Bhekisisa Mncube
(He/Him)
As seen in:
LinkedIn,
Flipboard,
City Press,
News24,
Sunday Times,
AllAfrica,
Eyewitness News,
The Citizen (South Africa),
Daily Maverick,
Mail & Guardian
and
Covers:
Politics, tourism, telecommunications, transport and security.
Doesn't Cover:
Gaming and Gambling
Interview
What was your first job as a journalist?
Intern at the Witness community newspaper called the Mirror.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
No
How is social media changing news?
It makes it easier for fake news to spread but equally, it makes it faster to publish credible breaking news.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Sally Burdett
What does it mean to be a journalist?
Storytelling guided by facts and ethics or reporting on live events.
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
Email
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Grammarly Premium for editing.
What's your favorite social network?
Facebook
Who do you wish followed you?
Sally Burdett
Why did you become a journalist?
To tell stories of the underdogs.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
No
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
The contested legacy of Mangosuthu Buthelezi – the man who lived in my house
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Stick to the truth, shun the spotlight.
When's the best time to pitch you?
After 9 am
What's the best pitch you ever got?
To cover the IFP national conference in 2001.
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
To cover a conference in Sandton (I stay in Pretoria) over three days for R5000 only.
What's your favorite drink?
Mineral /boiled water
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
Reading fiction
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
News24
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
That's about politicians.
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
Create a Muck Rack profile.