Adriaan Basson
{{short description|South African journalist}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2023}}
{{Infobox person
| education = Brackenfell High School
| alma_mater = Stellenbosch University
| occupation = Investigative journalist
| years_active = 2003–present
| awards = Taco Kuiper Award for Investigative Journalism
}}
Adriaan Jurgens Basson is a South African journalist who has been the editor-in-chief of News24 since April 2016. Known for his investigative journalism, he was formerly the editor of Netwerk24 and Beeld.
Career
After matriculating at Brackenfell High School in 1999,{{Cite web |last=Basson |first=Adriaan |date=13 November 2020 |title=Brackenfell High: A letter about racism and memories of our beloved school |url=https://www.news24.com/news24/opinions/fridaybriefing/analysis-brackenfell-high-a-letter-about-racism-and-memories-of-our-beloved-school-20201112 |access-date=2025-04-29 |website=News24 |language=en-US}} Basson attended Stellenbosch University, where he was editor of Die Matie in 2002.{{Cite web |last=Potgieter |first=Suzaan |date=21 August 2016 |title=Die Matie is 75 jaar jonk |url=https://www.netwerk24.com/netwerk24/die-matie-is-75-jaar-jonk-20160821 |access-date=2025-04-29 |website=Netwerk24 |language=af-ZA}} He began his career in 2003 as a reporter at Beeld, an Afrikaans daily newspaper.{{Cite web |last=Jordaan |first=Lucinda |date=2024-04-05 |title='I get quite irritated when people say that the news or journalism is dying,' News24’s Adriaan Basson |url=https://wan-ifra.org/2024/04/yes-newspapers-are-dying-but-journalism-is-stronger-news24s-adriaan-basson/ |access-date=2025-04-29 |website=WAN-IFRA |language=en-US}} Thereafter he spent three years as an investigative reporter at the Mail & Guardian, where, with Sam Sole and Stefaans Brümmer, he was one of three founding members of amaBhungane in 2010.{{Cite web |last=Schmidt |first=Christine |date=31 January 2018 |title=Digging for dung, unearthing corruption: This South African investigative nonprofit could help take down the president |url=https://www.niemanlab.org/2018/01/digging-for-dung-unearthing-corruption-this-south-african-investigative-nonprofit-could-help-take-down-the-president/ |access-date=2024-07-20 |website=Nieman Lab}}
He went on to become assistant editor at City Press. During this period, in 2011, he was named one of the Mail & Guardian
Basson became editor-in-chief of News24 on 1 April 2016.{{Cite web |date=28 March 2016 |title=Adriaan Basson appointed editor of News24 |url=https://www.news24.com/News24/adriaan-basson-appointed-editor-of-news24-20160407 |access-date=2025-04-29 |website=News24 |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Pretorius |first=Wim |date=10 March 2016 |title=News24 gets a new editor |url=https://www.news24.com/news24/news24-gets-a-new-editor-20160310 |access-date=2025-04-29 |website=News24 |language=en-US}} He was also deputy chairperson of the South African National Editors' Forum between 2020 and 2022.{{Cite web |date=2020-08-22 |title=SANEF Elects New Leadership as All Journalists Covering Covid-19 Receive the Nat Nakasa Award |url=https://sanef.org.za/sanef-elects-new-leadership-as-all-journalists-covering-covid-19-receive-the-nat-nakasa-award/ |access-date=2025-04-29 |website=SANEF |language=en-US}}
Notable investigations and awards
In 2006, at Beeld, Basson began investigating corruption at the Department of Correctional Services. He and Carien du Plessis received the 2006 Taco Kuiper Award for Investigative Journalism for their exposés of the relationship between prisons commissioner Linda Mti and contractor Bosasa.{{Cite web |date=2007-04-26 |title=Beeld scoops prize for investigative journalism |url=https://mg.co.za/article/2007-04-26-beeld-scoops-prize-for-investigative-journalism/ |access-date=2025-04-29 |website=The Mail & Guardian |language=en-ZA}} Basson continued to investigate Bosasa contracts in later years, leading to a defamation suit in which he successfully asserted source protection privileges.{{Cite web |date=2012-04-26 |title=Ruling on journo’s sources a victory for media freedom |url=https://mg.co.za/article/2012-04-26-ruling-on-journalists-sources-a-victory-for-media-freedom/ |access-date=2025-04-29 |website=The Mail & Guardian |language=en-ZA}} He later appeared before the Zondo Commission to testify about his investigation.{{Cite web |date=2019-02-05 |title=‘I will kill you’ – Bosasa operative to journalist |url=https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2019-02-05-i-will-kill-you-bosasa-operative-to-journalist/ |access-date=2025-04-29 |website=Daily Maverick |language=en}}
While at the Mail & Guardian, Basson, Sole, and Brümmer received the 2008 Taco Kuiper Award for their reporting on Arms Deal corruption.{{Cite web |date=2009-04-17 |title=M&G investigative journalists scoop prestigious award |url=https://mg.co.za/article/2009-04-17-mg-investigative-journalists-scoop-prestigious-award/ |access-date=2024-07-20 |website=The Mail & Guardian |language=en-ZA}}
At City Press, Basson and Piet Rampedi led a prolonged investigation into the commercial interests of rising youth politician Julius Malema,{{Cite web |last=Nicolson |first=Greg |date=2012-07-23 |title=The price of investigating Julius Malema |url=https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2012-07-23-the-price-of-investigating-malema/ |access-date=2023-07-30 |website=Daily Maverick |language=en}} which was recognised with the general print news award at the 2012 CNN African Journalist Awards.{{Cite web |date=2012-07-23 |title=South Africans shine at CNN Multichoice African Journalist Awards |url=https://themediaonline.co.za/2012/07/south-africans-shine-at-cnn-multichoice-african-journalist-awards/ |access-date=2023-07-30 |website=The Media Online |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=CNN African Journalist of the Year Competition |url=http://edition.cnn.com/WORLD/africa/africanawards/finalists_2012.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120709020135/http://edition.cnn.com/WORLD/africa/africanawards/finalists_2012.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=9 July 2012 |access-date=2023-07-30 |website=CNN}}
The following year, Basson and Paddy Harper won the Sikuvile Journalist of the Year Award for their reporting on the Nkandla scandal.{{Cite web |date=2013-05-15 |title=Basson and Harper: Nkandla investigation wins journalism honours |url=https://themediaonline.co.za/2013/05/basson-and-harper-nkandla-investigation-wins-journalism-honours/ |access-date=2025-04-29 |website=The Media Online |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=10 May 2013 |title=All the 2013 Standard Bank Sikuvile Journalism Awards winners |url=https://www.bizcommunity.com/Article/196/15/93163.html |access-date=2025-04-29 |website=Bizcommunity |language=en}}
Books
Basson's books include Finish & Klaar: Selebi’s Fall from Interpol to the Underworld (2010), Blessed by Bosasa (2023), and, with Qaanitah Hunter, Who Will Rule South Africa? (2023). He has also written two books about Jacob Zuma's presidency: Zuma Exposed (2012) and, with Pieter du Toit, Enemy of the People (2017).
Personal life
He is married to radio producer Cecile Basson.{{Cite web |date=19 May 2013 |title=Our beautiful scars |url=https://www.news24.com/news24/our-beautiful-scars-20150429 |access-date=2025-04-29 |website=News24 |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Labuschagne |first=Charis |date=14 May 2013 |title=Cecile Basson: “Die Groot K in my stamboom” |url=https://www.netwerk24.com/sarie/bekendes/het-jy-gehoor/cecile-basson-die-groot-k-in-my-stamboom-20170914 |access-date=2025-04-29 |website=Sarie |language=af-ZA}} They have two children.{{Cite web |title=The close-up: Adriaan Basson |url=https://partners.24.com/beyond-the-byline/adriaan-basson/index.html |access-date=2025-04-29 |website=News24 |language=en}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Muck Rack|id=adriaan-basson|name=Adriaan Basson}}
Category:21st-century South African journalists
{{DEFAULTSORT:Basson, Adriaan}}
Category:South African investigative journalists
Category:South African newspaper editors
Category:South African newspaper journalists
Category:Stellenbosch University alumni