Worst job in SA media: running @timeslive twitter account

Pic: @Sipho_Stuurman

If you think you've had a tough day, spare a thought  for the poor soul who mans (or womans, it's the 21st century) who runs the Twitter account of The Times.

I used to think that the journalists who "pound the road" to go and collect us the stories, package them and

SAFM podcasts fail

21/10/2012 - My recorder failed to record so I can't upload the podcast this week.  We'll try and rectify the problem for next week.

The SABC is defiantly refusing to step into the 21st century.  It's supposed to do all the things that commercial broadcasters either can't or won't do because they're not financially viable.  We then all chip in with the stealth tax commonly known as the TV licence fee and should be getting great programmes for it not the dross that populate the terrestrial channels.  Radio is not much better either.

If you're not a spotty teenager who wants to dance himself to exhaustion, you're out of luck if you don't leave in Gauteng or Western Cape as your only option for talk radio is SAFM.  And I've found it patchy at best.

Media Pass: Greg Marinovich

Source: dailymaverick.co.za

Following the gunning of 34 miners at the hands of the SAPS at Marikana mine a few weeks ago, you'd have been forgiver for thinking that a memo was issued urging all reporters to only dissect and analyse the shooting that was captured in the video that has shocked the world.

As you can see there were no more than a dozen miners in that video.  You'd have expected journalists to find out how the others were killed.  Instead, we got reactions from Politicians and pundits.  That was until Friday when Greg Marinovich's prolific piece journalism was published in The Daily Maverick website.  In it he details his two week investigation, re-traced the steps the police would have taken on that fateful afternoon and interviewed witnesses.

He concludes that a lot of those shot we murdered by the police in cold blood.  Of course an enquiry in is underway but if I were a betting man, I'd say nobody will be held to account.  It will be concluded that the Police shot the miners because they were defending themselves and lessons will be learned and let's move on please.

I digress.  It was very brave of The Daily Maverick to be the lone dissenting voice and publish his piece when it would have been easier to hide behind the safety in numbers.  I'm also encouraged to learn that their paid version iMaverick is doing well, which is no mean feat in the South African digital space.  This can only mean they are not going away anytime soon.

And that's just as well.