Is that flame still burning?<\/p>\n
The first week of 2019.
\nEditorial staff are battling with the question of whether we are still relevant, and how we can remain relevant.
\n<\/b><\/p>\n
The first day:<\/b><\/p>\n
A mother enters the office with a child who is limping.<\/p>\n
In the open-plan office, she pulls up the trouser leg of her son, indicating an ancient artificial leg.
\n“My son is in pain daily. Can you please help with a new leg?”<\/p>\n
We approach Jumping Kids \u2013 and they send application forms.<\/p>\n
The following day the mother returns, “Please help me to fill in these forms \u2013 the Lord will bless you.”
\nEverything possible is being done to help Samkelo get a new artificial leg.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Champagne corks pop and matriculants jump around for sheer joy \u2013 the results have been announced.
\nJournalists rush around.
\nThe plea is repeated again and again: “Please put my photograph in the paper!”<\/p>\n
\u2022 So the first schoolday dawns.
\nA father, whose wife was killed in a road accident, sent a photograph of his little Grade 1 daughter:
\n“Please put this picture in the paper?”
\nWe realise this is more than just a little Grade 1 girl.<\/p>\n
Journalists are inundated with many such requests.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Mpumalanga chess organiser, Themba, rocks up at the office with a story. He has a problem: there are 200 chess sets, but no chessboards. “Please can you help?”
\nAs it is, some time ago we had chess boards printed with the newspaper’s logo on them, and Themba can be helped.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Residents come to complain that they cannot be assisted at the licensing department of the municipality; others complain about residents who illegally dump rubbish, and some arrive with praise for good service.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Miners who have received no salaries for the past two months asked whether we could help with an awareness campaign.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Parents whose children cannot get a place in schools are asking for help.<\/p>\n
\u2022 A note was e-mailed from a resident in Mhluzi:
\n“We miss our newspaper, when will you be back on the streets?”<\/p>\n
\u2022 Our favourite petrol attendant tells of a woman who was so excited when she spotted a newspaper in the caf\u00e9, and her disappointment when she realised it was one from last year.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Journalists at distribution points are hugged by smiling residents:
\n“We are so happy that you’re back!!”<\/p>\n
The flame is burning high in the editorial office.<\/p>\n
How should we be relevant?
\nWe ARE relevant!
\nMore than ever.<\/p>\n
The flame that Oscar Henry Frewin ignited in 1903 is still burning high.<\/p>\n
The presses are noisily running, spewing newspapers out.<\/p>\n
The first edition of 2019 is out.<\/p>\n
We can go home, feeling satisfied.<\/p>\n
Then a woman enters the editorial office: “Can you please help?
\nA woman has been raped \u2013 we want to notify the community\u2026”.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Parents frustrated by a lack of space in Middelburg schools<\/a><\/p>\n Traffic officers to appear in court for corruption<\/a><\/p>\n #TrafficAlert: Two dead in Kranspoort accidents<\/a><\/p>\n VIDEO: Two perish after truck jack-knifes<\/a><\/p>\n \u2022 Save our standby number (072 248 3855) and send us a WhatsApp message with the words \u201cAdd me\u201d to be added to our broadcast list.<\/p>\n \u2022 Like us on\u00a0Facebook<\/a>, follow us on\u00a0Twitter<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u2022 Subscribe to our\u00a0YouTube channel<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n
Want breaking news on the go?<\/h3>\n