Media

Welcome to the Symposium Media Resource!

The Media Team of the Third Global Symposium on Health Systems Research is pleased to welcome media editors and journalists attending the Symposium. In order to assist your plans to attend and prepare your coverage of the Symposium, additional information is provided below. Updates to the programme and speakers are posted regularly on the Symposium website. We suggest you bookmark it to keep informed about regular news, blogs, Facebook and Twitter updates.

Registered media will automatically have their details captured on the Symposium media contact list so that you receive official releases as soon as they are issued.

If you are not familiar with the field of health policy and systems research, it is recommended that journalists visit the following sites to learn more about this important field of health research.

Health Systems Global
http://www.chip.dk/portals/0/files/Round%20table%20HSR%20society_Nov2012.pdf

Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research
http://www.who.int/alliance-hpsr/about/hpsr/en/#

World Health Organization
http://www.who.int/topics/health_systems/en/

The Consortium for Health Policy and Systems Analysis in Africa
http://www.hpsa-africa.org/

Accreditation and media registration

Media representatives planning to attend the Symposium are required to submit an online registration form. It is recommended that registration be completed before the start of the Symposium as on-site media accreditation may take a few hours to process, especially on day one of the Symposium when registration will be at its busiest.

Preference for media accreditation will be given to traditional media, community media, credible online news platforms and media technical staff (cameramen, soundmen, photographers, etc), including:

• Print journalists from newspapers, magazines or journals
• Broadcast journalists
• Freelance and community journalists
• Internet journalists

Applications for media accreditation received from bloggers and media/communications staff from NGOs will be considered based on relevance to the field of health systems research, spread of the platform or publications and the quality of the articles produced.

To verify the credentials of journalists, the following supporting documentation must be supplied with the registration form:

• A copy of your press card. If you do not have a press card, this must be stated in the letter from your editor.
• A letter of support from your editor on the official letterhead of your organization.

There is no fee for media registration. Upon registration in CTICC, journalists will receive their personal security badge, the final programme and the final list of participants, as well as other relevant information. Please note that badges are not transferable or exchangeable.

APPLY FOR ACCREDITATION HERE

Press programme

There will be an orientation session in the afternoon of Tuesday 30 September, just before the opening Plenary Session, when you will have the opportunity to learn more about the field of health systems research, the Symposium theme and the meeting itself. We will alert you to the exact time and place.

Media centre

The Symposium will provide a Media Office located at Room 1.74. Press conferences and interviews will take place in the adjoining Media Conference Room 1.73.

As well as housing the Symposium media office staff, the media room will also have two work stations equipped with laptops, access to the internet, a printer and a photocopier. Printing and copies will be limited.

Hours of operation will be from 8.00 to 18.00 from Monday 29 September to Friday 3 October 2014. Press conferences and briefings will take place in the Media Conference Room. Symposium media staff will be able to assist with contacting speakers and setting up interviews upon request.

The Media Conference Room can be made available to organizations wishing to book a quiet space for interviews. Prior booking with the media office team will be necessary.

Materials and information

A range of factsheets, photos, presentations and video clips will be posted on the website as they are produced. A table will be made available in the Media Office for the distribution of third-party media releases and other publications. Unfortunately, the Symposium media staff will not be able to provide dissemination services for third-party announcements.

Journalists are kindly requested to alert the media office to their published articles or any broadcasts so that media coverage can be posted on the news page of the Symposium website.

Access to sessions

Media participants have full access to all Symposium plenary and concurrent sessions, the marketplace, poster area, the media room and events at the Symposium. The four plenary sessions will take place in Auditorium 1. These sessions will also be webcast live during the Symposium and archived afterwards.

As some of the satellite sessions are closed, it is advisable to check with the media office beforehand whether the media attendance will be permitted.

Language

The official language of the Symposium is English. Simultaneous interpretation in French will be provided in Plenary Sessions.

Visa

Journalists from outside South Africa are recommended to check with their local embassy or consulate for visa requirements. Once their accreditation is approved, a supporting letter can be issued.

Venue

All official Symposium events will be held at Cape Town International Conference Centre (CTICC): Coen Steytler Avenue, Cape Town 8000. See www.cticc.co.za.

Virtual Media Centre

It is still possible to be a part of the Symposium even if you are unable to attend in person. If you would like to be kept informed of all happenings, please contact the media officer (details below) with your contact information for our media database. You will be notified as soon as official Symposium announcements are issued.

We look forward to welcoming you and assisting you in Cape Town.

Contact us

Judith Annakie-Eriksen
Media Officer
Cell: +27 82 782 1276
Email: judith.annakie@hst.org.za