News24 names Jerusha Raath as its new publisher

Jerusha Raath

Raath currently leads the team responsible for Media24’s world-class commercial content – recently relaunched as Brand Story. Her journey at News24 started as a junior journalist in 2012, and her return marks a homecoming for the Wits alum.

“Being appointed publisher for News24 is a full-circle moment. It’s where I belong, and I am delighted,” Raath said on her appointment. “Off the bat, my goal is to help increase value for our subscribers while driving deeper relationships with our advertising partners beyond traditional display.”

Raath will now be the custodian of South Africa’s most trusted news source as named by Oxford University’s Reuters Institute for the sixth consecutive year this June. Her duties will include ensuring the appeal of its advertising, content and subscription revenue streams match News24’s growing stature as the biggest news subscription service on the continent.

“My goal in this role is to ensure News24’s commercial opportunities match our unparalleled journalism,” Raath continued. “We are South Africa’s most trusted news source, with incredible teams working across news, politics, business, sport, lifestyle and food journalism – and I am excited to create business synergies that do us justice.”

The brand, itself 26 years old this October, currently has over 100,000 subscribers, having launched its subscription service four years ago in 2020.

News24 editor-in-chief Adriaan Basson said he was hugely excited about Jerusha’s appointment as publisher: “Jerusha is a product of the News24 newsroom, having pioneered our multimedia coverage in the early days of digital publishing to growing with the newsroom as we pivoted our approach to quality, paid-for journalism,” he said. “It is great to have a publisher who understands and deeply values the importance of quality, probing journalism.”

Raath has an MBA from Wits Business School and is a journalism graduate from the same alma mater. She previously served as News24’s multimedia editor and managing editor before moving to commercial content as head of Brand Story (then Brand Studio) in 2020.

Under her leadership, the commercial content team was named Studio of the Year (under 20 employees) at the Native Advertising Awards held in Copenhagen in 2023. Over the past four years, the team scooped multiple awards from the World Association of News Publishers and International News Media Association where Raath was also invited as a panelist and speaker.

“I am delighted to bring Jerusha back to News24 as its publisher,” said Rika Swart, general manager of Media24 News. “Her resumé speaks for itself and she represents a strong contingent of digital-first journalists who have risen through the ranks at News24. Her commercial mind and industry insight positions her well for this new challenge.”

Mother to two small daughters, Raath describes herself as an always curious, forever-learner with a penchant for learning the unusual – her latest conquest being how to use a mitre saw and install wallpaper in her home.

Brand Story will remain in Raath’s portfolio.