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.

A favourite tactic of media critics is to use anecdotal evidence to tar the whole profession. In his Business Day column this week, Xolela Mngcu goes one better. He convicts the media of “cowboy justice” in its coverage of Jacob Zuma’s legal travails, without providing one shred of evidence in support.

Posted some thoughts on online adspend on my blog today:

Excerpt: "Those figures illustrate better than anything the conundrum facing newspaper proprietors. They are being told, day in and day out, that their industry is dead, or will be soon. Yet their business makes about 20 times as much money as the business which is supposed to be replacing it. "

http://robertbrand.wordpress.com/

Comments?

Some thoughts on the future of newspapers. I'd appreciate your comments!
http://www.thoughtleader.co.za/robertbrand/2009/03/18/those-who-want-new...

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.