Koos Bekker’s Media24 to shut down four newspapers including City Press, Rapport, Beeld and the Daily Sun – report
Written by on June 13, 2024
South African media company Media24 is set to shut down four of its print publications, including titles such as City Press, Rapport, Beeld and the Daily Sun.
This is according to a report by Moneyweb.
It is understood that the newspapers could be expected to close in October.
Moneyweb said that four sources at the media company have independently confirmed that a decision has been made to close the newspapers, while the only print publication that will remain in circulation is Die Burger.
Ishmet Davidson, CEO of Media24 said: “Media24 continuously reviews its operations to protect viability and long-term, sustainability within the context of its transition to an increasingly digital media landscape.
“We will also continue to consult with staff about any potential and subsequent actions and remain committed to following due process. We do not comment on rumours or speculation, nor on the details of any internal processes,” Davidson said.
According to Moneyweb, it is uncertain whether the media company will create individual online brands for the newspapers as the content is aggregated as sub-sections of News24 and Netwerk24 sites.
One of the newspapers that is set to close, Rapport, was established in 1970 and was formerly known as the Die Beeld, an Afrikaans Sunday newspaper in the 1960s. Die Beeld would later merge with Dagbreek, another Afrikaans publication to create Rapport.
City Press was established by Jim Bailey and the South African Associated Newspapers (SAAN) group in 1982 as the Golden City Press. The next year, the word Golden was dropped form the title of the newspaper.
After SAAN withdrew and the newspaper faced financial challenges, Nasionale Pers, the name that Media24 owner Naspers was known as, took over.
The Daily Sun was launched in 2002 as a successful tabloid aimed at urban black readers.
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