Gonzo journalist Hunter S Thompson was fond of saying: "When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro". So in an era where newspaper columnists are given free range to espouse hate speech, how come it's only the offending columnists who get fired - and not the people who give them the platform in the first place?
Chris Vick 2 Aug 2011
For a profession that is so reflective on the state of the world, South African journalism is sadly remiss in being reflective on the state of itself. This is a spin doctor's perspective on the current - probably temporary - crisis of conscience.
Chris Vick 12 Jul 2011
There's a voice missing in the current debate over government advertising spend - the newspaper owners' old boys' club, Print Media South Africa. Representing more than 700 titles, including the Big Four major publishers, it's the Big Kahuna of the media landscape. It is, to be frank, the real media cartel for which Jimmy Manyi has been searching.
Chris Vick 23 Jun 2011
Chief of government communications Jimmy Manyi's new "centralisation" policy is ill-conceived in every respect - from the professional incompetence of staff through lack of essential understanding of what communication is all about right down to the very raison d'ĂȘtre of its conception.
Chris Vick 10 Jun 2011