Defend Truth
What I cover
I write primarily about politics and our society. I have been writing for Daily Maverick since 2009 which means that some of my stories on the site are more than 15 years old! I also write the After The Bell newsletter which is emailed to those who want it fairly late in the day. It’s usually about business and the economy, and often the intersection of those with government.
My background
I have been writing for Daily Maverick since it was formed in 2009 (there was a year off in 2012 when I was at Business Day). But I also present The Money Show on 702 and Cape Talk, and work as an anchor for the TV news channel Newzroom Afrika. I have been reporting on our politics since the trial of Schabir Shaik back in 2004, and have covered many events since then, including all of the ANC conferences from 2007 onwards, the Jacob Zuma rape trial, the State Capture era and its aftermath. For six years I presented SAfm Sunrise.
Journalistic ethics
I think one of the most important duties of a journalist is to be fair. There are many narratives to a story and sides to an argument. I see our job as to try to present those while also telling the truth. In other words, if someone is lying we should say so. But we should also try to be fair to them. I try to think about the person who is reading my work, and whether they have learnt something that is truthful from it. Often this is about putting many strands of an issue together.
