Cape Town

Media, story and the art of listening.

A practice working across media, the story of democracy, and public voice, led by Martina Della Togna, MFA. Thirty years of documentary, strategic public communications, and research, now offered as strategy, advisory, research collaboration, and film.

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01On the practice

I have spent thirty years working across independent and broadcast journalism and media, non-profit and public institutions, and democratic life, as a documentary filmmaker, as a communications strategist, as the South African Parliament’s first Multimedia Manager, and as a researcher of how institutions listen and fail to listen. I have served on the Board of the Media Development and Diversity Agency, and community media remains a passion and research interest.

This practice centres the questions of media and democracy, participation and voice, storytelling and impact, and listening and institutional practice.

Pillar one

Coaching

Research supervision and academic development for postgraduate students, executives, mature students returning to research, and independent learners. Idea clarification, proposal development, literature review, academic writing, and methodology. Neurodivergent-aware pedagogy throughout.

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Pillar two

Advisory

Strategic communications for democratic institutions, civil society organisations, and mission-aligned media working in the public interest. Commissioned public speaking and keynote engagements.

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Pillar three

Research

Commissioned studies, collaborative research, and scholarly practice on media, democracy, and institutional communication.

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Pillar four

Film

Documentary and impact production at the service of narratives that democratic life depends on.

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Capabilities

Specialist work brought in through long-standing associates.

Legal
Media production
Strategic communications
Climate, wildlife and nature
Editorial and academic publishing

Named associates on Approach

Bespoke throughout

Teaching and mentorship shaped to each learner or organisation.

All offerings are bespoke and informed by the four practice themes: media and democracy, participation and voice, storytelling and impact, and listening and institutional practice. Postgraduate research supervision is a particular area of the practice. Neurodivergent learners are a special interest, with pedagogy designed accordingly.

One-to-one coaching Ongoing
Postgraduate supervision By arrangement
Masterclasses and short courses Bespoke
Webinars Open or commissioned
In-house programmes Universities, civil society

Request a first meeting Email about bespoke

All offerings bespoke.
Available as one-to-one or group.
Language: English, UK.

Theme one

Media and democracy

The institutions, the platforms, the public interest. What it means for media to serve democratic life, and what happens when it does not.

Theme two

Participation and voice

Who speaks, who is heard, who is left out. The architectures, formal and informal, that make participation real or merely procedural.

Theme three

Storytelling and impact

Documentary, narrative, and strategic communication as instruments for shifting public understanding, and the ethics that go with them.

Theme four

Listening and institutional practice

How organisations listen, fail to listen, and design their way around what they do not want to hear. The doctoral research lives here.

Martina brings the rare combination of practitioner’s instinct and scholarly discipline to every conversation. The work she does with research teams genuinely changes how they think about what they are doing. Dr [Name], [Role], [Institution], 2024

For coaching, advisory, research collaboration, or a production enquiry, the door is open.

First meeting (free) Write to me

Four pillars.

Masterclasses, short courses and coaching.

The questions the practice keeps returning to.

A conversation is where it starts.