Journalists. Ritchie also co-authored The A-Z of South African Politics (Jacana 2019).

 

He is a five-time judge for the National Press Club awards and did two years on the judging panel of the fiction section of the Sunday Times Literary Awards before chairing the non-fiction section for the next two years.

After leaving journalism at the beginning of 2018, Ritchie founded a media consultancy providing a full range of communication solutions as well as training for journalists and communicators and coaching for editors and CEOs.

Enquiry Form

Don't miss our next intake

In person
September 2026

Please contact me should you require additiobnal details (placeholder copy)

Tony Ndou

Hi I am tony.....find my details below.....
Contact me here:
+27 11 808 0860
Tonyn@henleysa.ac.za

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