Local Johannesburg news outlet, the Alberton Record, continues its 45-year-run despite the obstacles imposed by Covid-19, according to Carina van der Walt, editor of Alberton Record.
The Alberton Record has been active in Alberton for 45 years. PHOTO: Wessel Krige
The publication began printing under the name Alberton Record in 1976. “We are here to stay and you can look forward to a growing publication, still bringing hyperlocal news to our local community,” said Van der Walt.
About 38 700 copies of the Alberton Record, published by Caxton, is distributed to citizens of Alberton and the surrounding areas as a knock-and-drop newspaper. The publication covers a wide variety of stories that are of interest to Alberton’s citizens, according to Van der Walt.
“We cover just about anything that can be seen as news: hard news, sport, schools, social clubs, profiles, features – you name it, reporters do it,” Van der Walt remarked.
Publishing during hard lockdown
While the Alberton Record could not publish during the first week of lockdown, it resumed during the second week, said Van der Walt.
She noted that there were many challenges that journalists had to face when generating content during the various levels of lockdown.
The Offices of the Alberton Record based in Alberton, Johannesburg. PHOTO: Wessel Krige
“Gathering of news was very challenging during the different lockdown levels. We had to get creative to get stories from our community,” Van der Walt commented.
Despite not being able to print during the initial lockdown, and the loss of income and funding due to Covid-19, the Alberton Record managed to survive, according to Van der Walt.
“I would say [that] businesses being closed was a big challenge. Since we are a free newspaper, advertising is the only income [that] we generate,” Van der Walt stated.
The publication did however still cover stories that were important for the local area, according to Van der Walt.
“We are covering the constant power outages, especially in our industrial area, which is just due to poor maintenance and has nothing to do with loadshedding. The impact on big business [was] devastating,” according to Van der Walt.
Online platforms
The Dutch Reformed church in Alberton, a local landmark. Journalists at The Alberton record continued to report from the field as essential workers during the initial lockdown in 2020 according to Van Der Walt. PHOTO: Wessel Krige
The Alberton Record is predominantly a print publication. However, it also operates online, both on social media and on their website. This enables the publication to provide Alberton citizens with more information, according to Van der Walt.
“Our online presence is [supplementary] to print and a great way to ensure [that] people’s stories get out there. Especially in these times where the newspapers are smaller than usual, and not all stories can be accommodated in print,” Van der Walt noted.
Alberton citizens still enjoy the publication in its various forms – many enjoy its presence on Facebook, according to Lize Steenkamp, an Alberton resident.
“I also read it [Alberton Record] on Facebook. They don’t just provide local news, but also other important news,” said Elna Zeeman, another Alberton resident.