FOREWORD
A significant contribution
Founder of the Women in The Media awards, SANDRA GORDON, looks back at the 10 years she ran the annual awards, and the women who were honoured during that time. CEO Koos Bekker, had this to say of her: “Esmaré faces two types of challenge in the years ahead: how to navigate this ship through turbulent political and regulatory waters; and, with print media in the dwang globally, she needs to shift to internet media. Esmaré will have to find a way to transform her ship from a sailing vessel to a steamship – while in mid-voyage on the high seas.” During her tenure she tackled distribution problems, pushed for transformation and diversification, and began the long transition from print to digital. She retired in 2018 after more than three decades in media and eight at the helm of Media24.
Sandra Gordon
I
n August 2003, I launched Women in the Media, with The Media magazine’s esteemed editorial board serving as judges of the event. The initiative was based on a simple, yet seldom-voiced fact: over several decades the influence, talent, drive and effect of women working across the media sector had not been acknowledged, let alone celebrated. For the next 10 years – in the magazine and at classy invitationonly functions – we honoured more than 100 women who had made a significant contribution to the
FEARLESS EDITOR AND ACTIVIST economic, political, social or cultural development of the South African media industry. In August 2012 we agreed to end on a high note – by celebrating three Women of the Decade who epitomised the qualities, skills and fortitude it took to stand out in an industry not fond of acknowledging its own.
PASSIONATE JOURNALIST WHO ROSE TO THE TOP
Esmaré Weideman was CEO of Media24, the largest media company in Africa. Her boss at the time, Naspers themediaonline.co.za
In 2004 Ferial Haffajee was appointed editor of the Mail and Guardian, becoming the first female editor of a mainstream newspaper. In 2009 she took on the task of repositioning City Press, increasing the newspapers readership to 1.75 million within three years. At the time, Business Day editor Peter Bruce had a few things to say in his Thick Edge of the Wedge columns about her success: “Haffajee doesn’t so much edit her newspaper as engineer it,” and “City Press is now edited with considerable genius by a woman.” He wrote of her “fearlessly rebuilding the newspaper in her WOMEN IN THE MEDIA I 7
