About
People occasionally ask what I do.
The answer depends on the day. I’m a journalist, writer, editor and communications strategist. The work determines which skills I bring to it.
The through-line
They all begin in the same place.
Understanding the context, asking the right questions and working out what the communication needs to achieve.
Journalism taught me to ask questions, challenge assumptions and recognise the difference between information and noise.
Strategic communication taught me to look at the bigger picture: to understand an organisation, the environment it operates in, the people it needs to reach and what it is trying to achieve.
Writing and editing taught me that clarity matters, but so does judgement: what to say, what to leave out and how to make every word earn its place.
The principle
Understanding what needs to be achieved, who needs to be reached and the context in which you’re communicating.
And turning that understanding into communication that works.
– Martin
Experience
Newsrooms, Parliament, agencies, boardrooms and broadcasting studios.
Now
Journalism, editorial & communications
News anchor at Eyewitness News, alongside freelance writing, editing and strategic communications work. Different roles that draw on the same foundations: judgement, context, clarity and an understanding of audience.
Before
Editorial leadership & strategic advisory
Many years leading editorial teams and advising organisations on communication strategy, content development, reputation management and media engagement across the public, private and non-profit sectors.
Earlier
Parliament
Firsthand experience in political communication, stakeholder engagement and public affairs.
Each part of my career informs the work I do now, shaping the questions I ask, how I approach an issue and how I think about audiences, organisations and communication.
Organisations
Government, business, civil society and the media – all needing communication that is clear, credible and right for the audience.
• City of Cape Town • Philip Morris South Africa • Coca-Cola Peninsula Beverages • Table Mountain Aerial Cableway • SAPVIA • Scatec • Kearney Africa • Dss+• City of Cape Town • Philip Morris South Africa • Coca-Cola Peninsula Beverages • Table Mountain Aerial Cableway • SAPVIA • Scatec • Kearney Africa • Dss+
• City of Cape Town • Philip Morris South Africa • Coca-Cola Peninsula Beverages • Table Mountain Aerial Cableway • SAPVIA • Scatec • Kearney Africa • Dss+• City of Cape Town • Philip Morris South Africa • Coca-Cola Peninsula Beverages • Table Mountain Aerial Cableway • SAPVIA • Scatec • Kearney Africa • Dss+