Talk about media spotlight – Guptas dominate SA news, second straight week

By Genevieve Quintal, News24

Johannesburg – One in every three news items carried reference to the Guptas last week, media monitoring company ROi Africa said.

This was the second week the controversy over the Gupta family and their links to government appointments dominated news headlines in the country.

The proprietor of The New Age as he appeared in his own newspaper.
The proprietor of The New Age as he appeared in his own newspaper.

The Guptas contributed to 29.84% of the news coverage.

“The statistics get bigger when you add Zuma Q&A (almost 4%) ANC NEC (4%) Mcebisi Jonas (4%) and Gwede Mantashe (4%), making the news media focus over 45% in a seven-day period,” managing director Tonya Khoury said.

Other big entries were the stalwarts foundations letter to the ANC national executive committee (NEC) making up 7.57% of the news coverage.

The Oliver and Adelaide Tambo Foundation, the Nelson Mandela Foundation and the Ahmed Kathrada foundation expressed their concerns about the country’s political climate.

They were disturbed by accounts they had received from ordinary people, students, religious leaders, the media, and civil society organisations.

The letter was handed to party secretary general Gwede Mantashe at the ANC’s national executive committee meeting.

Missing Malaysian flight MH370 made up 7.06%, and in sport the Proteas (3.23%) and Bafana Bafana (3.44%).

On social media, charts changed dramatically on Saturday, said Khoury, when the Proteas took a large chunk of the coverage.

It took second place with 22.4% just behind “GuptaGate” with 30% and ANC NEC coming third with 12%.

Globally, the Brussels bomb attacks dominated news with 47% coverage. Easter-related stories came in second with 30%.

There was also impact from the football bombing in Iraq.

A suicide attack reportedly killed 32 people during a trophy ceremony after a local football tournament in Iraq. – News24

Source: http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/guptas-dominate-news-coverage-for-second-week-20160328

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