Sunday Times fires David Bullard
By: Louise Marsland
Controversial columnist David Bullard has been fired by the Sunday Times. The axe finally fell on the ‘Out to Lunch' column after his latest offering published this past Sunday, 6 April 2008, was criticised for being racist.
While the
Sunday Times editor is denying any ‘other' hand in the dismissal of Bullard, speculation doing the rounds at two key industry events last night where leaders in the media, marketing and advertising industry were assembled – the annual Apex Awards and John Farquhar's 80th birthday party celebration – was that political pressure has been brought to bear on the
Sunday Times with Government threats to pull advertising. This is being denied by the
Sunday Times editor, Mondli Makhanya, today.
Many in the industry felt that this was an opportunity for the
Sunday Times to “get rid of Bullard” as he became more and more vocal in his criticism of the Government and the ruling party, the ANC.
Makhanya reportedly said it was about “values” and that Bullard's column no longer fitted in with the values of the
Sunday Times.
According to a senior writer who was with Bullard at an event he was MC-ing last night, Makhanya fired him over the phone due to his “racist column”. Says the journalist, “Surely the buck stops with the editor? If he or she thinks any copy is unsuitable or racist or whatever, he or she should pull it, not fire the journalist!... Correct me if I'm wrong but I thought that columnists were entitled to express their opinions?”
Others have countered that Bullard's column was indeed offensive and it shouldn't come as a surprise that he was finally fired.
Bullard has worked on a freelance contract basis for the
Sunday Times for 14 years. He hit the headlines last year when he was shot and severely wounded in a robbery at his home.
Read the controversial column for yourself:Uncolonised Africa wouldn't know what it was missing [David Bullard].
... Imagine for a moment what life would be like in South Africa if the evil white man hadn't come to disturb the rustic idyll of the early black settlers...
www.thetimes.co.za/Columnists/Article.aspx?id=741855This was the reaction earlier this week to the Bullard column by leading commentators:The heat of hate in Sunday column [Xolela Mangcu]
www.businessday.co.za/articles/topstories.aspx?ID=BD4A745310So many 'what ifs', but we cannot go back [Max du Preez]
www.iol.co.za/general/other/lol_container.php?set_id=40&click_id=2773&art_id=vn20080410053847595C810883Here is what the mainstream media are saying today, Friday 11 April:The Times Online– Bullard fired as
Sunday Times columnist
Controversial columnist David Bullard has been fired by the
Sunday Times for writing a "racist column," reports
Business Day ...
www.thetimes.co.za/News/Article.aspx?id=746507iafrica.com | news | sa news
Sunday Times fires David Bullard
Former
Sunday Times columnist David Bullard has said he was surprised to be fired as the brief from his newspaper bosses was to be controversial...
http://iafrica.com/news/sa/654146.htm24.com – News top story
Sunday Times fires Bullard
Sunday Times ...
Johannesburg – David Bullard, a regular contributor to the
Sunday Times, was fired from his post after an "extremely racist" column of his was published in ...
www.24.com/news/?p=tsa&i=888001What is being said on the blogosphereDavid Bullard on Amatomu.com – tagged articlesDavid Bullard on Amatomu.com – keyword searchDavid Bullard on Afrigator.comDavid Bullard on Google Blog SearchDavid Bullard on Technorati.comMore by Louise Marsland
More...ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Louise Marsland is editor and editorial director of Bizcommunity.com, Africa’s leading provider of daily media, marketing, and advertising news and information. She is also the South African joint-coordinator and founder of the Trade, Association, Business Publication International (TABPI) Editor’s Chapter. She has recently also been appointed to head up the Magazine Publishers’ Association of South Africa (MPASA) Business-to-business Media Sub-committee. A journalist with 21 years’ experience, Marsland started in daily newspapers in South Africa in the 1980s and has specialised in media strategy and B2B and online media in the last decade, editing and launching publications in the main in the marketing and FMCG retail market, both print and online. She recently researched the sustainability of the B2B media sector for her Masters in Commerce degree: Strategy & Organisational Dynamics, through the Leadership Centre of the University of KwaZulu-Natal. She is currently researching a book in her field and develops training programmes in the B2B media sector; and marketing communications arena in knowledge management from a media perspective. Contact her on:
editor@bizcommunity.com.
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