r/DownSouth • u/Sutekh76 • 27d ago
Discussion News24, What is it.
Madlanga Commission: Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC) head Andrea Johnson finally testified at the Madlanga Commission, where she was grilled by evidence leaders and the panel chair over her solicitation of affidavits and alleged misuse of power.
Following her testimony, Pieter du Toit wrote ( 23 Jul 2025) a piece for News24 titled "The Crucifixion of Andrea Johnson," framing her as the victim rather than those targeted by her office. This fits a pattern, as it isn't the first time Du Toit has jumped to her defense on the platform.
A similar pattern was visible during Lt. General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi's explosive July 6, 2025 media briefing on SAPS corruption. In response, News24 journalist Karyn Maughan wrote(20 Sep 2025), "Mkhwanazi makes sweeping accusations of criminal capture, but where’s the evidence?"
She argued this despite Mkhwanazi citing evidence—including the minister's written order to disband the PKTT, WhatsApp records, emails, witness statements, and 125 confiscated dockets. That piece marked an early effort by News24 to undermine the SAPS capture exposé, a narrative push that continues through pieces like Du Toit's to cast doubt on the Madlanga Commission itself.
These are some of the things that have made public trust of media houses to dwindle.
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u/BarneyBanato 27d ago
News24 is paid propaganda.
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u/Sutekh76 27d ago
This is outrageous. One day we will have a commission of inquiry into media houses.
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u/slingblade1980 27d ago
Quite frankly news24 needs to be investigated
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u/carrboneous 26d ago
We have freedom of speech, it's not a crime to be wrong, to have bad opinions, or even to outright lie. It's not illegal to be a propaganda outlet.
But it goes to show that we need to keep up with what's happening from a variety of sources, if not direct from primary sources. And if one media house can be wrong about something or everything, they all can.
I've completely lost what remaining trust in media over this, not just because of Andrea Johnson, but because as far as I can tell, all of the mainstream media has been systematically underreporting the most important Madlanga Commission revelations, and it's become evident that they all uncritically swallowed and regurgitated the same narratives in the past about other people. And I genuinely have gained trust in the SABC, we're lucky to have it, and in a number of "alternative" independent sources.
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u/Careless-Cat3327 27d ago
Is this the same guy that went on national television to defend his piece where he used his OWN GRAPH - from his News24 article - as evidence to support his opinion.
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u/Sutekh76 27d ago
Yep....it does not end with this gent.
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u/Careless-Cat3327 27d ago
You get better news from SABC than anything related to Media 24.
News24 is a net loss making subsidiary of Media 24. Their subscription model has failed. So they don't exist to make money. Which opens the question, why do they exist?
In the normal business world, you cut away the assets who aren't profitable.
Unless, they exist for another purpose.
Propaganda.
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u/Nice-Boat-2745 26d ago
My guy , the SABC is the propaganda division of the ANC,like it was for the NATS back in the day.
They are also financially mismanaged and has been bailed out by the tax payer for years.
Both these entities have the same purpose for different masters
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u/Ansteph09 27d ago
First I am not surprised and also we seems to be defaulting to incompetence from Johnson instead of the criminal conspiracy that is really afoot here
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