Folding of Media24 mags confirmed

10 Dec 2007

NEWSWATCH: Media24 confirmed on the weekend that it is shutting down InStyle and The Wisden Cricketer, reports The Times Online, saying that it was because of “changing market conditions” and not because of the ABC circulation scandal - although that had “had an effect”.

Sowetan subeditor Llewellyn Kriel, who was recently fired by Avusa (formerly Johncom) after a disciplinary hearing found that he had “brought the company's name into disrepute through a blog posted on the Mail & Guardian's ‘Thought Leader' website on November 13,” will be appealing this decision today, Monday, 10 December 2007, writes IOL.

Meanwhile, the SABC denied allegations on Friday, 7 December 2007, that its much-publicised radio interview showed favouritism for President Thabo Mbeki in the ANC leadership succession race, according to IOL. "The SABC has editorial independence; no one from outside can dictate what we can do or who we interview," spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago was quoted as saying.

The criminal charges laid against Radio Islam international news editor Azhar Vadi last week have been dropped by the police, reports IOL. SANEF has welcomed this action.

For more:

The Times Online: Media24 scraps InStyle
IOL: Sowetan subeditor to appeal dismissal
IOL: Journo appeals his axing
Thought Leader: ‘Naive and irresponsible,' says former don
IOL: SABC under fire for Mbeki interview
IOL: Sanef welcomes withdrawal of charges

Simone Puterman

About Simone Puterman

Simone Puterman (@SimoneAtLarge) is currently editor-at-large at Marklives.com and deputy chair of the Sanef online editors subcommittee. After majoring in psychology and linguistics at Rhodes University, and then completing her honours in psychology, she has been in the world of B2B publishing since 1997, with 7.5 year stints at both WriteStuff Publishing and Bizcommunity.com (March 2006-August 2013). Email her at moc.sevilkram@enomis.