- Die Burger
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Die Burger Type Daily newspaper Format Broadsheet Owner Naspers Publisher Naspers Editor Bun Booyens Founded 1914 Language Afrikaans Headquarters Cape Town Circulation 91,665 (2008) Official website http://www.dieburger.com/ Die Burger is a daily Afrikaans language newspaper, published by Naspers. By 2008, it had a circulation of 91,665 in the Western and Eastern Cape Provinces of South Africa. Along with Beeld and Volksblad, it is one of three broadsheet dailies in the Media24 stable.
Contents
History
On December 18, 1914, sixteen prominent Afrikaners gathered in Stellenbosch to discuss the establishment of a national newspaper. With considerable financial support from local philanthropists Jannie and Christiaan Marais, the project soon got off the ground with the founding of de Nasionale Pers ("the National Press") and the selection of Dr. D.F. Malan as editor of its daily paper, Die Burger ("The Citizen"). The first issue was published on July 26, 1915.
Language
Die Burger was originally published in Dutch. In 1916, the first Afrikaans-language articles were published. In 1921, the newspaper's Dutch title (De Burger) was translated into Afrikaans (Die Burger).
Political Affiliation
Die Burger was a newspaper which supported the nationalist cause and apartheid, and used to be the mouthpiece of the National Party of South Africa. This only began to change after 1985, when then editor Piet Cillié a staunch supporter of the government under B J Vorster and PW Botha retired. In 1990, the National Party was officially informed by editor Ebbe Dommisse that it no longer served as a political mouthpiece. This disaffiliation was continued in 1999 with the appointment of a more progressive editor, Arrie Rossouw. In 2006, Henry Jeffreys became the first black editor of the paper.
List of editors
- D.F. Malan (1915-1924)
- Albertus Geyer (1924-1945)
- Phil Weber (1945-1954)
- Piet Cillié (1954-1977)
- Wiets Beukes (1977-1990)
- Ebbe Dommisse (1990-2000)
- Arrie Rossouw (2000-2006)
- Henry Jeffreys (2006-2010)
- Bun Booyens (2010-)
See also
- List of newspapers in South Africa
- Hans Beukes
Sources
- Nieman Reports at Harvard University
- Die Burger 2000/8/05
- Die Burger 2005/7/26
External links
Categories:- Newspapers published in South Africa
- Afrikaans-language newspapers
- Media in Cape Town
- African newspaper stubs
- South African media stubs
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