Daily Maverick Explained

Daily Maverick
Type:Daily newspaper
Format:Online and print
Publisher:Daily Maverick
Chiefeditor:Branko Brkic
Assoceditor:Ferial Haffajee[1]
Maneditor:Jillian Green[2]
Language:English
Headquarters:Cape Town, Western Cape
Publishing Country:South Africa

Daily Maverick is an independent, South African, English language, online news publication and weekly print newspaper, with offices in the country's two largest cities by population: Cape Town (the site of its headquarters) and Johannesburg.[3] [4] [5]

It was co-founded in 2009 by Branislav 'Branko' Brkic, who was also the publication's editor-in-chief, and Styli Charalambous, its Chief Executive Officer.

Daily Maverick's motto is Defend Truth, and it is funded by a combination of reader donations, grants, events, and advertising.[6]

The publication states that journalism, in its opinion, needs to do two things. Firstly; it needs to help protect democracy, which it says it does by means of a large investment in accountability. And, secondly; it needs to help people navigate life, make better decisions, have better conversations, and ultimately aid people in the pursuit of a better life, which the publication says it achieves by explaining the impact of major events, providing perspective from an experienced newsroom, and publishing a variety of opinions, sourced from a network of contributors (in other words, avoiding bias and remaining objective and balanced with what they publish).

In terms of readership, the publication stated in 2024 that it had approximately 14.5 million unique website visits per month.[7]

Daily Maverick has received many media-related awards, and is known for, among other things, its investigation of the Gupta Leaks,[8] [9] [10] which won the 2019 Global Shining Light Award.[11]

The aforementioned investigation was credited with exposing the Indian-born Gupta family, and former President Jacob Zuma, for their role in the multi-year-long, systemic political corruption and state capture that occurred in South Africa, during Zuma's time in office. In 2018, Brkic received the Nat Nakasa Award for his role in the investigation.[12] [13] In 2021, Daily Maverick CEO Styli Charalambous also received the award.[12]

History

Daily Maverick was launched in 2009 by Brkic and Charalambous following the closure of Brkic's former print magazines, Maverick and Empire.[14] [15] [16] They started a "daily ipad newspaper" in 2011 to complement the existing website; it closed in 2013.[17] [18] [19] The weekly print newspaper, DM168,[20] was launched in 2020.[21] [22]

In 2018, Daily Maverick launched Maverick Insider, a voluntary membership plan that doesn't have a paywall or standard donation request. Contributions from readers will keep Daily Maverick free for those who can't afford to pay.

Daily Maverick hosts articles by Declassified UK, a group of independent journalists who investigate British foreign policy, the UK military and intelligence agencies, and Britain's most powerful corporations.

Daily Maverick's membership model has been widely recognised as a successful example of the emerging membership trend that invites audiences of news publications to pay to become part of a readership community.[23] [24] [25]

In addition to its membership programme, the privately-owned publication also hosts paid live events.[26] [27] It has received philanthropic funding from the Open Society Foundation,[28] Donald Gordon Foundation,[29] Elaine & David Potter Foundation[30] and ABSA.[31] It is a participant of the Media Investment Development Fund's South African Media Innovation Programme.[32]

It also produces podcasts[33] [34] [35] and documentaries, the latter of which includes Influence, a documentary directed by Poplak and Diana Neille, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2020.[36] Section 16, which details the online attacks on Daily Maverick's women journalists, debuted at the Encounters Film Festival.[37] [38]

Funding

Daily Maverick is wholly owned by a holding company, which is funded by a number of shareholders, many of which are non-profits and trusts, which aligns with the publication's goal of continuing to provide balanced, unbiased news. No shareholder has more than 50% ownership of the publication.

The largest shareholder is South African non-profit Inkululeko South Africa Media. Other shareholders, with less than 15% of Daily Maverick share ownership include; KMC Trust, Wolmarans Trust, Polyanna Trust, Bakkium Share Trust, Angel Trust, Noble Savage (Pty) ltd, Tondox (Pty) ltd, Styli Charalambous, Branko Brkic, and Tony Rattey.

Founders

Branko Brkic

Branislav ‘Branko' Brkic is a Serbian-born South African journalist, publisher, and Daily Maverick's Co-Founder and editor-in-chief - he and Styli Charalambous co-launched the publication in 2009.[39] [40]

In 2018, Brkic was awarded the country's prestigious Nat Nakasa Award[41] for initiating the collaborative corruption investigation into the Indian-born Gupta family and former South African President Jacob Zuma, known as the GuptaLeaks.[42] The investigation won the 2019 Global Shining Light Award alongside Rappler, the Filipino publication founded by Nobel Prize laureate Maria Ressa.[43]

Brkic was a book publisher in Yugoslavia before immigrating to South Africa in 1991. In 1998 he launched Timbila, the former South African National Parks magazine[44] and co-founded the IT business magazine Brainstorm in 2001 with Jovan Regasek.[45]

Brkic launched the print business magazine Maverick in 2005, launching its sister publication Empire magazine in 2007. Both magazines closed in September 2008.[46] Brkic and his partner, co-founder and CEO Styli Charalambous, launched Daily Maverick in 2009.[47]

Styli Charalambous

Styli Charalambous is Daily Maverick's Co-Founder and CEO.

A regular instructor on revenue models in journalism for the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at the City University of New York,[48] Charalambous also was a member of the steering committee for the Forum on Information & Democracy's working group on sustainability in journalism. In 2021, he was awarded the Nat Nakasa Courage and Integrity Award for his contribution to South African journalism.[49]

Charalambous designed and launched the group's "Maverick Insider" membership programme,[50] recognised globally as an example of a successful membership model.[51] He speaks globally about media sustainability membership models, including the International Journalism Festival, the International Symposium on Online Journalism, World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers. He has published on the topic for Northwestern University's Knight Lab and Harvard University's Nieman Foundation for Journalism's publications Nieman Reports and Nieman Lab.[52] [53]

Charalambous co-produced The Highwaymen, a podcast by Daily Maverick's Richard Poplak and Diana Neille.[54]

With a degree in finance and accounting from Nelson Mandela University, he completed his articles in South Africa with Deloitte in 2002, and qualified as a chartered accountant.[55]

Awards

See also

Further reading

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 22 Questions with Ferial Haffajee . Daily Maverick . 4 November 2024.
  2. Web site: 20 Questions with Jillian Green . Daily Maverick . 4 November 2024.
  3. Web site: 2019-12-18 . Reuters' "Rebooting audience engagement when journalism is under fire" . 2023-02-14 . What’s New in Publishing Digital Publishing News . en-US.
  4. Web site: Schiffrin . Dr Anya . South Africa's Daily Maverick exemplifies the travails facing Global Muckrakers . 2023-02-14 . Columbia Journalism Review . en.
  5. Web site: Moerdyk . Chris . 2020-09-03 . Maverick by name, maverick by nature: A case study of modern journalism - The Media Online . 2023-02-14 . en-US.
  6. Web site: About Daily Maverick . Daily Maverick . 4 November 2024.
  7. Web site: Maverick . Daily . 2024-08-29 . Branko Brkic to step down as Daily Maverick editor-in-chief . 2024-08-30 . Daily Maverick . en.
  8. Web site: tpampalone . 2019-04-10 . How Perugia (Almost) Broke My Heart . 2023-02-14 . Global Investigative Journalism Network . en-US.
  9. Web site: 2018-12-20 . Uncaptured: How it all began . 2023-02-14 . The Mail & Guardian . en-ZA.
  10. Web site: 2017-11-10 . #GuptaLeaks released to journalists worldwide . 2023-02-14 . The Mail & Guardian . en-ZA.
  11. Web site: gfaure . 2019-09-28 . Investigations From Peru, Philippines, South Africa Win Global Shining Light Award . 2023-02-14 . . en-US.
  12. Web site: Nat Nakasa Awards » SANEF Protecting Media Freedom . 2023-02-14 . SANEF Protecting Media Freedom . en-US.
  13. Web site: GuptaLeaks: "We have a game changer" . 2023-02-14 . AIJC . en-US.
  14. Web site: 2011-06-30 . Daily Maverick's iMaverick unveiled . 2023-02-14 . The Mail & Guardian . en-ZA.
  15. Web site: Death of a true maverick empire . 2023-02-14 . Bizcommunity . en.
  16. News: Rose . Rob . No room for complacency in the media . Business Day .
  17. Web site: Nevill . Glenda . 2012-06-28 . iMaverick goes weekly - The Media Online . 2023-02-14 . en-US.
  18. Web site: Nevill . Glenda . 2011-06-08 . Maverick DNA spawns iMaverick, Africa's first iPad daily newspaper - The Media Online . 2023-02-14 . en-US.
  19. Web site: BusinessLIVE . 2023-02-14 . BusinessLIVE . en-ZA.
  20. Web site: DM168 . 2023-02-14 . Daily Maverick . en.
  21. Web site: Nevill . Glenda . 2020-08-07 . Daily Maverick 168 and Pick n Pay: A 'real win-win-win' - The Media Online . 2023-02-14 . en-US.
  22. Web site: SAMIP . DM168: how a membership model helped a digital news org go analog SAMIP . 2023-02-14 . en-US.
  23. Web site: "At 7,000 members our lives are already changed for the better": How the Daily Maverick developed its membership program . 2023-02-14 . Nieman Lab.
  24. Web site: 2021-11-19 . Styli Charalambous, CEO of The Daily Maverick, on pay-what-you-can membership models . 2023-02-14 . www.journalism.co.uk.
  25. Web site: Innovator Q&A with Daily Maverick's Styli Charalambous Jamlab . 2023-02-14 . en-US.
  26. Web site: 2021-12-14 . Innovation in journalism: two media start-ups booming despite challenges Media news . 2023-02-14 . www.journalism.co.uk.
  27. Web site: The Gathering 2022 . 2023-02-14 . Daily Maverick . en.
  28. https://www.osf.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/OSF-SA-2018-Annual-Report-Open-Society-Foundation-for-South-Africa.pdf Open Society Annual Report 2018
  29. Web site: The Donald Gordon Foundation . 2023-02-14 . www.donaldgordon.org . en.
  30. Web site: Grant recipients - The David and Elaine Potter Foundation . 2023-02-14 . potterfoundation.com.
  31. Web site: Absa and Daily Maverick partner to tackle climate crisis . 2023-02-14 . Absa Africa . en.
  32. Web site: Daily Maverick SAMIP . 2023-02-14 . en-US.
  33. Web site: Don't Shoot The Messenger on Apple Podcasts . 2023-02-14 . Apple Podcasts . 9 May 2021 . en-GB.
  34. Web site: What's Eating Us on Apple Podcasts . 2023-02-14 . Apple Podcasts . 28 September 2022 . en-GB.
  35. Web site: The Highwaymen on Apple Podcasts . 2023-02-14 . Apple Podcasts . 7 December 2022 . en-GB.
  36. Web site: Lodge . Guy . 2020-02-02 . 'Influence': Film Review . 2023-02-14 . Variety . en-US.
  37. Web site: Schedule . 2023-02-14 . Encounters SA International Doc Film Festival . en-US.
  38. Web site: Encounters 2022 – The Bioscope . 2023-02-14 . en-GB.
  39. Web site: Schiffrin . Dr Anya . South Africa's Daily Maverick exemplifies the travails facing Global Muckrakers . 2023-12-04 . Columbia Journalism Review . en.
  40. Web site: Pampalone . Tanya . 2010-09-10 . The site your mom warned you about . 2023-12-04 . The Mail & Guardian . en-ZA.
  41. Web site: Nat Nakasa Awards » SANEF Protecting Media Freedom . 2023-12-04 . SANEF Protecting Media Freedom . en-US.
  42. News: Segal . David . 2018-02-05 . How Bell Pottinger, P.R. Firm for Despots and Rogues, Met Its End in South Africa . en-US . The New York Times . 2023-12-04 . 0362-4331.
  43. Web site: Investigations From Peru, Philippines, South Africa Win Global Shining Light Award . 2023-12-04 . gijn.org . en-US.
  44. Web site: Branko Brkic . 2023-12-04 . Festival Internazionale del Giornalismo . en-US.
  45. Web site: 2011-08-01 . Magazines are useful . 2023-12-04 . ITWeb . en.
  46. Web site: Death of a true maverick empire . 2023-12-04 . Bizcommunity . en.
  47. Web site: Best, worst of times for online 'maverick' . 2023-12-04 . BusinessLIVE . en-ZA.
  48. Web site: J-School . Newmark . Product Immersion for Small Newsrooms . 2023-12-04 . Newmark J-School . en.
  49. Web site: Working groups - Forum on Information & Democracy . 2023-12-04 . Forum Information & Democracy . en-GB.
  50. Web site: Maverick Insider FAQ . 2023-12-04 . Daily Maverick . en.
  51. Web site: Melero . Virginia . 2022-07-12 . Winners announced for the African Digital Media Awards 2022 . 2023-12-04 . WAN-IFRA . en-US.
  52. Web site: Zirulnick . Ariel . 2020-09-06 . How Daily Maverick developed a membership marketing roadmap . 2023-12-04 . The Membership Guide . en-US.
  53. Web site: Charalambous . Styli . 2020-11-18 . How South Africa's Daily Maverick Launched a Print Newspaper -- in a Pandemic. A Case Study in Product Thinking . 2023-12-04 . Northwestern University Knight Lab . en.
  54. Web site: The Highwaymen . 2023-12-04 . Spotify . en.
  55. Web site: Styli Charalambous WAN-IFRA Events . 2023-12-04 . eventsarchive.wan-ifra.org.
  56. Web site: Bookmarks 2010 winners showcase growth, vibrancy of SA online media. 19 November 2010. DMMA. 2 April 2013. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20130404025058/http://www.dmma.co.za/news/bookmarks-winners-showcase-growth-vibrancy-of-sa-online-media/. 4 April 2013.
  57. Web site: Bookmarks Awards 2011 Winners!. DMMA. 11 November 2011. 6 April 2013.
  58. Web site: Sports Media Awards highlight professionalism in South Africa. 12 November 2012. Bizcommunity.com. 11 May 2013.
  59. Web site: Harber. Anton. The best investigative journalism of 2012 – Anton Harber. 6 April 2013. Politicsweb. 11 May 2013.
  60. Vodacom announces National Journalist of the Year winner . https://archive.today/20131110121503/http://www.vodacom.com/com/press/detail?articleId=3824 . dead . 10 November 2013 . Vodacom . 4 November 2013 . 10 November 2013 .
  61. SA journos shine at CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Awards 2016 . 2023-01-30 . Life . en-US.
  62. Web site: Vodacom Journalism of the Year Awards . 30 January 2023 . Vodacom.
  63. Web site: Kaplan . David . 2016-03-21 . South Africa Awards Highlight Fraud, Waste, and Abuse . 2023-01-30 . Global Investigative Journalism Network . en-US.
  64. Web site: Taco Kuiper: The best investigative journalism of 2017 - Anton Harber - DOCUMENTS Politicsweb . 2022-09-02 . www.politicsweb.co.za . en.
  65. Web site: Branko Brkic wins Nat Nakasa Award – SANEF - POLITICS Politicsweb . 2022-09-02 . www.politicsweb.co.za . en.
  66. Web site: Winners of the 2018 Standard Bank Sikuvile Journalism Awards announced . 2022-09-02 . Media Update . 14 September 2018 . en.
  67. Web site: Film . South African . AwardsPress . Television . 2018-03-23 . All the winners from night one of the 2018 SAFTAs . 2022-09-02 . Screen Africa . en-US.
  68. Web site: News releases Vodacom Group . 2022-09-02 . www.vodacom.com.
  69. Web site: Global Shining Light Award . 2022-09-02 . Global Investigative Journalism Network . en-US . 11 August 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190811163755/https://gijn.org/awards/ . dead .
  70. Web site: 2021-08-15. Nat Nakasa Award Winners 2021 Announced: Celebrating 23 years of courageous and brave journalism. 2021-09-19. SANEF. en-US.
  71. Web site: 2020-05-12 . Awards and Prizes English Academy of Southern Africa . 2022-09-02 . en-ZA.
  72. Web site: AIPS Media . 2022-09-02 . www.aipsmedia.com.
  73. Web site: Anderson . Porter . 2021-09-23 . South Africa: SA Book Awards Announces 2021 Shortlists . 2022-09-02 . Publishing Perspectives . en-US.
  74. Web site: Africa Digital Media Awards announces 2021 winners . 2022-09-02 . Bizcommunity . en.

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