Latest news with #AntonHarber
Mail & Guardian
21-07-2025
- Politics
- Mail & Guardian
Young people don't relate to traditional news sources
There is nothing inherently magical about a newspaper. Socially, sure, the beautiful thing about a physical copy is that it can be shared, passed around and collectively leafed through. But that's not what makes it great. South Africa's youngest news consumers are disengaging from traditional journalism. South Africa's youngest news consumers are disengaging from traditional journalism. Instead, they rely on digital platforms that prioritise speed, user choice and algorithmic influence, often at the expense of credibility and sustained attention. According to the The result is a growing disconnect between young audiences and traditional media outlets. Many young people favour content that feels personal and direct, fuelling a global move toward personality-driven journalism. Influencers and independent creators often receive greater engagement than established news outlets. 'The myth is that young people don't consume media [and] news or read a lot. The reality is that they do, but have a different view of what, how and where they should find and consume it,' said Anton Harber, author and former professor at the University of the Witwatersrand and of the Mail & Guardian. Young people consume considerable amounts of media, but their consumption patterns differ from older generations, Harber explained. Journalists are struggling to connect with them on the platforms and through the formats they prefer. 'There is a disconnect between journalists and young audiences, largely being filled by influencers and chancers who often pretend to be doing journalism but have none of the verification processes, rules and ethics of journalism.' Digital platforms have introduced speed and reach, breaking down the traditional gatekeepers of information. This has expanded access to news, but it has also blurred the lines between credible reporting and unverified content. 'We are flooded by a rich mix of information and disinformation. We have less quality, in-depth, probing journalism and less capacity to know what is true or fake,' Harber said. South Africa reflects the global anxiety over misinformation. In its 2025 report, the Reuters Institute notes that 73% of South Africans are concerned about their ability to discern real from fake information online. This is on par with the United States and Nigeria, but well above the global average of 58%. In addition, the report shows that 55% of South Africans trust the news most of the time, placing the country fifth out of the 48 surveyed. This indicates that trust in news remains relatively strong, but it is steadily declining from the 61% recorded in 2022. 'There has been a deliberate campaign to undermine trust in traditional media for malicious and disruptive purposes, often by governments and organisations attempting to undermine democracy by flooding the zone with disinformation,' Harber said. Mistrust has been amplified by social media algorithms that prioritise aggravating content. Rather than offering clarity, these platforms contribute to information fatigue and deepen public scepticism. 'Social media has facilitated this by using algorithms that favour information that is disruptive, conflictual and anxiety-inducing.' Despite Harber's concerns about the structural risks of algorithmic media, the fast-paced and personalised nature of social media platforms continues to appeal to many young South Africans. Farhana Essop, a law and politics student, said she receives most of her news on Instagram. She explained that she is interested in current affairs but finds traditional forms of news outdated and 'unengaging'. Essop also believes that some newsrooms contain biases, which become embedded into the news published for public consumption. For her, social media is a reliable alternative because it can provide diverse perspectives and first-hand accounts of situations. 'There's a lot of people who are dedicated to giving you both sides and showing you what's actually happening,' she said. Despite the risk of misinformation online, Essop believes the interactive nature of social media provides more context and clarity than traditional media. For Sydney, a psychology student, the constant stream of information — however accessible — can be overwhelming. She believes that staying informed is important, but not at the expense of mental wellbeing. 'You need to be knowledgeable to some extent about what's going on. There are real problems. We need to be aware of that. But when it gets to a point where it affects your mental health and it affects how you perceive certain things — or it clashes with your views — you can distance yourself from it,' she said. Sydney believes that reporting on sensitive topics objectively can underplay the experiences of those affected. This can unintentionally distance readers from the story. 'A lot of [journalists] target very personal and intimate topics from an objective point of view, and some things can't be looked at objectively. When you don't regard the human aspect of [news], it becomes very impersonal.' Shiloh Marsh, a third-year media student, believes the way news is delivered plays a crucial role in how young people engage with it. Marsh receives news from multiple sources, including Eyewitness New s, public broadcaster SABC as well as The Sun and The Citizen . To reconnect with young people, Marsh thinks media houses should employ young reporters and news anchors. 'It's very much the same people that you saw from 20 years ago. We need new faces to interest us.' Marsh says news should be kept easy to understand, and argues that some journalists ask interviewees over-complicated questions and write in jargon that makes news inaccessible for young people. 'I think there's a huge gap between how the news is told versus how young people interpret it,' she said. The challenge lies in the media's resistance to change, Harber contends. Newsrooms must move beyond rigid, formulaic practices and adopt storytelling formats that reflect how young audiences connect with information today. To rebuild trust and remain relevant, journalism must embrace approaches that prioritise transparency and conversation. 'The research shows that young people want to see the faces of those bringing them information [to] identify with them and — most of all — they must be authentic. [Young people] want conversations, not lectures,' he added.
Daily Maverick
05-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Maverick
‘Painful to witness' — behind the jobs bloodbath at the Mail & Guardian
In May, staff at the Mail & Guardian were served with Section 189 notices informing them that the publication was initiating a process of retrenchment. The figures are stark. Out of a newsroom that employs just 25 permanent staff, approximately half now face losing their jobs. A total of 24 positions across editorial, administration and IT were identified as affected, with 12 redundancies anticipated. The reasons provided in the notices were familiar to an industry under siege. 'The Covid-19 pandemic, power shortages, rising inflation and an already strained South African economy' were listed, alongside 'rising costs for print materials and ink, alongside a marked reduction in advertising budgets, as advertisers increasingly turn to digital platforms to reach their audiences.' Mail & Guardian owner Hoosain Karjieker told Daily Maverick this week: 'It is clear from the entire sector that we operate in, that the traditional print media business model has become a failed business model that requires a more dramatic intervention for the M&G to sustain itself in the future'. But behind the cold language of economic pressure lies a possibly deeper malaise. 'There's been a difficult climate for all media, but Mail & Guardian has been particularly poorly handled in recent years,' the newspaper's co-founder, Anton Harber, told Daily Maverick. 'It's been extremely painful to witness.' Insiders who spoke to Daily Maverick this week on condition of anonymity because of the rapidly-diminishing size of a grudge-prone industry, painted the picture of a media operation that has been inching towards collapse for years. M&G boasts a proud history The Mail & Guardian has often seemed like a publication with nine lives. Its lineage stretches back to 1985 when it launched as the Weekly Mail, established by a group of journalists retrenched from anti-apartheid publications — mainly the Rand Daily Mail. With Harber and Irwin Manoim as its first editors, the paper quickly became known for its tenacity, its independence, and its investigations. In 1995 it became the Mail & Guardian after British publisher The Guardian bought a majority stake, which it held until 2017. Over the years, it established a reputation as one of South Africa's most fearless investigative print titles, breaking major stories almost week on week, but with an unusual corresponding depth in fields like coverage of the arts. It also led the continent in digital media innovation. At one point, the Mail & Guardian ran the first and biggest news website in Africa. But that early advantage was slowly and then swiftly eroded. One insider remarked this week: 'How that lead was squandered needs to be studied.' The outlet's digital strategy has been inconsistent, marked by the erection of a paywall that was later removed, and a growing reliance on sponsored content, both online and in print. Print circulation figures tell their own story: just 4,904 copies sold, according to the most recent figures, a collapse from the publication's peak of 50,000 to 60,000 under one of its former editors, Ferial Haffajee. More than the numbers, the human toll has become impossible to ignore. Staff morale was depleted by longstanding concerns about late or missed payments to freelancers and suppliers, something that has earned the publication a reputation for unreliability within media circles for at least a decade, and which has made it very difficult for the newspaper to hold on to talented collaborators. Claims of a lack of transparency when it came to the true state of Mail & Guardian's finances have also swirled — something Karjieker adamantly disputes. 'I am not aware of these claims,' he told Daily Maverick. 'More importantly, we have always been very transparent with staff with regard to our budgets, business plans and business strategy.' In recent years, editors came and went relatively quickly, struggling to turn the ship around amid dwindling resources and inconsistent leadership. The Mail & Guardian's loss of its publishing partnership with amaBhungane in 2016 was another body blow. The relationship had guaranteed a stream of high-impact investigative work. When it ended, so too did a crucial source of circulation-boosting journalism. The departure of the cartoonist Zapiro shortly afterwards symbolised a further loss of the paper's cultural and editorial heft. If the paper's steady decline has felt at times like death by a thousand cuts, the departure of its longtime financial backer last year may prove the final wound. In October 2024, the Media Development Investment Fund (MDIF), which had been the Mail & Guardian's majority shareholder for 22 years, exited. The reasons behind its departure are unclear; Karjieker referred Daily Maverick this week to a press statement from the MDIF at the time that does not greatly elucidate the matter. 'Though sad to be exiting such an iconic media company, we are pleased that ownership of the Mail & Guardian is passing into South African hands and that the transaction will bring new capital into the company to fuel development,' MDIF head Harlan Mandel was quoted as saying at the time. Its shares were sold to former CEO Karjieker and director Thembisa Fakude. Staff have reported concerns about the retrenchment process to come, with unease over whether settlements will be fully honoured given the paper's questionable track record on payments. The beginning of the end — or not the end at all? Karjieker is adamant that it's not over for the Mail & Guardian. 'Our vision will always be for the M&G to be a platform for high-quality, independent and credible journalism that underwrites the strength of our brand,' he says. 'The changes under way are designed to ensure its continuance for many more years to come.' Asked if it was possible that Mail & Guardian would shutter its print operation and move fully digital, as a number of Media24 titles, including City Press, have recently done, Karjieker said it was possible, but not foreseen for 2025. As journalists across South Africa absorb the latest grim news, there is little appetite for finger-pointing or schadenfreude. Almost every South African media house has endured rounds of retrenchments or restructuring in recent years. 'We operate in a failed market and it's very easy to be a casualty, while it's harder to invest in the things that will help us get out of it,' said Daily Maverick CEO Styli Charalambous. 'This is another example of why we need a new model to ensure the sustainability of media in South Africa. There has to be funding for media as a public good.' DM
