ALT Advisory

[Events | #GlassCeilings] We were delighted to attend and participate in last night's launch of the Glass Ceilings 2026: Women in South African Media Report. Surrounded by incredible women, industry leaders, colleagues, and friends, Sophie Smit discussed ongoing barriers to gender equality in South African media, threats against women journalists, and how these can be addressed. ALT Advisory's Managing Director, Tina Power, who, alongside Sophie Smit, contributed a chapter to the report, noted: "I am proud to have supported a publication that recognises the challenges, old and new, that women journalists face. But more importantly, I am proud to work alongside the impressive women who are working tirelessly to remove the glass ceilings, and open the space for us all to grow tall together." Thank you to the SA Editors Forum and the Wits Centre for Journalism for hosting us! To order a copy of the report, which was edited by Glenda Daniels, email dzudzien@sanef.org.za. (📸 Photo credits: Just Us Media.) Phenyo Sekati Ferial Haffajee Dinesh Balliah Glenda Daniels Phathiswa Magopeni Kate Skinner Katy Katopodis Reggy Moalusi Sbu Ngalwa Izak Minnaar

[Events | #GenderEquality] Join the SA Editors Forum (SANEF), the Wits Centre for Journalism, and ALT Advisory tonight for the launch of the #GlassCeilings 2026: Women in South African Media Report. Sophie Smit from ALT Advisory will be speaking on "Closing legal gaps and strengthening protections for women journalists". 📅 Thursday, 6 August 2026 at 17h30. 📍 Emoyeni, 5 Jubilee Road, Parktown, Johannesburg. 🔗 RSVP by e-mailing dzudzien@sanef.org.za. For 20 years, SANEF's Glass Ceilings research project has documented the journey towards gender equality in South Africa's media industry. It continues to investigate #sexism and highlights the new trend of online #misogyny. While noting that progress has been made, the research highlights continuing barriers and how women are now increasingly targeted for online vilification. The research contains a powerful cacophony of voices from Katy Katopodis, Phathiswa Magopeni, Paula Fray, Dinesh Balliah, Kate Skinner, and our Sophie Smit and Tina Power, among others. Join us later today to learn more and to order your copy of the report.

[Events | #GenderEquality] Join the SA Editors Forum (SANEF), the Wits Centre for Journalism, and ALT Advisory for the launch of the #GlassCeilings 2026: Women in South African Media Report. 📅 Thursday, 6 August 2026 at 17h30. 📍 Emoyeni, 5 Jubilee Road, Parktown, Johannesburg. 🔗 RSVP by e-mailing dzudzien@sanef.org.za. For 20 years, SANEF's Glass Ceilings research project has documented the journey towards gender equality in South Africa's media industry. It continues to investigate #sexism and highlights the new trend of online #misogyny. While noting that progress has been made, the research highlights continuing barriers and how women are now increasingly targeted for online vilification. The research contains a powerful cacophony of voices from Katy Katopodis, Phathiswa Magopeni, Paula Fray, Dinesh Balliah, Kate Skinner, and our Sophie Smit and Tina Power, among others. Join us on Thursday to learn more and to order your copy of the report.

[Report | #MediaFreedom] The Thomson Reuters Foundation has published its latest report on threats to media freedom in #SouthAfrica. Relying on surveys, focus group engagements, and case study analysis, the report details 17 threats across four primary categories: abuse of court processes, regressive and enabling legislation, technology-facilitated harms, and labour-related and sustainability challenges. It also provides a series of recommendations to respond to these threats. The report was drafted by Michael Power, Wendy Trott, Phenyo Sekati, and Sophie Smit from ALT Advisory, in association with Power Law Africa, and we are thankful to, among others, Will Church, Joanne Sawyer, Gakii Mbae, Loise Sigana, and Elizabeth Onyango from the Thomson Reuters Foundation for supporting us throughout the research process. We are also thankful to the South Africa Expert Group, which included Dinesh Balliah, William Bird, Nicole Fritz, Michael Markovitz, Izak Minnaar, Samkelo Mokhine, Sbu Ngalwa, and Dario Milo for reviewing our findings, and to Kate Skinner from the Association of Independent Publishers, Reggy Moalusi from the South African National Editors' Forum, and colleagues from the Institute for the Advancement of Journalism for distributing the survey questionnaires to their members. We hope that this research contributes to ensuring that, both in law and in practice, South Africa's hard-fought press freedom is not further eroded, but is allowed to flourish and perform its vital constitutional function. Access the report here: https://lnkd.in/dZMtYN7E.

[Events | #MediaSustainability] At 13h00 (CAT) today, join ALT Advisory's Wendy Trott and other leading media experts for a webinar on UNESCO's Fair Compensation for News Guidelines. ℹ️ "Will UNESCO's Fair Compensation for News Guidelines be a silver bullet to sustainable journalism?" 🗓️ Tuesday, 21 July 2026 🕔 11h00 GMT | 13h00 CAT 💻 Online only (live-streamed): https://lnkd.in/dsUb5HW3. The guidelines are open for public consultation until 30 July 2026: https://lnkd.in/gsqeyBXH. Dr. Janine Deselaers Ana Ruelas Michael Markovitz Irene Jay Liu

[#MandelaDay] In honouring the legacy of Nelson Mandela, we remain committed to serving our community and promoting the inherent #dignity of every person. This year, we were led by our front office team of Jessie Rashid and Siphathisiwe Sharon Mncube, who distributed hygiene products to women and children in need. #67Minutes #MakeChangePossible (Cover photo by Tommy Fogelberg on Unsplash.)

[Events | #MediaSustainability] Save the date for the Media20's upcoming webinar titled "Will UNESCO's Fair Compensation for News Guidelines be a silver bullet to sustainable journalism?" 🗓️ Tuesday, 21 July 2026 🕔 11h00 GMT | 13h00 CAT 💻 Online only (live-streamed) Join M20, the Centre for Information Integrity in Africa (CINIA), the International Fund for Public Interest Media, ALT Advisory, and UNESCO for a timely conversation on the newly drafted UNESCO Fair Compensation Guidelines, which were developed by ALT Advisory and the GIBS Media Leadership Think Tank. Panellists: 🎙️ CINIA — Dr. Janine Deselaers 🎙️ ALT Advisory — Wendy Trott 🎙️ UNESCO — Ana Ruelas 🎙️ M20 Representative — Michael Markovitz 🎤 IFPIM — Irene Jay Liu The guidelines are open for public consultation until 30 July 2026: https://lnkd.in/gsqeyBXH. 🔗 Watch the webinar live on M20's YouTube page here: https://lnkd.in/dsUb5HW3.

UNESCO has launched a global consultation process on Fair Compensation for News, open until 30 July 2026. In partnership with ALT Advisory, the Media Leadership Think Tank (MLTT) at GIBS Business School (Gordon Institute of Business Science), and Media20, UNESCO is developing this guidance to support governments and other stakeholders in designing and implementing arrangements that secure fair compensation for news content used by digital platforms and AI actors. The final guidance is intended to sit as a companion document to UNESCO’s Guidelines for the Governance of Digital Platforms (2023), forming part of the organisation’s broader work on media sustainability and information integrity in an evolving digital and AI-driven ecosystem. Three years ago “Big Tech and Journalism – Principles for Fair Compensation”, was adopted at GIBS and supported by over 100 organisations and experts. Since then, the conversation on fair compensation for news has continued to evolve through policy development and real-world implementation across multiple jurisdictions. We encourage all our colleagues, particularly from African and Global South contexts, to fully engage with the process. Stakeholders are invited to review the draft, submit inputs, and participate in regional roundtables taking place throughout July. Read the Guidance: https://lnkd.in/gBQ42xgr Submit input (consultation survey): https://lnkd.in/g4VwwTck Register for roundtables: https://lnkd.in/gP3aPkUC https://lnkd.in/gRjs-4qw

[#Events | Media20] ALT Advisory's Sophie Smit is in #Bonn, Germany this week supporting the #M20 Secretariat. The M20 aims to bring issues of #InformationIntegrity, #MediaViability, #Journalism, and #FreeExpression to the #G20 agenda. The week includes the M20's 2026 Strategy Meeting, with over 10 major international media organisations meeting to discuss the M20’s focus for the next year and beyond. The M20 team will also attend the Global Media Forum (#GMF26) with the theme “journalism out loud”, which includes hundreds of other prominent media organisations and journalists from around the world. ALT Advisory is pleased to support the M20 and other international organisations in advancing the agenda of free expression, media protection, and a free, independent, and pluralistic press. #MakeChangePossible