Publish and Be Damned: Two Decades of Scandals

by Chris Steyn-Barlow

The author became a journalist by an unexpected twist after she took a secretarial post at the Sunday Tribune's Johannesburg bureau. She proved herself a useless secretary but her boss, the legendary Viv Prince, sent her out on stories instead of firing her. Her first job was to interview British fashion guru, Mary Quant, and ask if it was true she had her pubic hair shaved into a heart shape. Horrified at the prospect, she still passed her first journalistic test by asking that question. Quant answered in the affirmative! Her short stint on the Sunday Tribune was followed by two-and-half years under The Citizen's very difficult Johnny Johnson. The late Johnson had started his career as a copy boy at 13 and went on to become the longest serving editor in SA press history. She learned the craft of investigative journalism and the hard way under his tutelage on the city's back streets writing stories about politics, crime, disasters and tragedies, rubbing shoulders with criminals, drug addicts and prostitutes. Poached by the Rand Daily Mail she continued to develop her own hard-nosed style of reporting. Spells at The Star and the Cape Times followed. She was subpoenaed to give eviden

368 pages, Paperback

First published August 31, 2006