Abstract:
The phenomenon of state capture is creating political angst among South
African citizens, and therefore the role the media is playing in revealing
sensitive information about key personas, as well as evoking public interest and
debate, warrants further investigation. This article explores the media’s role, but
specifically trade book publishers’ roles as gatekeepers and information
disseminators in a post-democratic South Africa. Case studies of the
controversial socio-political exposés Jacques Pauw’s The President’s Keepers:
Those keeping Zuma in Power and out of Prison (published by NB Publishers
in 2017), and Pieter-Louis Myburgh’s Gangster State: Unravelling Ace
Magashule’s Web of Capture (published by Penguin Random House in 2019),
are used to illustrate that these publishers achieved both social and business
objectives in publishing high-risk titles. NB Publishers and Penguin Random
House managed to publish these titles in the right format (hard copy and
electronic format), at the right time (before the provincial and national
elections), at the right price, and were supported by strong publicity and
marketing campaigns, which contributed to the success of these titles.
Furthermore, publishers assisted in bridging the gaps in knowledge that may
have existed among concerned South African citizens because of political
uncertainty, by publishing timely and relevant books. This concept links with
Dervin’s sense-making methodology regarding information behaviour, and the
aim of this article is to highlight the synergy between gatekeeping and sensemaking, fuelled by trade publishers that take calculated risks in publishing
controversial titles, amid a politically tense environment.
