Volume Media Diaries: The New Normal Edition

Media Diaries: The New Normal Edition

What happens when our journalists, the people we expect to be out in the world for us, are forced to stay at home? At a time when we vitally need reliable reporting, how are editors managing the COVID-19 crisis?

For each episode we are going to step into a different organisation and explore how they are adapting their content production processes to what has become known as the “New Normal” that Covid-19 has forced us to adjust to.

Produced and hosted by Amina Deka Asma. Brought to you by Volume and the South Africa Media Innovation Program.
Weekly English South Africa News · News Commentary
14 Episodes

S2 E5: Stokvel Talk and Innovation

In this episode we are with media organisation Stokvel Talk. They produce a monthly free community newspaper for the South African stokvel market and at the same time, run a series of stokvel roadshows in urban, peri-urban and rural areas in the country. Produced and hosted by Amina Deka Asma…
1 Dec 2021 19 min

S2 E4: Scrolla & Community Reporting

In this episode we are with news organisation, Scrolla also commonly known as Scrolla Africa. This news organisation produces and reports on important community news designed to be consumed via mobile phones for both English and isiZulu audiences. Produced and hosted by Amina Deka Asma from Volume.
24 Nov 2021 19 min

S2 E3: Zonotho and Financial Literacy

In this episode we are with online platform, Zonotho. The sole purpose of this platform is to help people make better financial decisions by releasing content that touches on financial concepts in a way that is understandable to people with little to no financial knowledge. Produced and hosted by Amina…
17 Nov 2021 14 min

S2 E2: The Daily Vox and Youth Centred News

The Daily Vox is a media organisation based in Johannesburg. They aim to put young citizens at the centre of news by telling their stories and amplifying their voices. In this episode we hear how the team managed to overcome the challenges brought on by Covid-19. Produced and hosted by…
10 Nov 2021 17 min

S2 E1: Explain and Covid-19

Explain is Johannesburg based news organisation with the sole purpose of choosing the most important news topics that they think most affect your life as a South African and to break it down for you. In this episode we hear about the woes that come with not only running, but…
3 Nov 2021 19 min

S1 E8: Hashtag Our Stories and Building a New Kind of Journalism

For this episode we are with Hashtag Our Stories, a start-up that has gathered together a global network of storytellers, trained them to use their mobile phones to create videos and then posted them on social media platforms for millions of people. Produced by Volume with the South Africa Media…
21 May 2020 19 min

S1 E7: Viewfinder and Holding The Cops Accountable

In this episode we get to know the journalists at Viewfinder who are investigating the police during COVID-19. In particular, we look at one story from start to finish and the incredible impact it had. The day after we released this episode, Viewfinder's founder Daneel Knoetze was named as a…
14 May 2020 22 min

S1 E6: Quote This Woman+ and Making Women Heard

In South Africa, less than 20% of sources quoted in the news are women. Quote This Woman + strives to change that. This week Media Diaries explores what it takes to change the media landscape, particularly with how it represents women, and how to deal with the cold during lockdown…
5 May 2020 21 min

S1 E5: SMWX and Running an Empire Over Zoom

We spend this week with SMWX, an exciting digital platform focused on current affairs content from a youth perspective. We find out how they are evolving and acquiring new business in the time of COVID-19. Produced by Volume with the South Africa Media Innovation Program.
22 Apr 2020 19 min

S1 E4: Scrolla and Reporting from Alexandra

Scrolla is an exciting, new mobile-first media start-up that reports on important community news and puts it out in manageable chunks. In this episode we receive voice notes from their reporters and editors as they document the brutality and alleged murders during the lockdown. Produced by Volume with the South…
15 Apr 2020 21 min

S1 E3: Food for Mzansi and Farming During The Lockdown

Food for Mzansi is an initiative to introduce South Africans to stories about farming... including how the farms may or may not survive because of COVID-19. Produced by Volume in partnership with the South Africa Media Innovation Program.
8 Apr 2020 21 min

S1 E2: Media Hack Collective and the Lockdown

We spend the week with Media Hack Collective, an amazing organisation that creates visualisations, multimedia stories and dashboards with the goal of spreading valuable journalism into the world. They have built a COVID-19 dashboard in partnership with the Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism and it has become insanely popular... Produced…
1 Apr 2020 23 min

S1 E1: Health-e News and COVID-19

Health-e News is a formidable health unit based in Johannesburg that is reporting on the frontline of COVID-19 in South Africa. Follow their staff as they come to terms with it.
25 Mar 2020 21 min