The level of understanding of the economy in the general media sometimes leaves me astounded. Coverage of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) data in the The Times is a case in point.

I’ll be the only South African blogger not to write about Jacob Zuma today. Instead, I’ll rabbit on about my other pet subject: newspapers; or rather, I should say, the future of news.

Where are the energy reporters now that we really, really need them? The South African news media has missed a big opportunity.

This was the opportunity to sound the alarm before the horse bolted out the door and vanished over the hill. Instead, we are now reporting on the meetings held afterwards to find out who to blame for the horse bolting and to report on plans for future door bolting.

Some pics of "The Times" news room, courtesy of former "new media colin", and Ray Hartley. See the post here, or see Ray Hartley's Flickr photos here.