Media24 retains the Beeld and 66 newspaper journalists

South African media company Media24 will no longer be retrenching some of its newspaper journalists from Beeld, following prior announcement that the publications will be shutting down.

In a report on Wednesday, News24 said from the four publications, only the Bleed and 66 journalists will be retained while the company continues with consultation process with the rest of the staff affected by the proposed restructuring.

It was reported that the Beeld was preserved to minimise job losses and keep the Afrikaans daily alive “as a brand that carries sentimental value”.

The 66 journalists will now be incorporated into Netwerk24, News24, and at the Daily Sun website.

Even though it has been saved, the Beeld will now only be accessed digitally.

“Although we anticipate that the PDF versions of Beeld and Volksblad will no longer be available, the teams are working on plans to provide a digital presence for these historical and beloved brands on Netwerk24,” Media24 CEO Ishmet Davidson was quoted saying.

The publication further added that Media24 has already accepted an offer from Novus Holdings to buy On the Dot, the community newspapers, and Soccer Laduma.

Meanwhile, its still unclear whether the company has had potential buyers for the Daily Sun, Rapport, and City Press.

News24 reported that before restructuring or closing any titles, they will wait approval from the Competition Commission.

The company will be filing its application soon and its expecting a decision from the commission by the end of October 2024.

City Press was established by Jim Bailey and the South African Associated Newspapers (SAAN) group in 1982 as the Golden City Press. The next year, the word Golden was dropped form the title of the newspaper.

After SAAN withdrew and the newspaper faced financial challenges, Nasionale Pers, the name that Media24 owner Naspers was known as, took over.

The Daily Sun was launched in 2002 as a successful tabloid aimed at urban black readers.