Herman Wasserman Journalist Profile

Articles

Trump’s fake refugees

2 months ago | geeska.com | Herman Wasserman |Mohamed Gabobe |Faisal Ali

Amidst the slew of executive orders issued by US President Donald Trump—ranging from reinstating plastic straws, renaming the Gulf of Mexico, and proclaiming that only two genders exist—one, in particular, reverberated around braais, brandies-and-cokes, and bakkies from Brackenfell to Benoni: the executive order “Addressing Egregious Actions of the Republic of South Africa,” which included the policy that the “United States shall not provide aid or assistance to South Africa” and that the...
How Russia uses ‘hybrid warfare’ to colonise SA’s political debates

Nov 22, 2024 | dailymaverick.co.za | Herman Wasserman

UNCONVENTIONAL TACTICS With the ascendance of technologies such as the internet and artificial intelligence, ‘hybrid warfare’ has only grown in prominence in recent decades. Arguably, few countries have consistently innovated in the hybrid warfare space over the past century like Russia has. All countries work to shape the world in their image.
Herman Wasserman

Mar 25, 2024 | znetwork.org | Herman Wasserman |Haitian Creole |Scottish Gaelic

As the fans streaming toward Athlone Stadium in Cape Town were greeted by vendors selling Palestinian flags, it became clear the match…
From Salt River to the Sea

Mar 25, 2024 | znetwork.org | Herman Wasserman |Ron Krabill

As the fans streaming toward Athlone Stadium in Cape Town were greeted by vendors selling Palestinian flags, it became clear the match about to take place would be as noteworthy as it was unusual: the Palestinian Men’s National Team, fresh off their surprising success in the AFC Asian Cup (where they had reached the knock-out stages before losing to Qatar) were to play a “South Africa XI” in front of a large crowd.
The promises and perils of AI in the newsroom

Nov 27, 2023 | dailymaverick.co.za | Scott Timcke |Herman Wasserman

NEWS FRONTIERS OP-ED The most promising development for South African newsrooms would be the democratisation of AI model development. What it would mean in practice are laws and regulations that allow access to information for the purposes of learning in combination with data-sharing agreements that favour the public interest. The impact of foundational AI models on many aspects of life has been a trending topic this year.
Meeting the Challenges of Information Disorder in the Global South

Sep 6, 2023 | comminit.com | Herman Wasserman |Warren Feek |Rebecka Lundgren

Affiliation: "A study of efforts to counter information disorder in the Global South is important not merely because it contributes to greater geographical diversity in the field (much as this is needed), but also because the South can hold lessons for the North."This report shares the results of a scoping study on what is being done to counter information disorder in the Global South.
FIGHTING DISINFORMATION OP-ED: Media capture and information laundering – China and Russia’s propaganda assault on Africa

Mar 27, 2023 | dailymaverick.co.za | Herman Wasserman

There is little doubt that Russia can still count on historic loyalties among South Africa’s ruling ANC. In its attempts to bolster its support in Africa, Russia often draws on its historic role in the liberation Struggle – sometimes referred to as “memory diplomacy”. It also attempts to frame its war in Ukraine as an anti-imperialist struggle to resist Western hegemony.
Tabloid newspapers are seen as sensationalist

Mar 3, 2023 | theconversation.com | Tanja Bosch |Herman Wasserman

Tabloid journalism usually refers to short, easily readable and mostly human-interest news, presented in a highly visual and sensationalist style. “Tabloidisation” has become shorthand for the deterioration of journalistic standards. Newspapers like this are often criticised for diverting readers from serious news and analysis towards entertainment. They are viewed as low-quality because of their focus on sports, scandal and entertainment over politics or other serious social issues.