Rumoured Media24 plan in blatant disregard of Afrikaans 

13 June 2024  

If the rumours are true that the print versions of two large Afrikaans newspapers under the Media24 umbrella will be discontinued then this media giant would have abandoned its duty towards its Afrikaans readers. AfriForum reminds Media24 that it owes its origins to the funding and sacrifices made by the Afrikaans community and through this step Media24 will turn its back on the community that helped to build this institution over more than a century.

The print versions of the iconic Afrikaans publications Rapport and Beeld might soon be something of the past, according to media articles that was published earlier today. AfriForum is of the opinion however that ceasing the print versions of these newspapers will leave a segment of the Afrikaans readership, who for various reasons could not make the shift to online newspapers, without a reliable alternative. For many other readers data is also too expensive to make proper use of digital media.

According to Kallie Kriel, CEO of AfriForum, both Rapport and Beeld are still profitable according to media sources despite pressure on circulation figures. There is still a valuable place for printed Afrikaans newspapers and magazines alongside successful online Afrikaans news platforms such as Maroela Media.

“Media24 and Naspers must not forget where they came from. The Afrikaans community have supported these media institutions for more than 100 years now. The companies that were born from this has a debt towards the community that made their existence possible and paved the way for other successful ventures,” Kriel concludes.

According to Alana Bailey, Head of Cultural Affairs at AfriForum, the continued existence of print media is of utmost importance for the survival and growth of any language. “Digital media is often short lived and when, at a later stage, research needs to be done about the content or the language uses then it is often difficult to find or the facts could have been altered. For these reasons, and especially for a language like Afrikaans that is under pressure, it is necessary to keep both formats.”

The CEO of the Afrikaans media house Maroela Media, Susan Lombaard, has also expressed her shock over the rumours. “Although Maroela Media and these publications within the media landscape are in competition with each other, competition in the media environment is healthy and important for the proper fulfillment of the media’s watchdog role. If the print versions of these publications, with their rich history, should cease to exist it will be a massive loss for the media landscape and Afrikaans.”

“For the sake of Afrikaans and the Afrikaans community that is services by us as media institutions, I sincerely hope that this alleged decision will be reconsidered,” Lombaard concludes.

Issued by Alana Bailey, Head: Cultural Affairs, AfriForum, 13 June 2024