About Us

WHAT IS SPOTLIGHT?

Spotlight is a South African online publication that strives to produce compelling, in-depth, public interest health journalism that deepens public understanding of important health issues. We cover TB, HIV, non-communicable diseases (like diabetes and hypertension), health reforms (like National Health Insurance), and the functioning of South Africa’s healthcare system. We are donor-funded and most of our work is republished by media partners such as Daily Maverick and News24.

You can connect with us on Facebook, X, Threads, and Mastodon. You can e-mail us at Editors@SpotlightNSP.co.za.

Marcus Low is the current editor of Spotlight and Adiel Ismail is the deputy editor. Previous editors and deputy editors include Anso Thom and Alicestine October.

EDITORIAL INDEPENDENCE

While Spotlight is published by SECTION27 (it was previously published by both SECTION27 and the Treatment Action Campaign), its editors have full editorial independence. This editorial independence is jealously guarded. Spotlight’s editors, both experienced journalists, are committed to upholding the highest standards of journalistic ethics. Spotlight does not share an office with SECTION27.

Spotlight is a member of the South African Press Council and is subject to the South African Press Code. You can read the press code here and find details about how to complain to the press council here should you take issue with any of our stories.

FUNDING 

Spotlight is a fully donor-funded publication. Spotlight has received funding from the South Africa Development Fund, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Mac  AIDS Fund, the Open Society Foundations, and the Swedish Institute for International Development.

NSP REVIEW

Spotlight was previously known as the NSP Review. It was renamed, redesigned, and reconceptualised in 2016. The NSP Review was first published in December 2011.

COPYRIGHT POLICY

Unless stated otherwise at the end of an article or in a photo caption, all Spotlight articles and photographs are published under a Creative Commons license that requires attribution and allows no derivatives. You can read more about the specific license here. 

In short, this means that you are welcome to republish Spotlight articles or photographs on the following conditions:

• You credit both Spotlight and the author or photographer.
• You do not make any substantive edits to the article or photo.

Please also link back to the Spotlight website when you republish our work. This is not strictly speaking a condition of the license, but we always appreciate it.

Please do not republish our work without crediting Spotlight and the author or photographer. Such republication without attribution is in contravention of the license under which our work is published. It is also plagiarism.