Primedia is among the media outlets the Gupta family had hoped to buy‚ according to leaked e-mails‚ amaBhungane and Scorpio reported on Wednesday. The leaked e-mails show that the controversial family had "hoped to build up a South African media empire". This followed an attempt to buy one of its leading critics‚ the Mail & Guardian, and a portion of Independent Media, the investigative journalism units said. Through pro-government positioning‚ the family sought to win "lucrative" government advertising‚ which their television channel ANN7 and The New Age newspaper have benefited from.

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