As journalists and people who are part of the support structure helping Daily Maverick’s news get into the world, we often have to develop an immunity to the evils we often write about.

However, Covid-19 presents us with a different scenario and one where we have to take the well-being of our people even more seriously than usual. Rather than the usual threats from (very) visible crooks, we now face a threat from an invisible virus; we can beat it back if we do our bit.

We are facing a very, very serious situation in the world and an increasingly difficult near future for South Africa. Things are going to be tough, but we must not panic. Quite the opposite. This is a time for considered and calm action, building on the measures being implemented by our government.

Rather than wait for things to get even more serious, we are putting measures in place that will make sure we play our role to help with firebreaks. Most important, we have to do everything we possibly can to prevent community transmission (ie transmission beyond the first group of people infected).

What is Daily Maverick doing?

From Monday, 16 March, all our people have based themselves at home. This is an enormous challenge for any newsroom and inevitably some of our journalists will still have to go out on assignments in order to do their jobs. They will do this because they understand that Daily Maverick is performing an essential service to a country in desperate need of truth.

We are ensuring our families, our friends and our readers have accurate info about Covid-19. We have already published a great many articles about this pandemic and that is a good place to start. Already the Maverick Citizen team, led by Mark Heywood and Anso Thom, has been producing a thrice-weekly Covid-19 newsletter to keep the country up to date with the factual information. You can sign up to receive it here.

We will do our best to support SMEs. Our economy is inevitably going to take a hit from Covid-19 and it is our communal responsibility to do everything we can to help. We are committed to helping these businesses survive, via our extensive platform. We will update both our Maverick Insider members and our broader reader community on how they can help.

Let’s use these challenging times to foster community thinking over self-interest. Calamities like these can divide us – we know that. We must be stronger than that – we must always first consider what’s best for the community. These should not be times of selfishness and fear, but times of togetherness and caution.

Every time South Africa needed us to step up and be a guiding light in dark and desperate times, Daily Maverick delivered. We told our country what really happened in Marikana; we fought back the fake Rogue Unit narrative even when it was trumpeted by the country’s most powerful media; we were a key part of a firewall that kept the Guptas, SSA agents, corrupt ministers and the even more corrupt former president away from totally silencing the country; with our friends from amaBhungane and News24, we changed South Africa forever with the #GuptaLeaks, with VBS, Eskom, Prasa, Trillian, McKinsey, SAPS, the Judiciary, the energy crisis and countless other investigations…  Covid-19 represents a different side of evil, one we have never experienced before. But as always, we will step up, together (but at least 1.5m apart). Not only to Defend Truth but also to inform, help, advise, report and truly fulfil our public service role.

Covid-19 is going to disrupt every area of our lives but it is also an opportunity for us to come together, to lead and to help those most vulnerable in our society. We have the perspective of what can happen when a community rallies like our Maverick Insider community has in support of our efforts.

If you haven’t signed up for Maverick Insider yet, please consider doing so here. It could literally be the difference between Daily Maverick living through this economic crisis or not. By becoming a member, you’re also ensuring that those who cannot afford to pay will still have free access to our trusted journalism. As critical as it is to fight Covid-19, so is it imperative that we minimise the destructive effect of fake news, conspiracies and downright irresponsible rumours. All in South Africa should have access to the best factual information this country can provide. DM