Newzroom Afrika marks 1-year anniversary with renewed commitment to fearless reporting

Newzroom Afrika celebrated its one-year anniversary on 2 May 2020 at a time when a trusted information service was more important than ever.

Amid a once-in-a-lifetime global health and economic crisis unfolding with breath-taking speed, accurate, balanced and thoughtful news reporting and commentary is a vital service to the public to combat false, sensationalist or outright misleading information, which clouds citizens’ ability to make informed decisions.

Newzroom Afrika made a commitment from the beginning to shun sensation in favour of accuracy, to rather be right, than first with the news and to give the human story pride of place in its reporting.

This brand of fearlessly unbiased journalism has stood Newzroom Afrika in good stead during the coronavirus pandemic, as viewers rely on South Africa’s newest 24-hour television news channel to keep them up to date and equipped with credible information in a time of great anxiety.

“We couldn’t be prouder of the way our news team has responded to Covid-19 – the biggest story of our lifetimes – with courage, total commitment to their craft and unflinching professionalism,” says co-founder and CEO Thokozani Nkosi.

“In one incredibly eventful news year, spanning everything from national elections to the coronavirus pandemic, Newzroom Afrika has cemented its place as the channel of choice for up-to-the minute, authoritative news coverage, delivered with passion by our journalists and respected team of anchors,” says Nkosi.

Co-founder and CEO Thabile Ngwato said the team would not be resting on their laurels.

“Our journey from new kid on the block a year ago to where we are now as a trusted and valued presence in the daily lives of our viewers has been earned through the relentless commitment of the entire team,” says Ngwato.

“But we know this is a highly competitive space and we have to maintain our edge or be left behind. We will use the occasion of our one-year anniversary to review our progress and accelerate our strategy to keep growing,” adds Ngwato.

“The one thing that will not change is our absolute commitment to the truth – we will always tackle the issues head-on, with people at the centre of everything we do. Our stories have the power to stir emotions and stimulate debate and we are very conscious of the great responsibility that comes with that,” emphasises Ngwato.

“We have a duty, as our country grapples with the grave threat of Covid-19, to inform, but also to question and help to keep the spirit of our democracy alive during possibly its greatest test to date. We take that duty very seriously and we will honour it.”