Comments on: You don’t have to be a rocket scientist … but it helps

By: Bethany Kurtz

Bethany Kurtz — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 22:19:51 +0000

I have just watched the SABC International news broadcast at 14h00 GMT and it was nothing short of a national disgrace. Inept reporting, utterless worthless vido work, unskilled editing and production, barely intelligible prattling, huge gaps in story content and three glaring falsehoods.

I can see why you tear your hair out, Llewellyn. SABC now owes me 30minutes – that’s how much of my life I just wasted.

By: Llewellyn Kriel

Llewellyn Kriel — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 16:59:40 +0000

for those who have asked (while I catch my breath!) TED.com is one of the 30 best sites in the world for learning stuff. Hit http://www.ted.com and you’ll see what I mean. The acronym is for “technology, education, design” & I have yet to find another site where you get glimpses of the Future to this degree. I decided to put my money where my keybaord is and nominated Clem myself. As I say, I haven’t seen him in action for a couple of years now, but if he and Chantell have a duet going – wow, that would be inspiring.

By: Llewellyn Kriel

Llewellyn Kriel — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 13:30:36 +0000

Hi John, far from detracting, your comment is entirely apt and indeed simply proves the point. I have just read the piece &, with respect to Gershwin, well … he “covered the story”. In a better newsroom, with devoted and creative mentors and subs (the blackholes in every sense of every single SA news medium – despite the valiant efforts of Paddi Clay & Heather Butler) it would have knocked almost anything off page 1. Let’s hope it improves under Ferial’s editorship. Instead we get the usual vacuous crud about yet another can-kicker-turned-ball-booter (as chris2 proves). Thanks!

The raw material is there (I’ve worked with some of them but peanuts don’t pay the fuel bill to get to the “office”), the newsroom and media managements are not. They work on the principle that each day the miraculous happens … there is somehow just enough news to fill the paper! Shit, we’re good – make mine a double Johnnie Walker, thanks!!

If it’s sparkle & thrill you’re looking for, watch a plank warp.

By: Perry Curling-Hope

Perry Curling-Hope — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 08:32:43 +0000

Media must pander to the sensibilities of its target audience.

People here are far more intrigued by a city mayors alleged extramarital exploits, wrangles over who the real Idol winner should be, or derision in response to a youth league leaders latest brainless irreverent utterances.

Whether the entire Universe is busy falling into a black hole or not is of no interest….

“It won’t happen in MY timespace so its irrelevant; but if you’re a Sharks supporter…..”

By: Paul Young

Paul Young — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 06:07:37 +0000

Maybe Mr Sunter can spend his time following and writing about the hallowed careers of “special South Africans”. That way they will enjoy the limelight and us poor mortals will be exposed to their brightness.

By: Richard P

Richard P — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 17:43:58 +0000

When my wife and I visited SA for 3 weeks in April, the only time we watched TV was for the Grand Prix (my wife is an F1 nut – it leaves me cold). We know from past experience that the quality of TV in SA (even MNet, which at least offers better quality viewing than the freeview channels) is dismal compared with the telly here (notwithstading all the reality and talent show dross inflicted on us).

As for the newspapers, the only one which comes close to holding its own with what I read here, is the M&G. The rest are parochial rags which would be given a run for their money by the knock and drops over here. That includes The Star, which I used to rate before I left SA (either because I had not yet been exposed to UK papers or because it was of a higher quality then – I suspect the former).

SA media is, quite frankly, way below the standards of non-tabloid media (and even some of the tabloid media) in the UK and the USA, and one reason why I prefer living here.

By: chris2

chris2 — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 17:38:21 +0000

LK, you are laying a (somewhat hyperbolic) finger on a pretty sore point. Imagine, if Mr Xuza had superior ball sense, he would almost certainly have been a feasted hero locally. In this sense, SA society is fatally skewed and it is clearly reflected in the media. How idiotic.

By: Robin Grant

Robin Grant — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 16:14:34 +0000

Great blog entry Llewellyn. Top form. I must say that the buggers on TED [http://www.ted.com] are friggen brilliant. I’ve lost count of how many gigs of presentations I have downloaded over the years.

People, if you want to find out what the future really holds, TED is your one stop shop for the brightest minds in the planet. I have lost count how many times I have been awestruck by the brilliant minds that I have observed in action on TED.

By: Dawn

Dawn — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 16:01:33 +0000

Ouch!
“Why TED has not woken…” please. who or what is TED?

By: John Skliros

John Skliros — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 15:17:02 +0000

Not to detract from the point in your excellent article, there was some coverage of Siyabulela in the City Press way back in December 2007: http://jv.news24.com//City_Press/News/0,,186-187_2244708,00.html.