Despite Covid-19 restrictions, the Constantiaberg Bulletin did not have to change its distribution model while under lockdown.
This was according to Chantel Erfort, the editor-in-chief of the Constantiaberg Bulletin, and 14 other community newspapers, which are collectively known as the Cape Community Newspapers. The Constantiaberg Bulletin, which is distributed in the Cape Town area, is published by the Independent Media division at Africa Community Media, said Erfort.
Throughout 2020, around 32 000 copies of the 42-year-old knock-and-drop newspaper continued to be distributed every Thursday, according to Erfort.
A few versions of the Constantiaberg Bulletin as it has been published over the years. PHOTO: Supplied/Constantiaberg Bulletin Facebook
The community newspaper was able to continue covering hyperlocal news during lockdown, said Erfort. “We keep our readers informed about what’s happening in their communities, and [we] also help to promote local organisations and causes,” said Erfort.
The Constantiaberg Bulletin is a free publication that derives its revenue from advertising, explained Erfort. The publication is also available to readers online, she said.
Chantel Erfort, the editor-in-chief at the Constantiaberg Bulletin. PHOTO: Sourced/Chantel Erfort
Challenges to quality journalism under Covid-19
Although the Constantiaberg Bulletin was able to overcome the difficulties presented by the Covid-19 lockdown, producing high quality news during this period was a challenge, according to Erfort.
“We have been working remotely since March [2020], which has forced us to change the way we interact with each other, ” said Erfort.
Erfort explained that during the initial hard lockdown, journalists were often forced to rely on information and images sent to them by members of the community. In light of this, the paper had strict fact-checking measures in place to verify all information, she said.
“Another challenge was ensuring that we got the balance right. While it was important to keep our readers informed about [Covid-19], we also needed to ensure that we carried some uplifting stories in our titles,” said Erfort.
The value of community news under lockdown
During the initial hard lockdown, some local residents relied on the newspaper to keep them informed of what was happening outside of their homes, according to Ilse Collair, a local community member.
Collair told MatieMedia that while the newspaper was one of the things residents could not sanitize during lockdown, that did not stop them from paging through it and reading about the people they knew in the community.
“When I was unable to go outside, the Constantiaberg Bulletin brought the outside [world] inside,” said Collair.