Grocott's Mail
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{{Use South African English|date=August 2014}}
{{Infobox newspaper
| name = Grocott’s Mail
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| founder = Thomas Henry Grocott
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| foundation = 1870
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| language = English
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| publishing_city = Grahamstown
| publishing_country = South Africa
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| website = {{url|https://grocotts.ru.ac.za/}}
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Grocott’s Mail is the oldest surviving independent newspaper in South Africa. Founded in 1870 (but incorporating the Grahamstown Journal which was founded in 1831), this weekly newspaper has survived many years and is today the only newspaper that is published in Grahamstown.{{Cite web|url=http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2010-08-31-grocotts-mail-small-town-paper-big-time-rep#.U67ua0Dm5Zc|title=Grocott's Mail: Small-town paper, big-time rep|accessdate=2014-06-28|publisher=The Daily Maverick|year=2010|author=Kevin Bloom }}
Founding
Thomas Henry Grocott was the founder of Grocott’s Free Paper, established on 7 May 1870 from premises in High Street, which is a listed heritage site. The gable of the building, with its Victorian and Flemish features, bears the date 1869-1906, while the present façade was added in 1906 after a devastating fire.{{cite book|author=Deirdré Richardson|title=Historic sites of South Africa|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=I0oxAQAAIAAJ|year=2001|publisher=Struik|isbn=978-1-86872-495-6|pages=24–25}}
Twentieth century
In 1920 Grocott and Sherry bought out the Grahamstown Journal and the two publishers decided to issue a single daily edition due to the post war paper shortage.{{Cite web|url=http://www.grocotts.co.za/content/history-grocotts-mail|title=History of Grocott's Mail|accessdate=2014-06-28|publisher=Grocott's Publishers and Printing|author=Louise Vale|work=Grocotts Mail|archive-date=1 July 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140701111947/http://www.grocotts.co.za/content/history-grocotts-mail|url-status=dead}}
In 1965 the newspaper was published biweekly on Tuesdays and Fridays. Since 2013 the paper is published on Fridays only.
Recent history
Grocott’s Mail was acquired by a Rhodes University-linked company in 2003. The broad objective of the acquisition is to ensure the survival of Grocott’s Mail and to use it for the teaching of journalism students at the university. Rhodes journalism students, working under supervision, provide stories, photographs and designs to readers. Named in honour of a former journalist, the company is known as the David Rabkin Project for Experimental Journalism. Rhodes intends that Grocott's Mail will remain a community newspaper for the whole city and its surrounds.{{Cite web|url=http://www.ru.ac.za/jms/sections/grocottsmail/|title=About Grocott's Mail|accessdate=2014-06-28|publisher=Rhodes University|year=2014|author=Anon|work=Journalism & Media Studies|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140702095454/http://www.ru.ac.za/jms/sections/grocottsmail/|archive-date=2 July 2014|url-status=dead}}
See also
{{see also|Robert Godlonton}}
References
{{reflist}}
Further reading
- {{cite journal|last1=Bonnes|first1=Stephanie|title=Gender and Racial Stereotyping in Rape Coverage|journal=Feminist Media Studies|volume=13|issue=2|year=2013|pages=208–227|issn=1468-0777|doi=10.1080/14680777.2011.623170}}
External links
{{Official website|http://www.grocotts.co.za/}}
{{Coord|33.309852|S| 26.527921|E|display=title|format=dms}}
Category:Weekly newspapers published in South Africa
Category:Student newspapers published in South Africa
Category:Mass media in Makhanda, Eastern Cape