Entering a newsroom midway through the year is rarely easy. For Cammy Msimango, a multimedia journalist at MDNtv, joining in September 2025 meant adapting quickly to tight deadlines, field reporting demands and the realities of South Africa’s competitive digital media environment.
Covering Gauteng, Mpumalanga, the Free State and the North West, Msimango describes 2025 as a formative year that tested her resilience while strengthening her commitment to people-centred journalism.
Starting mid-cycle required rapid adjustment to a high-output newsroom, long field days and the physical demands of video journalism. She also encountered moments where other media outlets attempted to undermine MDNtv’s work, an experience that, she says, reinforced the need for confidence and clarity of editorial purpose.
Rather than slowing her down, these challenges sharpened her focus and strengthened her confidence behind the camera.
Among the most significant assignments of her year was reporting on major national platforms, including the G20 Social Summit and commissions of inquiry. These events placed her at the intersection of governance, public accountability and media scrutiny.
For Msimango, covering such platforms highlighted the responsibility of visual journalism in explaining complex national processes to the public in a clear and accessible way: “Being on these stories showed me how video journalism can help people understand decisions that directly affect their lives.”
In her year-end reflection, Msimango identifies Cyril Ramaphosa as the most influential newsmaker of 2025, citing his visibility at national and international engagements and the wide-ranging consequences of decisions taken under his leadership. She notes that events such as the G20 and commissions of inquiry consistently positioned the presidency at the centre of the national news agenda.
Msimango says ethical journalism remained central to her work throughout the year. From filming and editing to verification and collaboration with editors, she focused on fairness, accuracy and respect for the people featured in her stories. She believes these principles are especially important in digital journalism, where speed must be balanced with responsibility.
As she looks toward 2026, Msimango aims to grow into a more confident and technically skilled video journalist, with a stronger command of storytelling, editing and field production. She highlights mentorship, practical training and constructive newsroom feedback as key to professional development.
Cammy Msimango’s experience reflects the realities facing journalists entering South Africa’s digital media sector: high expectations, intense competition and increasing public scrutiny. Her journey offers insight into how reporters are shaped inside modern newsrooms committed to accountability and people-driven reporting.
