Going rouge! An insider's guide to six benchmark Stellenbosch reds
Kelly Anderson/News24
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News24
2 days ago
- News24
How Andisiwe Makinana navigates politics, power and industry obstacles
As the country commemorates Women's Month, News24 politics editor Andisiwe Makinana reflects on her journey as a woman in journalism. As the news industry continues to evolve in an era of AI and disinformation, News24 politics editor Andisiwe Makinana believes that the core values and principles of media ethics will remain indispensable. 'I think the basics will always remain,' she shared. Kitted with a rich understanding of journalistic values and a passion for informing the nation, senior journalists like Makinana, play a vital role in maintaining a well balanced and informed society. Growing up, Makinana found her calling in the media space through a character on the beloved South African soap opera, Generations. Now, two to three decades later, the single mom and newsroom leader finds herself taking on her own version of 'Tsego Motene', the detective-like and quick-thinking journalist from the popular TV drama. Doing it all for the past 23 years, Makinana has managed to work her way up to a managerial position, all while raising her now 13-year-old son. 'I am what you call a senior journalist, and I can own it because I've been doing this since 2002,' she shared. But, despite over two decades in the industry, her role at the helm of News24's politics desk, which she stepped into in November 2024, is her first managerial role. The Mthatha-born writer grew up in a household that encouraged her to learn, read, and be inquisitive. 'I grew up in a family where my father bought the Daily Dispatch, so I've always been in the news. I've always read newspapers, even before I knew what a government was, or what it meant. I've always followed the news of CNN and so on – so, I've always had this interest," she explained. I was very privileged because I really loved writing and reading, and that was also a benefit for me as my parents were teachers. Andisiwe Makinana, News24 Politics Editor As for her advice for those looking to carve a space for themselves, she re-emphasises the importance of rooting your work in those core foundational media values. It's obviously important to go to journalism school – don't do the shortcuts. Those three to four years at a tertiary institution show you what you would be exposed to every day and get that practical experience as a journalist. Andisiwe Makinana, News24 Politics Editor But aside from the theory and practical side, journalism is an industry that requires tenacity and an unwavering passion for seeking out the truth. Makinana herself admits that because of her deep love for her craft and the purpose of uncovering the truth behind the political veil, she can't picture herself doing any other job – and she's been offered roles as a political spokesperson, which she's turned down, as it takes her away from that hunger for reporting. Having grown through the industry to get to where she is today and navigated the space as a black South African woman, Makinana has overcome various obstacles – which she keeps in mind when it comes to her own leadership approach and style. As her team has a large number of women, specifically black women, in it, she tries to guide and mentor them from the wisdom and lessons of her own experience in her career. Being a black woman, a young black woman, in the industry and having traversed the same road as them, I sort of understand some of the obstacles of the media landscape in a patriarchal world. Andisiwe Makinana, News24 Politics Editor From dealing with inappropriate sexist and racist comments while out reporting to feeling unsupported by former mentors in her earlier roles, Makinana strives to keep an open-door policy within her own team – so that they feel heard and protected. 'I have an open-door policy, so if people are struggling with anything, they can come to me. I take lessons from my own experiences, I've learnt a lot from them and know how to handle such situations to better protect my team and guide them on how to react to different situations.' To help keep trusted journalists protected and employed to inform the nation, Makinana believes subscribers play a pivotal role in maintaining a well-balanced society. 'Newsrooms need resources for journalists to do good journalism – and that's where subscribers come in,' she said. Without resources, supported, sustainable and trusted news sources and newsrooms, media ethics would be lost and disinformation and fake news would be hard to discern, so subscribers play an important role in helping journalists in covering the stories that matter and uncovering the truths of our world.
News24
5 days ago
- News24
Going rouge! An insider's guide to six benchmark Stellenbosch reds
We give you the inside scoop on the wines that should be on your radar. Kelly Anderson/News24
Yahoo
17-07-2025
- Yahoo
Will Lorde Battle With ‘KPop Demon Hunters' on the Billboard 200 Next Week?
The Contenders is a midweek column that looks at artists aiming for the top of the Billboard charts, and the strategies behind their efforts. This week, for the upcoming Billboard 200 dated July 12, we look at a loaded week of new and surging releases, headlined by returning alt-pop star Lorde and what's quickly becoming the summer's hottest movie soundtrack. Lorde, (Republic): One of the most anticipated pop releases of the summer has certainly been Lorde's fourth album Virgin, her first full-length since 2021's polarizing Solar Power. The album came with an extensive rollout, led by first single 'What Was That' — which was debuted at a stop-start live event in New York's Washington Square Park (filmed for the song's official video, released later that week) and which became her first Billboard Hot 100 top 40 hit of the 2020s, bowing at No. 36. More from Billboard Debbie Harry on Image Expectations in Music: 'I Wanted to Work' Wallows Recall Morrissey Walking Out of Their Show: 'That's the Perfect Morrissey Story' Bob Vylan Axed From Radar, Kave Fest After Glastonbury Backlash That song fell off the Hot 100 after just a few weeks, and none of the other tracks released in advance of Virgin followed it onto the chart — and the set has only 11 tracks and no feature appearances — so it's unlikely to be a streaming blockbuster, though it should still perform respectably on DSPs. It's also expected to sell well, helped by its availability for purchase in eight vinyl variants, including two signed editions — as well as being available on CD and for digital download. (The early critical response for Virgin has also been much stronger than the relatively mixed reception for Solar Power.) It should be enough to continue Lorde's streak of each of her studio albums making the Billboard 200's top five, and may better the No. 5 debut of Solar Power. It's unlikely to give her a second No. 1 album on the chart, however — following the No. 1 bow of Melodrama in 2017 — as Morgan Wallen's I'm the Problem continues to be an absolute streaming juggernaut, set to score a seventh consecutive week of six-digit units on the chart. Soundtrack (Republic): The greatest potential obstacle to Lorde's path to a No. 2 debut on the Billboard 200 may come from another Republic release, and one far fewer would have tabbed as such a charts contender. KPop Demon Hunters, the animated Netflix musical set in the Korean pop world, has become such a sensation since its release two Fridays ago (June 20) that its soundtrack — featuring the songs of its two primary fictional groups, HUNTR/X and Saja Boys, as well as a couple contributions from real-life K-pop stars TWICE — appears on its way to being one of the summer's biggest hits. The rising soundtrack already debuted on the Billboard 200 dated July 5 at No. 8, making it the first soundtrack to reach the chart's top 10 since Ariana Grande & Cynthia Erivo's Wicked accompanying set in January. And the set is still growing, up 220% in streams over the first four days of this tracking week (June 27-30), as its songs continue to scale the DSPs' daily charts — with the soundtrack now occupying five of the top 15 spots on Spotify's Daily Top Songs USA listing, and seven of the top 25. If the set continues to grow on streaming, it could not only crash the Billboard 200's top five next week, it could challenge Virgin for the chart's runner-up spot. And the album doesn't even have a physical release yet — it's only available for streaming and digital purchase at the moment — so if Republic could get a physical soundtrack together to tap into K-pop fans' investment in tangible products, the sky is the limit for KPop Demon Hunters' commercial potential. KATSEYE, (Hybe UMG/Geffen): Speaking of K-pop — one of the biggest stories in the genre this year is of the global outfit KATSEYE, which encompasses members from not just Korea but the Philippines, Switzerland and the U.S., and sings in multiple languages, despite largely working within a K-pop framework. The group's approach has generated much discussion within various pop communities, and also a couple crossover hits: The group's singles 'Gabriela' (No. 94) and 'Gnarly' (No. 98) can both be found on this week's Hot 100. Both those singles can also be found on the sextet's second EP, Beautiful Chaos. The five-track set contains contributions from behind-the-scenes stateside pop fixtures like Andrew Watt and Justin Tranter, and comes with a surfeit of physical options for purchase — including four vinyl variants and nine CD variants. It might not be enough to compete with the streaming power of KPop Demon Hunters on next week's Billboard 200, but it should be enough to further cement KATSEYE as a burgeoning force on the charts. IN THE MIX Russ, (Diemon): Billboard's 2025 Indie Trailblazer returned on Friday (June 27) with new set W!LD, follow-up to 2023's No. 12-debuting Santiago. The album should also be ticketed for a top 20 debut, as the 19-track collection has yet to produce any obvious breakout hits, but Russ' selling power remains considerable for an independent rapper — and W!LD is available for purchase in multiple vinyl, CD and cassette variants, some of which are signed. Barbra Streisand, : (Columbia): Barbra Streisand is one of the legends of the Billboard 200, having topped the chart a staggering 11 times in her career, ranging from 1964's People to 2016's Encore: Movie Partners Sing Broadway. Streisand's latest Partners duets set is unlikely to make it an even dozen, but should attract interest with its star-studded guest list — including modern-day chart-toppers Ariana Grande, Sam Smith and Hozier, as well as all-time legends like Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney and Mariah Carey — and is available for sale in a pair of vinyl variants, as well as on CD. Best of Billboard Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1 Four Decades of 'Madonna': A Look Back at the Queen of Pop's Debut Album on the Charts Chart Rewind: In 1990, Madonna Was in 'Vogue' Atop the Hot 100
