The South African conflict journalists covered in the lead story of <i>The Media</i> may not necessarily subscribe to war correspondent Martin Bell’s brand of advocacy journalism — one wouldn’t want to slap a category on them without their consent — but it’s plain that they all "care" and "know".
Is the working environment for journalists in Algeria the most repressive on the continent? Paula Slier spent two months in the country earlier this year and reports back on conditions.
Reality TV is the fantasy theatre of pop culture, writes Graeme Addison. People watch it to confirm their moral outlook on life and prepare for disasters, natural or man-made. It may not be real, but it’s sure riveting.
Ladies, start peeling your onions for the modern man. This poor confused creature is no longer afraid of tears, especially if they are neither his own nor shed in public. And if you want to know why you should cry for him, just look around at what is happening as we speak. First, women are flaunting, enhancing or lifting their cleavage all the time, clearly because they want men to notice them …
Picture an institution that invests about $55-billion a year in the world’s economy with the mandate of alleviating poverty. This is supposed to be the World Bank, which turns 60 next month. I won’t be sending a birthday card. World Bank money has left a legacy of environmental and social devastation, from cyanide spills in Peru to land expropriation and water pollution at oil pipelines.
Need a taxi in Togo? Climb aboard a Zemidjan, or "take me quickly", motorbike and get to your destination faster than you would do in a car. These small motorbikes, which take a single passenger on the pillion, are all the rage in this corner of West Africa. They also provide a regular source of income to thousands of people who would otherwise be jobless.
While most of the efforts in the fight against HIV/Aids seem to focus on education, prevention and provision of anti-retrovirals, the treatment of patients at the end of their lives is often forgotten. Palliative care is a branch of medicine that looks after people who cannot be cured, by focusing on symptom and pain relief. Yet health-care professionals rarely receive training in this capacity.
There’s an unofficial competition going on between local journalism awards for the title of "South Africa’s Pulitzers." But is that such a big honour to chase? And what’s with all these new awards anyway? Kevin Bloom takes his chances on the issue.
Qatar coach Philippe Troussier was sacked on Tuesday, paying the price for his team’s disastrous start to the Asian Cup. The experienced Frenchman, who saw Qatar crash to a shock 2-1 defeat against Indonesia on Sunday, had already announced his decision to step down after the tournament.
Orlando Pirates introduced Kosta Papic on Tuesday as the new head coach for the Buccaneers, who have not had a mentor since Roy Barretto left last October. The chairperson of Pirates, Dr Irvin Khoza, described Papic as a vastly experienced and knowledgeable manager of the modern game.