Connecting with an audience of any size is more than a craft – it’s a calling. Whether in a newsroom, at the helm of a movement, or behind a brand’s vision, the great communicators and strategists don’t just deliver messages. They move minds. They connect through empathy. They see humans.
Every July, we celebrate World PR Day: a tribute to an industry rooted in storytelling, strategy, and genuine influence. Excellent PR goes well beyond content creation—it is content with integrity. But in a world where messages flood us from all directions, the question remains: what truly stands out amid the noise?
My answer? Wrong question. Ask instead: Is this intended for humans?
Honouring legacy
2025 has been heartbreakingly marked by the loss of revered voices in writing, journalism, and PR – luminaries who didn’t just write to inform, but wrote to transform.
Locally, South Africa bids farewell to irreplaceable minds like:
- Prof. Gavin Stewart – founder of the South African National Editors’ Forum
- Athol Fugard – playwright whose words transcended time
- William ‘Paddy’ Harper, Stephen Mulholland and most recently Pearl Sebolao and Ike Segola – editors and storytellers whose ink shaped our understanding of the world
Internationally, the passing of activist and poet Andrea Gibson only weeks ago left a void. Her poem Love Letter from the Afterlife recently went viral and is a testament to the human truths within each line.
From the PR world, this year we mourn:
- Jay Badza – founder of Orchid on 25
- Ella Marren – Flow Communications
- Fehraad De Nicker – Communications at UCT Graduate School of Business
- Dirk Slabbert – our very own Paddington Station PR pioneer
And many more, each of whom shaped brands with vision and values.
Beyond KPIs: A human-first philosophy
What defined these trailblazers wasn’t just talent – it was their ability to reach deep into others and awaken something more. They didn’t measure success in word counts or impressions – they measured it in impact. In empathy. In humanity.
They saw the profession not as a job, but as a responsibility:
A responsibility to influence ethically.
To represent truthfully.
To connect deeply.
Their legacies leave us a challenge and a gift. They dare us to craft communication that heals, inspires, and awakens. They want us to ask ourselves every time we build a communications strategy, have we done so ethically, with values, and with the intent to positively impact humanity?
Carrying the light forward
To the greats – we thank you. You were lighthouses guiding not just industries, but souls. You showed us that ethics, values, and influence aren’t mutually exclusive. They’re foundational.
Now, it’s up to us.
Let’s build a new era of communications grounded in meaning. Let our strategies start with the question: Will this see the human behind the headline?
Let us remember, every morning, to begin with gratitude – for the brief, for the purpose, and for the privilege of connecting with others.
Because when we stop seeing through humans – and start seeing for them – that’s when true influence begins.
Paul Reynell is vice-president of PRISA and managing director of Paddington Station PR.
