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.

Please e-mail us if you would like to write for Spotlight, want to comment on our articles, wish to suggest stories we should cover, or have anything else to say to us. We are always keen to hear from our readers. You can e-mail us at Editors@SpotlightNSP.co.za. You can also connect with us on Bluesky, Facebook, X, and Threads.

Marcus Low is the current editor of Spotlight and Adiel Ismail is the deputy editor.

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 subscribes to the Code of Ethics and Conduct for South African Print and Online Media that prescribes news that is truthful, accurate, fair and balanced. If we don’t live up to the Code, within 20 days of the date of publication of the material, please contact the Public Advocate at 011 484 3612. You can also contact the Press Council’s Case Officer on khanyim@ombudsman.org.za or lodge a complaint on their website.

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.

SECURITY OF WHISTLEBLOWERS

We will do all we can to protect the safety and security of our sources. Even so, phone calls and e-mails can be intercepted. Below are some tips on how to contact us more safely. Generally, the more secure you make your communications the more effort is required. It is up to you to decide what balance is right for you.

How to email us more securely:

If you want to send us an encrypted e-mail, there is a relatively easy way to do it:

1. Create a free e-mail account on protonmail.com. Do not give the account a name that can be traced back to you.
2. Send an encrypted e-mail from your Proton Mail account to ours (SpotlightNSP@protonmail.com). Proton Mail has a very user-friendly interface, so you can do this even if you are not technically minded.

How to message us more securely:

We prefer that you first contact us by e-mail. We will then share the relevant phone numbers with you for further communication.

Our preferred messaging app is Signal. Signal is available for free on the app stores for both Android-based and iOS phones. Signal works almost identically to WhatsApp – so it is very easy to use. You can WhatsApp us as well – but Signal is more secure should you be concerned. It is not a good idea to send us normal SMS text messages since they are not secure.

You can also make encrypted voice calls through Signal. This is more secure than normal phone calls.

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 our own 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.