How do you build a serious newsroom in one of the hardest media environments in the world?

In this episode we speak with the Daily Maverick's Styli Charalambous about building a public-interest journalism organization from a five-person startup into a 100+ person newsroom — while navigating political corruption, market collapse, and constant financial pressure.

The conversation explores what it takes to sustain investigative journalism in South Africa, where democratic institutions were under threat and media economics were rapidly deteriorating. We discuss how Daily Maverick survived political turbulence, industry disruption, and repeated funding crises — and why purpose, strategy, and community became central to their survival.

Topics include:

• Growing a newsroom during political and economic instability
• Why journalism should be treated as a public good
• How the Gupta Leaks changed South African politics
• Building a voluntary membership model at scale
• Designing journalism for real-world impact
• Fighting misinformation in a broken information system
• Why paywalls don’t work for public-interest reporting
• The limits of “better business models” in weak markets
• Why market context matters more than management skill

We also explore how Daily Maverick built a powerful reader community that contributes expertise, resources, and long-term support — creating a sustainable alternative to traditional media funding.

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