2014 Big Reads: The 10 best-read media stories of 2014 •

We list the 10 most-trafficked stories media on MarkLives in 2014.

1. The biggest-circulating consumer magazines in SA

ABC Analysis Q3 2014: The biggest-circulating consumer magazines in South Africa
ABC Analysis Q2 2014: The biggest circulating consumer magazines in South Africa
ABC Analysis Q1 2014: The biggest-circulating consumer magazines in South Africa

The MarkLives’ Big Magazine list (Q3 2014)

Huisgenoot: 258 803 –
YOU: 139 873 –
Move!: 122 424 –
Kuier: 109 165 –
Drum: 107 626 –
Woman and Home: 105 257 +3
Rooi Rose: 102 301 +1
Tuis/Home: 94 207 –1
Bona: 87 626 new
Sarie: 85 578 –4

People: 67 378 falls out of Top 10
Taalgenoot: 67 300
CAR: 66 129
SA Garden & Home: 62 811
Cosmopolitan: 61 886
Weg/Go: 61 164

2. CliffCentral.com live

Gareth Cliff’s CliffCentral.com started broadcasting today, Thursday, 1 May 2014.

3. #MagLoveTop10: Sexiest magazine covers of 2013

by MediaSlut. While compiling this #MagLoveTop10 column, I have once again realised that the term “sexy” differs from person to person, and there are dozens of different opinions surrounding what makes a cover (or a person) sexy.

4. Analysis: Moneyweb vs Fin24 — and how it could upend our media

by Roger Hislop. Just before the December 2013 holiday break, Media24 filed answering papers in Moneyweb’s legal action against it, in which Moneyweb alleged “plagiarism on an industrial scale” and anti-competitive behaviour. The reply by Jannie Momberg, editor-in-chief of News24, essentially amounts to a giant “up yours, sonny”.

5. ABC: The biggest-circulating newspapers in South Africa

6. The agency boss who wants to hit the reset button on media

by Herman Manson. New MEC Cape Town MD John Beale thinks media agencies are in deep deep trouble, what with a dysfunctional revenue model and an old school obsession with traditional paid-for media, and that they will be toast in five to ten years if lots of things don’t drastically change — such as their business model, positioning and offering.

7. April 1: Punk’d by the media

by Herman Manson. It’s 1 April 2014 and news sites, newspapers and broadcasters are out to get you. Last year, Mxlish was included as South Africa’s 12th official language, Oscar Pistorius signed up for North Korea’s inaugural Friendship Run and Juju joined the DA.

What with elections just around the corner, this year’s April Fool’s stories dealt with popular voter gripes. News24 announced Western Cape premier Helen Zille is moving to Khayelitsha; MyBroadband tackled Nkandla’s ‘but I never asked for it’ telecommunications infrastructure; and TimesLive reported that you can dodge paying e-tolls by driving exactly 113 km/h.

The story of the day goes to The Daily Maverick for announcing the merger of the SABC, Independent News & Media, The New Age and ANN 7.

8. #MagLoveTop10: Most-shocking magazine covers of 2013

by MediaSlut. You get ‘good’ shocking and you get ‘bad’ shocking. Sometimes, a magazine cover makes you stop and look. And think . Sometimes, you just stop — what’s been done is just plain wrong. Here’s my #MagLoveTop10 list of the Most Shocking Covers of 2013, all of which had tongues wagging…

9. MagLove: Men’s Health shows off K2 Twins Alex and Charlie Kotze

by MediaSlut. I’ve been following the K2 Twins Alex and Charlie Kotze since way before they became ‘famous’, so it’s really nice to see how they’ve shot up in the past few months, and now have their very own Men’s Health South Africa cover. Each!

10. WeChat South Africa wants your brand

by Herman Manson. WeChat, a social media and messaging app backed locally by media giant Naspers, entered the South African market in 2013. WeChat South Africa MD Brett Loubser says the local business spent its first year focused on brand building and gaining traction with new users.

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