The New Age postpones launch
Following an exhaustive review of its readiness to launch The New Age this month, the Editor-in-Chief, Mr Vuyo Mvoko, has taken the decision to postpone the newspaper's launch until 20 October.
"We are committed to adding a quality product to the South African newspaper landscape, and this unflinching commitment to quality imposes various pre-requisites which we feel we have not achieved at this stage, "explains Mvoko.
"This delay, while unfortunate, is necessary and will help us deliver a newspaper worthy of our potential readers."
Among the promises The New Age made to its readers, and which the editor and his staff intend to keep, is comprehensive daily coverage of all of South Africa's nine provinces.
"It has proved harder to put the systems and people in place to deliver on provincial coverage than we originally anticipated", Mvoko said today.
"We have also purchased some of the latest editorial software and other technologies, much of it new to the South African scene. These will need to be tested extensively and over a period of time to guarantee our ability to produce consistent quality on a daily basis. We also have to train our staff on the use and management of our new systems.
We are confident that once these processes are complete, we can deliver to our readers an aesthetically pleasing, editorially sound and fresh product that will be relevant to their lives and add to the diversity of voices in our country's media."
Mvoko comments that a special edition, giving readers and the market place a taste of what to expect from October, will be published as part of its Heritage Day celebrations.
Statement issued by Gary Naidoo, spokesperson for TNA Media, September 14 2010
The New Age team, as they were assembled:
The New Age will be edited by Vuyo Mvoko, formerly SABC group political editor and Business Day Journalist with 20 years of hands on experience in the industry. Vuyo says, "The New Age will differentiate itself by presenting the widest range of news and information in a bold, accurate and balanced manner. We will be critical, but fair and constructive. We will work towards raising the level of awareness and consciousness around issues affecting all the people of South Africa, and to celebrate the achievements of a united South Africa." (TNA Media, July 22 2010)
Karima Brown has been appointed as deputy editor of The New Age newspaper. She takes up her new position on 2nd August 2010.
Currently political editor of Business Day - a position she has held over the past four years - Karima was also a political correspondent for Independent Newspapers between 2004 and 2005 and prior to that was executive producer for Current Affairs at SAFM at the SABC between 1996 and 2004. (TNA Media, July 28 2010)
Vukani Mde has been appointed as Editor: Opinion and Analysis at The New Age newspaper taking up his position on 2 August 2010.
Says The New Age's editor in chief Vuyo Mvoko, "As a political journalist and editor, Vukani brings a wealth of experience and a reputation for critical thought to The New Age.
"He wrote for ThisDay and the Business Day and was the first political editor for The Weekender where he wrote a critical, irreverent column for the newspaper between 2006 and 2007." (TNA Media, August 2 2010)
Amy Musgrave takes up her position as News Editor following a stint at eTV where she was a senior sub-editor. A former Business Day political correspondent, Amy has also worked at SAPA as a senior reporter and assistant news editor.
Thebe Mabanga has been appointed as Business Editor. Prior, he was a business editor at the Mail & Guardian, an economics writer at the Business Times and more recently a parliamentary correspondent for the Financial Mail.
Jeremy Shepard Smith is the newspaper's Night Editor. He previously worked as a senior sub editor at the Business Day and has also been a tourism writer and magazine editor.
Siyabonga Mkhwanazi will be the parliamentary correspondent. Recently he held the position of political correspondent for the Independent Newspapers. (TNA Media, August 30 2010)
Source: various statements from TNA Media
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