The state of the newsroom and the uplifting stories emerging around this issue.

I have spent a decade in the media industry, and my belief remains firm that news reporting should serve the public interest and uphold ethical standards, rather than be swayed by self-serving motives. Unfortunately, it is no longer the case. A recent report, titled "US lawmakers express growing concern about the subversion of press freedom in South Africa by the country’s state security agency," shares a bleak picture of the state of the newsroom. The focus of this report is on the country's largest news outlet, News24.

Among several devastating claims, based on thorough research, it claims “Congressional leaders from both the Republicans and Democrats expressed grave concern about several cases in which whistle-blowers are being targeted by SASSA (SA State Security Agency), working hand in glove with journalists from News24, a digital media platform owned by Naspers and Prosus, listed in Amsterdam. The extent of this collusion was revealed in a landmark ruling this week  when the South African Press Ombudsman found News24 and its editor-in-chief, Adriaan Basson, guilty of publishing disinformation about SAAI, a leading farmers’ organisation… “ ( Read the rest by following the link: https://nationalsecuritynews.com/2025/08/us-lawmakers-have-expressed-growing-concern-about-the-subversion-of-press-freedom-in-south-africa-by-the-countrys-state-security-agency/)

There's no denying that the newsroom is navigating through some challenging waters. Key issues such as media freedom, financial sustainability, and ethical integrity are currently at the forefront. Concerns such as fake news and a lack of fact-checking have been highlighted in reports numerous times. There is also no denying that Basson is a controversial editor, despite the media awards he won for questionable news reporting. I wrote a book about the lack of ethics in mainstream media, with the focus on News24 (A Journey to the Truth: The Case of KwaSizabantu Mission). In this book, I explored and demonstrated with evidence how News24's news reporting lacks ethics. The report mentioned above aligns with my findings.

The fact that the newsroom is in such a dire state is not just the fault of news reporters and their editors. Nor is it just those who keep them going financially. The public is also to blame. There is a market for sensationalism, and as long as this market exists, the malpractice will continue. As long as there are naive, uninformed, and blatantly hypocritical people out there, honest and educational news reporting will remain reserved for the few who stay informed and want to make the world a better place. The problem is, in this country, the uninformed are by far the majority when you look at social commentary. Everyone is entitled to an opinion, but when it comes to complex news reporting, opinions are often useless. 

That brings us to the good news. News consumers have a choice about who they support. The rule of “Garbage in, garbage out” is very relevant. You can choose your news source more carefully. At  Devoted magazine and Raise Africans Newspaper, we strive to present our readers with multiple perspectives and a mix of positive and negative views. We promise to continue focusing on ethics (or exposing the lack thereof) in our articles, introducing you to trustworthy podcasts, YouTube videos, and publications, and sharing our usual inspiring stories. Follow the link to read more about the lack of ethics in mainstream media: https://online.pubhtml5.com/asxvv/ovww