The Informer off to the USA in 2023

The Informer newspaper which is based in Matatiele in the Eastern Cape Province has been chosen to take part in a 21 day US study trip as part of an exciting new partnership project to build the sustainability of print and online community Media, said Association of Independent Publishers Executive Director Kate Skinner.
In a statement, Skinner said, Association of Independent Publishers (AIP) was granted funds through the US Embassy in South Africa to partner with one of the world ‘s leading academic institutions focused on journalism, the Institute for international Journalism(IIJ) within the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio, USA.
She said the publishers of The Informer newspaper have been selected together with nine other publishers in the republic of South Africa. The other publishers are Dizindaba Western Cape, Intuthuko (kwaZulu Natal), Likhanyile Group (National), MeD8(National), Muslim Views (National), Nhluvuko Nthavela(Limpompo), Pondoland Times (Eastern Cape),ThisAbility(National) and Xenor Gauteng.
“The above mentioned publishers were chosen through a rigorous and complex selection process from a list of over 60 applications. An independent panel of community media experts analysed applicants’ print and online presence, originality of content, AIP activity participation and dedication to community media.
AIP and its project partners are confident that the selected publishers represent the diversity of community media and publishers in South Africa, taking into account gender, language and geographic location including provincial and rural/urban representative”, said Skinner.
She said the overarching aim of the study tour is for each of the 10 publishers to develop a unique, relevant sustainable plan for their publications. This will include building partnerships with local radio and TV stations, NGO’s government and other role players”, concluded Skinner.
The Informer newspaper was formed in 2007 as an 8 page publication distributing news in Alfred Nzo, Joe Gqabi, O.R.Tambo and Harry Gwala Regions. In 2020 the publication migrated to digital space using Facebook, You Tube twitter and Instagram as the way of distributing news.
In an interview Ntombi Mkandlha who was the member of the Independent selection Panel said one of the reasons the lead to selection of the informer is the creativity and the innovation that is implemented by the informer to create ways of distributing the content.