At the Grand Scaly Whale (RDM) in the old SAAN building, resplendent with Benjy’s Bungle jutting like a defiant middle finger into the Jo’burg skyline, we used the Atex electronic editing system. As with today’s zooty jobs, each of us had a password or login code to access the system. One of our cadets — […]
Media
Posted inBusiness, Media
Grovel time
Although I never in my Spielbergian imagination thought I’d have to post a blog like this, I apologise sincerely for any offence I caused with comments in my blog headlined: “Working on that pig’s ear, baby“. It was not my intention to hurt my young colleagues and I acknowledge I used some harsh turns of […]
Posted inBusiness, Media, News/Politics
The devil made Tim do it
Rapport editor Tim du Plessis has given us a new version of Voltaire’s famous defence of free speech: “I don’t agree with what you say, but I’ll defend your right to say it, unless it harms my employer’s commercial interests, in which case I’ll shut you up quicker than you can say ‘editorial independence’.” Du […]
Posted inMedia
How dare he?
Ronald Suresh Roberts tests my commitment to freedom of expression. When I read his blog calling Mondli Makhanya a chicken, I wanted it taken down off Thought Leader. But to do that would be to abuse the space as he has abused it. Abused it by parading attack as debate; innuendo as critical thought. Bile […]
Posted inMedia, News/Politics
The media’s ridiculous coverage of Cyril Ramaphosa
I took some time today to look back over the past 18 months or so at the endless confirm/deny loops that the media are in around a possible run for president by businessman Cyril Ramaphosa. There are two obvious conclusions: 1. No one has any idea whether this man is in line to run for […]
Posted inMedia, Tech
The future of media
If we want to understand how communications could change in the next 15 years, we must look back over the same period — to a time before the cellphone and the internet. Only then can we appreciate and prepare for the potential revolution that still faces us in the future. Here is a tale from […]
Posted inBusiness, Lifestyle, Media, Tech
What is the meaning of Facebook?
There comes a time in a man’s life when biting another Zombie chump, waiting four days for your growing gift to turn into a money tree or refreshing the page so that you get status updates in your news feed doesn’t get you excited any more. It’s depressing to be so bored with Facebook that […]
Posted inMedia
Working on that pig’s ear, baby
Copiers are buckling under the strain of CVs being prepared at Johncom these days. Maybe not so much at FM and Business Day, but at Sunday Times and Sowetan the pace is frenetic. An official email has now hit the screens banning all new appointments with immediate effect. Oh, of course, except for absolutely vital […]
Posted inLifestyle, Media
‘Trauma counselling’ is not news
If our various news services are to be believed, South Africa is riddled with trauma counsellors. After virtually any disaster, accident, or just an unfortunate event, we’re often informed that the victims are receiving “trauma counselling”. Where do these counsellors hide out? What do they look like? How come they’re always available and on the […]
Posted inMedia
Has 702 made us more stupid?
Talk Radio 702 has managed, despite various plummets in listenership over the years, to remain Gauteng’s premier talk radio station. But isn’t it merely peddling the stupid and pedestrian views of the idle middle class back to itself, as a way to generate ad revenue? I have listened to 702 on and off for the […]
Posted inBusiness, Media, News/Politics
Blame Bush? Blame Greenspan!
Listening to CNN hail some recent economic pessimism as an “It’s the economy stupid” moment like the one which swept Bill Clinton to power in 1992, it not only sounded like a Democrat stump speech, but prompted me to give the US economy some thought. The proximate cause of the current low economic confidence is, no doubt, the mortgages problem.
Posted inMedia
Media independence: From whom?
It can be frustrating when, after speaking to a journalist for 20 minutes, they only use one line of your comments. This happened to me last week after I was interviewed by the Sunday Times about the proposed takeover of Johncom, publisher of the Sunday Times, by a group involving senior government officials. I don’t […]