Free Marketplace of Ideas

In 2015, Knight is sent by The Journalist to cover the attempted military coup in Lesotho. While there, he’s invited by Limkokwing University to lecture on The Free Marketplace of Ideas. Here’s a rough-cut of parts of the workshop.

“The great thing was that there was a healthy debate amongst … students and lecturers after your lecture. It really shook the waters in a good way.”

Kaizer Matsumunyane, filmmaker/lecturer

Read Knight’s article on his Lesotho assignment here.

Saving the Soul of TV Journalism

Knight delivers two 4-hour seminars on Saving the Soul of TV Journalism (aka “Screw the Inverted Pyramid”) at Spain’s public broadcaster, TVE, in Madrid. Here are some rough-cut excerpts from the first session.

“How privileged I feel for having been the vehicle to convey your much needed message to my fellow Spaniards” 

Ana Sevillano, conference interpreter.


Tim Knight is a British/Canadian/South African Emmy and Sigma Delta Chi winning journalist, filmmaker, writer and journalism trainer.

His latest project is Story Editor on Richard Wicksteed’s 1-hour film “SanDance, A journey to the heart of Africa’s original dance culture”shot in Botswana’s Kalahari. It’s the story of the SanDance Festival, largest annual gathering of Southern Africa’s First Peoples. Already, it’s won Best Feature Documentary at 2021 Paris Film Festival, Best Feature Documentary at the Bucharest Film Awards and Impact DOCS Award of Excellence for Documentary Feature, Native American / Aboriginal Peoples.

Over the years he’s worked for The Natal Mercury, Rand Daily Mail, Zambia TV, United Press International (three years, two Congo wars), and ten years as reporter, writer and documentary producer with ABC, NBC and PBS out of New York. 

For another ten years he was Executive Producer and lead Trainer for all the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s (CBC) TV journalists. 

In 1993/1994 he led a team of Canadian trainers tasked with helping turn the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) from fascist state broadcaster to democratic public broadcaster in time for the election. The SABC’s coverage earned international praise.

Over the years, Knight has trained thousands of professional broadcast journalists, filmmakers and writers in hundreds of workshops in a dozen countries. And produced, directed, written and narrated some 30 broadcast documentaries himself.

His most recent documentary series is Inside Noah’s Ark, the 3-hour wildlife trilogy shot in Pilanesberg and the Tswalu Kalahari Reserve, which he Executive Produced, co-Directed, Wrote and Narrated. It’s a Canadian-South African co-production, broadcast on Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, PBS and 13 international networks. 

The series’ focus is that most African wildlife reserves are no longer truly wild but because of human need, greed and ignorance have become little more than huge zoos, giant ranches. 

Four years ago, Knight moved from Toronto, Canada, to Cape Town where he offers workshops on storytelling, writing, speechmaking, interviewing and performing.

His first assignment in South Africa was covering the attempted military coup in Lesotho as Foreign Correspondent for The Journalist.

In 2015 he was Story Editor on Striking A Chord, three Vision in Africa (VIA) documentaries broadcast by the SABC. One of the three, Emo Adams — Tall, Dark & Afrikaans, was nominated for Best Documentary and Best Direction at the South African Film and Television Awards (SAFTA).

That same year in Madrid, he delivered two 4-hour seminars on Saving the Soul of TV Journalism at Spain’s public TV network, TVE.

In 2016, he was commissioned by the Institute for the Advancement of Journalism to train SABC Radio producers and interviewers in Advanced Interviewing Skills.

Since then he’s been Story Editor and Consultant on CO.ZA, a 26 half-hour travel show on Media24. And Associate Producer and Script Consultant on Sylvia Vollenhoven’s The Keeper of the Kumm, a play and film about the search for Khoi-San identity.

Today he’s consultant for VIA commissioned as an Industry Professional to do Master Classes and Workshops with the University of Johannesburg Humanities Faculty, Journalism, Film & Television Department.

Tim Knight is the author of three books including Storytelling and the Anima Factor, now in its second edition. 

Tim Knight + Associates coaches broadcast journalists in communication; storytelling, story structure, writing, interviewing and performance.

But it doesn’t matter who you are or what you do — journalist, politician, businessperson, professional, salesperson, police officer, public speaker, student or anything else — we can help you get your message across.

We’re here to help you communicate. 

On Nelson Mandela

Excerpt from the article Long Walk of Prisoner #46664 (Part 1):

Tim Knight with Nelson Mandela at the former South African President’s 83rd birthday celebration, Johannesburg, July 18, 2001 The picture was taken outside the house where Mandela died last week.

Tim Knight with Nelson Mandela at Madiba’s 83rd birthday celebration, Johannesburg, July 18, 2001.

This day in Dublin, Nelson Mandela shakes my hand.

It’s a most peculiar moment.

I look into his eyes, he looks into mine, and somehow I know I’m in the presence of sheer, bloody greatness.

Not because of what he’s done or had done to him, but simply because of who he is.

I know instinctively that he’s a better man than me.

I want to follow him.

 

Read Tim Knight’s articles on Nelson Mandela:

• Mandela’s Death Will Not Be a Traumatic Day

• Long Walk of Prisoner #46664 (Part 1)

• Long Walk of Prisoner #46664 (Part 2)

• Long Walk of Prisoner #46664 (Part 3)

“Tim Knight is a veteran newshound and TV man who spent years at American and Canadian news channels and later became one of the best educators of presenters in the world.”

Terry Bell, Journalist, author, social activist, broadcaster, political prisoner, banned person, exile.

 

Tim’s book on communications, Storytelling and the Anima Factor, is now in its second edition.

His latest documentary series Inside Noah’s Ark is available on Amazon.


What Are They Saying?

We’re very good at what we do.  Don’t take our word for it.  Here’s what just four of our thousands of colleagues and clients have to say:

“Tim’s famous book on television journalism, Storytelling and the Anima Factor, continues to be an important foundation for us. This country will benefit immeasurably from his expertise if we have him living permanently here.”
Joe Thloloe Press Ombudsman Executive Director Press Council of South Africa
“He helped us understand, respect and embrace our enormous responsibility. He also helped us see that — like our leaders — we were required to be nothing else but servants of the people. More than once, journalists wept at the end of training sessions.”
Sylvia Vollenhoven Managing Director VIA — Vision in Africa
“The wisdom and knowledge we got from Tim motivated us to feel that we really can do the best programs in Finland (or Europe). He is the best trainer we can imagine.”
Peppi Kajanne Executive Producer MTV, Finland
“I use your techniques every day and they have been key to my success in the world of TV …I’m not exaggerating when I say the course was worth a case of Chateau Lafite 1975 at least.”
Norm Bolen Former Executive Vice President, Programming Alliance Atlantis Communications Former Head of CBC TV Current Affairs
Read many more testimonials about Tim Knight + Associates’ professional development services here

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Check out our blog archive here.