It’s a game-changer in that SA’s access to information laws apply not only to public bodies but also to private bodies if the requester establishes a need to have the information — such as on the basis of the right to media freedom or a right to protect the media company’s copyright.
Most advertisers have gone the Google and Facebook advertising route and do not support local print or online journalism.
Daily Maverick’s 24-hour shutdown on Monday, 15 April 2024, shed light on the harsh realities faced by media organisations. The shrinking of newsrooms due to insufficient funding and support has far-reaching consequences for journalism and democracy, not only in South Africa, but also globally.
The reason the Guptas were stopped in their tracks was because of investigative journalism. This is why we need journalism.
Welcome back to Daily Maverick after our 24-hour shutdown.
A free press is essential to the healthy functioning of society and yet, the business of news has been in freefall for more than a decade.
If social media platforms are not brought into line, the news industry will collapse, the Competition Commission’s Media and Digital Platforms Market Inquiry has heard.
The recent tsunami of bad news about the news industry has raised an interesting question. Are we seeing the effects of a market failure play out, or are we seeing the death of an industry that failed to innovate and keep up with the times?
Press freedom is seriously threatened in 31 countries, the 2023 World Press Freedom Index indicates. While the rankings of several nations have fallen, South Africa’s press freedom ranking is up 10 spots.
As the news cycle (already rarely boring at the best of times) begins to feature more politically themed electioneering stories in the lead-up to South Africa’s next general election — notably set to take place in the 30th year of democracy — there’s a pressing threat posing great risk to the constitutional foundations of our nation and its democracy.
Russia and China actively influence African public opinion through a variety of media tactics, including ‘information laundering’. This exploits the vulnerability of African media by gaining control of the editorial narrative while obfuscating the origin of planted stories.
OPINIONISTA
When there is no independent journalism, journalism loses credibility, sales plummet and the company crumbles.
Glenda Daniels • 20 Nov 2023
OPINIONISTA
Journalism is of paramount importance during times of significant social change and transformation. It is also important that we understand the places where journalism intersects with culture, emotion, interpretation, contingency, crisis, and with memory, visuality and imagination.
Ismail Lagardien • 26 Nov 2023
OPINIONISTA
Our news media, like our community, is now so fragmented and is struggling just to survive. Thankfully we now have the protection of the Constitution and — usually — the courts, but we still have to protect our colleagues from attacks, threats and harassment.
Anton Harber • 21 Aug 2023
OPINIONISTA
It’s a well-beaten drum that the news media industry is in trouble. There is consensus that sustainability is our biggest issue, but we’re lacking in actionable steps that we could take to repair and improve our status quo. In a series of articles, I will offer some practical suggestions as to how we can reimagine the environment so that we do more than survive. In this first article, we look at articulating the problems so that we may present some concrete solutions in future articles.
Styli Charalambous • 14 Jan 2021
WITHOUT JOURNALISM, OUR DEMOCRACY AND ECONOMY WILL BREAK DOWN.
Journalism helped save South Africa
Now we need your help
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