SECTOR 2 to predict the likely impact and success of the New Age which is expressly setting out to “be supportive of government” and to offer “constructive criticism”. One of the media industry’s concerns is that government advertising could now shift to this new daily, particularly high income generating employment and tender adverts. Since there is a belief that the New Age is aligned to the ruling ANC party, it is also suspected that the paper will have direct access to government information and stories. The print media are largely confined to urban and peri-urban populations, with a total readership of 7 to 9 million out of a population of almost 50 million people. There are several reasons for these relatively low numbers: Newspaper prices are fairly high (between around R6.00 for a local quality daily and R15.00 for the Sunday Times - the price of a basic loaf of bread in June 2010 stood at around R7.00 and R8.00); 25 per cent of the population live on social grants; the majority of newspapers are in English or Afrikaans with a few papers in Zulu (iLanga, Xoliswe and isiZulu, and the distribution in rural areas is inadequate. Over the past few years, however, a whole new market segment has been opened up by tabloids which – at a price of between R2.00 and R3.00 - are more affordable and attract more and different buyers and readers. The content of these tabloids seems to resonate with people: they take up everyday issues in the communities, often publishing stories that were never reported on before. They are also accessing a range of new information sources. Many of their journalists live in the areas they report on and thus have good contacts in their communities. If something happens community members usually won’t contact the mainstream newspapers but rather call The Voice, Die Son or Daily Sun. “They’ll make the link with the community that are in the story. They’re going to have articles about a neighbour or a child that is well known in the area – things that communities can relate to about themselves. If something mirrors your life you can relate to it. So it is about costing, accessibility and it is also about my story.” The downside to this new development is that stories often feed into stereotypes and perpetuate prejudices. As one panellist pointed out: “There is always the argument for more diversity and more community voices, but you should not be asking for news to be reduced to the lowest common denominator. That’s what the tabloids do.” Another said: “There’s no problem with tabloids in general and of course you want a society that is reading more, but in a search for alternatives anything can’t be okay and tabloids tend to have wide circulation in the absence of alternatives.” Four major companies dominate the newspaper and magazine industry: Independent Newspapers, Avusa Ltd, CTP Pty (Ltd) (Caxton), and Nasionale Pers (Naspers) which owns Media 24. Together these companies own the majority of mainstream titles and many so-called “community” papers, and control 90 percent of the print media sector. AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER SOUTH AFRICA 2010 27