About The New Age:
The New Age newspaper is a South African national daily newspaper, owned and operated by TNA Media (Pty) Ltd. TNA Media was established in June 2010 and the first publication of The New Age was on 6 December 2010.
Although when the paper was launched, the owners said that The New Age would specifically present a positive image of the South African ruling political party, the African National Congress (ANC), the paper’s current stated goal is to focus on the positive side of news, yet be critically constructive.
The newspaper covers news from South Africa’s nine provinces, along with national events, op-ed columns, politics, Africa and international news, sports, business, entertainment, lifestyle, science and technology. It costs R3.50.
The paper is printed in 24–32 full-colour pages in broadsheet format. It is printed in three separate locations.
Circulation and readership:
Currently, The New Age does not publish circulation figures, and its publication figures are not audited by the Audit Bureau of Circulations of South Africa, as most other South African newspapers are.
The newspaper’s own web site claims to have a daily print run of over 100,000 copies, although there have been accusations that up to 50,000 copies are returned to be pulped daily. Some 50,000 copies are sold on bulk subscription to South African parastatals.
According to the South African Audience Research Foundation’s official All Media Products Survey (AMPS), The New Age had a readership of about 39,000 in January–December 2011, about 87,000 in July–June 2011/2012, and about 107 000 in January–December 2012.
Impartiality controversy:
The New Age is under the ownership of TNA Media, which is owned by the Gupta family. There has been some controversy about the closeness of members of the Gupta family to the President of South Africa, Jacob Zuma, and the resultant lack of impartiality in its reportings on the president and the ruling ANC Party.
In October 2012, the editorial cartoonist, Jeremy Nell (AKA JERM), was fired for editorial cartoons that contained “political judgements or statements.” Nell’s cartoons were frequently critical of the ANC and President Zuma.
In January 2013, it became known that “New Age Business Breakfasts” – platforms for prominent individuals – were being funded by public corporations such as Transnet (transport), Telkom (telecoms) and Eskom (electricity), for millions of Rands. In addition, the national broadcaster (SABC) broadcast the events at no cost. The government opposition leader Helen Zille subsequently withdrew from a scheduled briefing at one of these breakfasts, which The New Age reported on casting her in an unfavourable light. Complaints to the Press Ombudsman by the Democratic Alliance opposition party resulted in a front page apology to Zille and the Democratic Alliance on 31 May 2013 “for not asking them for comment on several important issues contained in two stories that we published earlier this year, and for headlines in one story that unjustifiably made her out to be a liar and a hypocrite”.
Estimated Readership:
Jan 12 – Dec 12 – 107 000
Contacy information:
CORPORATE OFFICE:
52 Lechwe Street, Corporate Park, Old Pretoria Rd
Midrand 1685
Tel: 011 542 1222
Fax2email: 086 733 7000
Email: info@thenewage.co.za
ADVERTISING ENQUIRY:
TNA Sales, Corporate Park, Old Pretoria Rd
Midrand 1685
Tel: Switchboard 011 542 1222
Advertising Sales: 011 542 1233
Email: bookings@tnamedia.co.z
More Information:
The New Age
