Tshepo Mahloele, new owner of the Sunday Times, Business Day, Financial Mail and Sowetan, says the editorial independence of these titles will be "sacrosanct".The current publisher of the titles, Tiso Blackstar, has announced their sale to Lebashe Investment Group for R1.05bn. "We will support independent journalism to the hilt. That you can hold us to," says Mahloele, 52, the chair of Lebashe."When you have great editors you let them run with the product. As shareholders it is not our intention to interfere with that."With advertising income and readership declining and digital subscription models struggling to achieve profitability, the local media space is not for the faint-hearted. This raises questions about Mahloele's motives, particularly given his political connections."It's business. We're not doing this in support of any political ticket. We think great brands, with great content, is the way to go for the future," he says.Plus, he believes a strong media is "integral i...
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