Caxton, MPASA and the Media24 circulation affair

Caxton magazines, in a statement yesterday, Wednesday, 17 October 2007, believe that the Magazine Publishers Association of SA (MPASA) response to the whole Media24 circulation matter “was, and remains, reprehensible, and has tarnished the good name of the magazine industry and the ABC”.

18 Oct 2007

Caxton reiterated that it has been members of MPASA and its predecessor body, the MPA, for many years and are committed to the broad aims and principles that MPASA embodies.

“Caxton therefore dissociates itself from the current actions and pronouncements of MPASA in relation to the Media24 affair. Caxton also reaffirms its commitment to the principles and actions of the ABC, and hopes that the ABC auditing process will be completed as soon as possible, so that the whole matter can be put to rest.”

While it is not clear exactly what Caxton is objecting to, the fact that Media24 magazines CEO Patricia Scholtemeyer was reaffirmed as chairperson of the MPASA may have something to do with it. Here was Bizcommunity.com's story on the MPASA statement a week ago: MPASA condemns Media24's magazine circulation irregularities [11 Oct 2007].

Today, Thursday 18 October, the MPASA PICA Awards committee meets on the annual PICA Awards for magazine publishing and journalism excellence and is also expected to issue a statement on the whole saga as it relates to the PICA Awards. The Media24 magazines that were suspended from the ABC and MPASA were excluded from the PICA Awards this year, but the journalism entries were allowed to remain.

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