Diamond Fields Advertiser

The Diamond Fields Advertiser (DFA) is a daily newspaper published in Kimberley, South Africa, founded on 23 March 1878.[1]

DFA
TypeDaily newspaper
FormatTabloid
Owner(s)Independent Media
EditorJohan du Plessis
HeadquartersKimberley
Websitewww.dfa.co.za

The early days

The earliest paper on the Diamond Fields was a weekly called the Diamond Field, published from 15 October 1870 at Pniel. It moved the following year first to Du Toit's Pan and then New Rush (later renamed Kimberley), and had a strongly anti-imperial view point. Another of the early papers was the pro-British Diamond News of R. W. Murray.[2]

The Independent, owned by William Ling in 1876, was acquired by J. B. Robinson. By the late 1870s the success of the Independent had forced the Diamond Field to close, but with the Diamond Fields Advertiser then emerging as a third paper alongside the Diamond News and the Independent keeping local politicians on their toes in the turbulent years that followed.[3]

During the Siege of Kimberley, the newspaper was the subject of a feud between Cecil Rhodes and garrison commander, Colonel Robert Kekewich. The local newspaper, which was under Rhodes' control, ignored the military censor and printed information that compromised the military.[4][5] Kekewich obtained permission from his superior to place Rhodes under arrest if necessary.

Prominent journalists in Kimberley in the early years included R. W. Murray,[2] and F. Y. St Leger, later founder of the Cape Times.

Editors of the DFA

[6] 1878 - 1884 Henry Tucker, secretary of the Kimberley mining board and one time Member of the Cape Parliament. 1884 - 1896 Robert Fisher Wilson, independent spirit and fearless writer. Went on to become editor of the Johannesburg Times. 1896 - 1898 Albert Cartwright. Went on to edit the SA News and the Johannesburg Times. 1898 - 1910 George AL Green, Rhodes's 'Prince of Journalists'. Went on to edit the Cape Argus. 1910 - 1923 Frank Ireland 1923 - 1932 Henry Lissant Collins 1932 - 1938 George A Simpson. Was one of Sol Plaatje's pallbearers at his funeral at the West End cemetery.

1938 - 1939 Hastings H Beck 1939 - 1942 A Harrington 1942 - 1949 Rex Hall. Later helped to establish South Africa's Iron and Steel Corporation. 1949 - 1959 David Brechin 1959 - 1962 Archie Atkinson 1962 - 1967 Conrad Lighton 1967 - 1977 Mike Lloyd 1977 - 1984 Graham Etherington 1985 - 1991 Anthony Ball 1991 - 1992 Charles Guild (acting) 1992 - 2002 Kevin Ritchie 2002 - present Johan du Plessis [7]

DFA today

The Diamond Fields Advertiser, affectionately known to its readers as the DFA, outlived its rivals and has continued as a daily paper (although the Saturday edition was dropped in the late 1960s). Today it is a member of Independent News & Media.

Readership stood at 108,000 in 2015, mainly in Kimberley and the surrounding region, with a distribution of 9,161 copies in Q1 2015.[8]

Distribution areas
Distribution[9]
2008 2013
Eastern Cape
Free State Y
Gauteng
Kwa-Zulu Natal
Limpopo
Mpumalanga
North West
Northern Cape Y Y
Western Cape

Distribution figures
Circulation[10]
Net Sales
Jan - Mar 2015 9 161[8]
Jan - Mar 2014 9 754[8]
Oct - Dec 2012 9 375
July - Sep 2012 9 557
Apr - Jun 2012 9 403
Jan - Mar 2012 9 927

Readership figures
Estimated Readership[11][12]
AIR
January – December 2012 76 000
July 2011 – June 2012 76 000
gollark: Modern society has its problems, but we have massively increased QoL vs even 100 years ago.
gollark: *something something DIGITAL WATCHES*
gollark: I've got a cheapish R3 1200 and GTX 1050 system.
gollark: *ancient*
gollark: Wait, a non-DDR4 thing? Ancient technology.

References
  1. du Toit, Anneke (10 September 2008). "A lot of news, a lot of newspapers". Volksblad. Archived from the original on 7 April 2015. Retrieved 7 April 2015.
  2. Van Niekerk, F. (ed), Knights of the Shovel. Kimberley: Africana Library, 1996, pp. 86-87.
  3. Roberts, Brian, Kimberley, Turbulent City, Cape Town & Kimberley: David Philip and Historical Society of Kimberley and the Northern Cape, 1976, p. 173.
  4. "Siege of Kimberley—Mr. Rhodes and Colonel Kekewich". Hansard. Parliament of the United Kingdom. 22 March 1900. Retrieved 29 August 2009.
  5. "Censorship—Diamond Fields Advertiser—Mr. Rhodes and Col. Kekewich". Hansard. Parliament of the United Kingdom. 11 June 1901. Retrieved 29 August 2009.
  6. Diamond Fields Advertiser Monday 23 March 1998 'Commemorative Edition' p31
  7. Diamond Fields Advertiser Monday 23 March 1998 'Commemorative Edition' p31
  8. http://www.marklives.com/2015/05/abc-analysis-q1-2015-the-biggest-circulating-newspapers-in-south-africa/?category=media
  9. "DFA Website". Archived from the original on 8 July 2012. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
  10. Audit Bureau of Circulations (S.A)
  11. SAARF AMPS (Previous Presentations)
  12. SAARF AMPS (Industry Presentations)


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