Description
Final Deadline: The Last Days of the Rand Daily Mail by Rex Gibson is a compelling work of South African media history that documents the rise and eventual closure of one of the country’s most influential and controversial newspapers. Drawing on his experience as the final editor of the Rand Daily Mail, Gibson offers a detailed insider account of the publication’s final years during a turbulent political and corporate period.
The book traces the newspaper’s legacy of fearless investigative journalism, including its role in exposing major political scandals and challenging the constraints of apartheid-era media censorship. It also examines the internal pressures that led to its closure in 1985, including corporate decision-making, editorial struggles, and the broader tensions between press freedom and ownership interests. Through this lens, Gibson presents a broader reflection on journalistic integrity, institutional decline, and the fragility of independent media.
This book is well suited to readers interested in journalism, South African political history, and media studies.
