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/ 26 January 2005

World Social Forum: Is it Africa’s turn next?

The World Social Forum (WSF), sometimes described as the "carnival of the oppressed", is under way in the Brazilian city of Porto Alegre. While WSF participants debate the problems facing the international community, another issue is also likely to come up for discussion, however: Africa’s prospects of hosting the forum next year.

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/ 26 January 2005

Good news for financial publications

The good news for the weeping editors and owners at our own financial publications is that they’re in good company. Annual advertising revenue at most of South Africa’s business print brands is equal to what it was five years ago — <i>Business Day</i> is more than R10-million down on 1999/2000 figures, and only the <i>Business Times</i> is significantly up.

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/ 26 January 2005

Yes, I paid for it

January 8 2005, I thought to remind myself, was the day I fully entered the realm of the petit-blackeois (the black bourgeois) class. I … I had a … ehhhh, uhmmm, a facial, back-scrub and full body massage at a beauty salon. There, I have said it. Condemn me if you will.

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/ 26 January 2005

Ringing the Changes

For the past while the Financial Mail has been suffering declining circulations and internal editorial discord. Will Barney Mthombothi find the answer in fuller coverage of the country’s transformation? Kevin Bloom speaks to the new editor, Barney Mthombothi who takes the helm this month.

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/ 26 January 2005

Immunity Challenge

Investigative journalism is essential if we are to preserve democratic values. Left to their own devices politicians will get up to all sorts of skullduggery and it’s up to honest hacks to catch them out and make them pay for their misdemeanors. Or so we are told. The greater truth is that investigative journalism is much better for newspaper sales than it is for upholding democracy.

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/ 26 January 2005

Cautious Optimism

There is an audible buzz among online publishers and agencies about the renewed interest in the medium these days. And, to back it up, the figures appear to be looking healthy. Matthew Buckland explains why the local and international online sectors have good reason to be upbeat.

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/ 25 January 2005

Anti-retrovirals for R100 a month

Anti-retrovirals could cost South Africans as little as about R100 a month and local manufacturing of generics could start as early as next month, it was announced on Tuesday. South Africa’s Aspen Pharmacare group is the first drug manufacturer in the world to receive approval from the United States Food and Drug Administration to produce generic anti-retrovirals.