href=”#Liza Albrecht”1. Liza Albrecht!_LT_STRONG !_LT_/STRONG
href=”#Susan Davis”2. Susan Davis!_LT_STRONG !_LT_/STRONG
href=”#Johnny Davids”3. Johnny Davids!_LT_STRONG !_LT_/STRONG
class=”” title=”Liza Albrecht” name=”Liza Albrecht”!_LT_STRONG1. Liza Albrecht (34)!_LT_/STRONG
Albrecht is assistant editor of the Afrikaans daily, Die Burger. She is national editor of the newspaper supplement By, which is distributed in Die Burger, Beeld and Volksblad.
Why did you decide on a career in the media?
I have been aware of the media ever since I can remember. My mother (Sybelle Albrecht) was a journalist. We always had newspapers and discussions about news in the house. At university I was editor of Die Matie (the University of Stellenbosch’s student newspaper).
(But) I never studied journalism – I studied law, because I thought I would rather become a lawyer. When Die Burger called to say I should come for an interview, I thought: ‘Let’s try it’ (she joined the paper as a subeditor/layout artist in 2001). I enjoyed it so much that I made a career of it.
What do you consider to be your biggest achievement?
I’m proud of By – six years ago it was little more than a TV page and now it is a national supplement. I literally went to the bosses with (mock-up) pages (in 2002) and said: ‘Why don’t we try this on a Saturday’. I was very junior. I was lucky to have had an editor (Arrie Rossouw) with enough faith in my concept. I could do what I wanted to do with it. Initially I thought it was strange that no-one was watching over my shoulder. By has featured as a supplement of Die Burger since March 2002. It has been distributed nationally since October 2006.
What would you still like to achieve?
The Afrikaans print media is going through a big metamorphosis. It is important to me to keep up and to find a niche in the changing (media) landscape. I see people who are intimidated by the fact that the newspaper as we know it will most likely no longer exist in a few years’ time. I am one of those people who are not afraid. I want to be involved with innovation and change – for example, how to expand a print product to a multimedia platform. I don’t want to say I would like to become editor of Die Burger or become the managing director of a company. That is not what I am focussed on.
Why do you work in the Afrikaans media?
It’s the language in which I am comfortable. If I had to work in English, I would feel like a fraud. I find the Afrikaans reader to be a fascinating species. It’s extremely difficult to pin them down. They are much more diverse than people think.
How healthy is the Afrikaans media sector?
The Afrikaans media shouldn’t think it has the luxury of stagnating. I think the temptation not to innovate is bigger in the Afrikaans media. There is the perception that something deserves recognition just because it is in Afrikaans. I’m against it. World standards should apply. That, in my mind, is the best way to preserve a language.
What does the future hold for By?
Its future is inextricably linked to the future of Die Burger. I think it has a bright future. I would like to see a stronger internet presence for it – we are talking about it.
The print supplement is moving more towards being a magazine inserted into a newspaper. But it’s very expensive. We are working on a more effective national advertising strategy for By.
Could By become a stand-alone magazine?
It’s not on the cards. That’s not the idea of the supplement. It is not supposed to compete with other titles.
class=”” title=”Susan Davis” name=”Susan Davis”!_LT_STRONG2. Susan Davis (26)!_LT_/STRONG
Davis started her career as a journalist at the Afrikaans women’s magazine, SARIE.
She is a former regional winner in the editor’s choice category of the Vodacom Journalist of the Year Awards (2004 /’05) and was recognised as Media24’s young journalist of the year in 2004/’05.
She is the production manager for Weg/go!, WegSleep, WegRy, Drive Out.
Why did you choose a career in the media?
As a child I was always interested in a good story – even a good gossip story. To me, “Fanie en Melanie” (an educational section for kids) in Huisgenoot was the ultimate read. I spent a lot of time after “lights out” under my bed reading. I liked writing.
What has been your biggest achievement to date?
To be able to have worked on SARIE and to be working on Weg – both market leaders. When you study journalism, you don’t really know if you can do the job. It’s an achievement for me to have worked here and to have excelled.
What do you still want to achieve?
I would like to eventually publish a magazine title. When you write, you are not exposed to all aspects of the production side. Being production manager has taught me the mechanics of a magazine. I discovered a new world – I find the publishing side appealing. I hope to study towards an MBA degree next.
Why do you work in the Afrikaans media sector?
It’s the language in which I have always written. It’s a natural choice – it’s the language in which I can be creative. I don’t have to think about it.
You are the Afrikaans synergy manager at Naspers. What does it entail?
I coordinate meetings of managers and editors of Afrikaans titles in Media24. The meetings serve to discuss issues that affect the Afrikaans market.
Your CV makes it look easy. Is it?
A CV makes everything sound easy. It’s not. For example, I have never been a production manager (before now). You often bite off more than you can chew, but it shouldn’t stop you from doing just that – it puts you on a path where you will always learn. If you’re sinking, ask for help. I talk to others. I’m like a sponge – that’s how I pull through.
class=”” title=”Johnny Davids” name=”Johnny Davids”!_LT_STRONG3. Johnny Davids (30)!_LT_/STRONG
Davids started his career in television as a continuity presenter for kykNET after he and his singing partner, Vivian Molauly, had won the DStv channel’s duet competition, “Zing”, in 2003. He joined the Afrikaans SABC radio station, RSG, in December 2007.
How did you end up in the media?
It happened after Vivian and I won “Zing”. KykNET was looking for continuity presenters and I got the job. I was appointed at RSG after a second interview. At the time, Vivian decided to leave Johannesburg and I had to find something else. My first interview at RSG (a year or so before) was unsuccessful. This time everything fell into place. I am still a continuity presenter for kykNET and I co-present (the lifestyle programme) “Tuine & Tossels”.
You have been in the public eye for some time now. How is being on radio different from what you have done before?
It’s totally different. Little things matter in radio. I never paid attention to speaking correct Afrikaans – now I have to. Many listeners are particular about the language. You have to be on top of your game.
Why do you work in Afrikaans?
It’s the language I grew up with. I have a love for it.
What has been your biggest achievement to date?
Without a doubt, winning “Zing”. At that stage I was working at a furniture shop in Walvis Bay (Namibia). I dreamt of being on stage.
What do you still want to achieve?
I want to write a book about my life. I have had an interesting life; it’s a bit of a fairytale. I could have become a junkie or a gangster, but there were people, including teachers, who believed in me.
I attended high school in Walvis Bay (Namibia). I stayed with my grandmother. It was a poor suburb: two to three families shared a home. There were gang fights. I was very young when I decided I want to excel.
In radio, I would like to become an established name, like Niekie (van den Berg, RSG presenter) and those guys. I have realised that I have a big passion for radio. It’s more than just a job.R
■This is an edited version of an article that first appeared in The Media magazine.
