Media Houses.

The Mail & Guardian

 The Mail & Guardian is a South African weekly newspaper, published by M&G Media in Johannesburg, South Africa, with a strong focus on politics, government, the environment, civil society and business.

In the Mail & Guardian online, through the link: http://mg.co.za/multimedia/2013-02-15-weekend-101-oscar-overshadows-zumas-sona-1 make use of multimedia (pictures and videos) which gives more meaning to the stories published on the site. The Videos and pictures posted are the top stories making headlines both nationally and internationally.

The Mail and Guardian is an independently run media house which are publishing both online and print. But more on online, their design is one that attracts hundreds to read.

They also make use of twitter through the link http://mg.co.za/page/mail-and-guardian-on-twitter to get to those viewers who are on twitter and get immediate comments from them. Facebook is also being used as another form of reaching out and telling stories through social media through the link http://www.mg.co.za/tag/facebook  .   

The template that they use for their home page that includes pictures and captions to make news more efficient to the viewers. The template also includes options like education, multimedia, business and arts and culture to let viewers choose what they want to view on the hyperlink http://www.mg.co.za .

News 24

News24 is South Africa's leading digital news brand reaching more than 1.3 million people monthly across multiple devices. From the Web to mobile phones to interactive TV, South Africans go to News24 to stay up to date on what is happening locally or internationally.  Consistent growth in coverage of general news, business, sport and other major interest areas over the past year has positioned News24 as the destination of choice for the majority of online South Africans.

Their home page is fair, but does not have enough stories as the page include a lot of adverts on the far right side. Link http://www.news24.com/    

They are an independent media house which makes use of multimedia such as twitter on https://twitter.com/News24  where they post news and get immediate response, facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/Izindaba-News24/149719738423508 where they publish news through the isiZulu language and  through the page https://www.facebook.com/news24  publishing in English.

BBC

BBC is in international independent media house based in Britain. Their online homepage http://www.bbc.com/news/  has an amazing template that includes news and news only. They also very colourful background and options that include buttons to link one to any news around the world.

On most of the stories/articles posted there, they have videos to let viewers view the story that they are narrating.

They make use of available multimedia, twitter https://twitter.com/BBC  , facebook https://www.facebook.com/bbcworldnews   , youtube.  http://www.youtube.com/user/BBCWorldwide and etc.  The use of multimedia for this media house is effective as they post all news relevant to that particular country selected and that making international headline.

Clinician goes beyond the call of duty   to get involved in the lives of the youth.

Clinician Moichela, a Primary Health Care (PHC) specialist in Soshanguve Block G clinic, helps young boys and girls deal with their problems in the Youth User Friendly Services she initiated.

Pelane Mabula

Besides being a nurse, Clinician Moichela has gone beyond the call of duty to touch the lives of the young patients and her co-workers.

Clinician Moichela, a Primary Health Care specialist at the Soshanguve clinic in Block G believes that she has reduced the delay in patients waiting period, especially that of children by starting a formal emergency unit in 2007.

“We were using the consultation room as our emergency room and that resulted in patient waiting for treatment”, said Moichela.

“I don’t like seeing patients waiting for me to come back from a tea break or lunch. I would rather finish helping my patients before even considering a tea or lunch break to ensure the continuation of good service delivery,” she proudly said.

Sister Matlwa, a co-worker, says Moichela is an individual with a warm heart for children and all her patients. In 2007, she tried to reduce the rate of infant mortality by being part of the International Management of Childhood Illnesses when she held campaigns about measles awareness in Soshanguve to let mothers know about vaccines of such illnesses.

Young boys and girls around the community can make use of the Youth User Friendly Services that was also initiated in 2007, giving those young boys and girls the platform to share different problems that they may be facing and advising them on how to handle those problems.

She also visits other clinics in Soshanguve where they are short staffed.

 “She is a straight talker who has the ability to face any challenge, a hard working person who does not resist change” said Rachel Mashishi, a co-worker who has worked with  Moichela since 2007.

Moichela calls upon all young men and woman to come forward and share their problems with her and only then she may be able to help, or if not she will contact the relevant people who can.

Music foundation paves way for youngsters

Pelane Mabula

The young and talented Lerato Maponya shines away with her violin. 

 

Unisa Music Foundation in Soshanguve Block H helps youngsters realise their dreams by offering music lessons free of charge.  

Youngsters in Soshanguve have the opportunity to showcase their talents by playing different musical instruments from as early as the age of six at the Unisa Music Foundation.

Tebogo Blos, a former student, now a piano and theory of music teacher at the foundation, says that the foundation had so far achieved keeping children busy and away from negative things such as teenage pregnancy and the consumption of drugs and alcohol.

 “We offer free music classes so there is no reason for parents to say that they cannot afford our fees”, Blos said.

“The institution enrols learners from the age of six, all the way to the age of 23, giving learners a chance to explore their talents at the institution,” Blos proudly said.

Some of the students received recognition and have travelled to Europe with the well-known MIAGI Youth Orchestra. MIAGI Youth Orchestra offers young South African artists opportunities to showcase their talent both nationally and abroad. Amongst those who travelled abroad is the young and talented Lerato Maponya who had been a student at the foundation for 8 years. “Music is part of me, though I study Internet Engineering, something very different, music still plays a major role in my life,” said Maponya.

She urges parents to become invested in their children’s music career which will lead to children performing at their best.

The Unisa Music Foundation enrols learners in January and again in May of each year. Parents are urged to enrol their children with the institution, because who knows, they might be the next to join the MIAGI Youth Orchestra.