11 July 2013
Open Polytechnic Professor celebrates best seller
Open Polytechnic Associate Professor of Communication, Prof Gary Mersham, is celebrating the recent publication of the
10th anniversary edition of The Handbook of Public Relations.
This latest edition, having sold 45 000 copies, is a best seller for Oxford University Press in South Africa and the
African sub-continent.
Gary who teaches public relations and communication management at the Open Polytechnic has been a co-author of the title
for fifteen years. “The secret to its success”, he says “is that the book appeals to practitioners as well as students
and that it is written in plain, clear language. In addition, we keep it right up to date with each new edition. For
example, the 10th edition has an in-depth chapter on using social media in organisational communication. It comes in
print and e-book format with an online instructor’s manual, additional resource material, and multiple choice questions
and solutions.”
Africa is a huge market, he adds. “Most of the interest has been in Southern African countries and distribution in
Central and Northern Africa was often hampered by poor infrastructure. But this has changed with the advent of the
e-book”, he says, and they have even had sales in Russia and Eastern European countries.
Gary holds a Doctorate, Masters and Honours in Communication Science and has many years of practical experience in
information technology and communication consulting in Africa, Australia and the USA.
Ends