How a Facebook update led to our Yengeni investigation
Let me give you an example of the power of online social networks for journalists.
About a month ago a Facebook friend posted an interesting status update which directly led to four weeks of investigative reporting by the Media24 Investigation team and which culminated in front page leads carried in this past weekend's editions of Rapport and City Press about how ANC NEC member and convicted fraudster, Tony Yengeni, had broken the law.
It all started when my Facebook friend Herman Lategan (he gave me permission to use his name) posted an indignant observation. He had spotted Yengeni driving in his R1.7m Maserati and swanning about a luxury Greenpoint apartment complex.
The update got me thinking: How does Yengeni afford such a car? After all, he is a convicted fraudster after being sent to jail for getting a dodgy discount on a Merc, and can no longer serve as an MP.
As far as I knew his only salary was from the ANC as head of its soon-to-be-established political school.
And that's how a lot of investigative journalism starts.... with a simple question, a bit of curiousity and then some old-fashioned digging. But we would never have asked that first question had it not been for that Facebook update.
So, Media24 investigations reporter Julian Rademeyer started sniffing around and before long we had established that Yengeni had more than one luxury car and was a director of six companies in contravention of the Companies Act in terms of which it is a criminal offense to be a company director if you have a conviction for a crime of dishonesty. Using online social networks we were even able to source a picture of the Yengeni Maserati.
I think this is a good example of how online social networks can extend a journalist's contact base in ways that we could never imagine before. This is the potential power of crowdsourcing when you have tens of thousands of citizens out there, keeping the powerful on their toes.
In another story we are working on we have been able to develop a source providing useful information on a company which is up to no good using nothing but Twitter. One tweet and a couple of RTs later we had located someone which would otherwise have taken us many days, if not weeks, to locate.
This is another reason why I think it is not a good idea for media owners to deny journalists access to social networks on company networks - image the scoops which are passing you by?
Anyway, I'm pleased at how the Yengeni story worked out. So, thanks again Herman and thanks again Facebook. I think you should take the credit for igniting this important story.
November 1st, 2010 - 14:12
You know, when Herman posted that update, I wondered if anyone would pick it up as a story. I mean, Maseratis are uber-luxury cars. Not your common or garden BMW. Now I want to know if the companies that gave him these (very well paid) directorships are at all culpable? I mean, doesn’t one do due diligence before offering someone a board position? And if due diligence shows someone to have been convicted of fraud – due diligence not even required here as the Yengeni case was hardly a media non event – surely one runs screaming? This seems, to me, to be a bit like the hooker / john situation…she’s guilty because she’s a prostitute. I’d like to see companies that do this given a big fat smack because they’re colluding and therefore equally corrupt.
November 1st, 2010 - 15:00
Hi Glenda, thanks for the comment. You are right – the law says that the directors can be held responsible as well. We did a follow up piece which was carried in Beeld but got a bit lost in the Cabinet shake-up story. One of the directors claimed to us he had no idea that Yengeni has a criminal conviction! Right. That’s his story and he’s sticking to it.
November 1st, 2010 - 15:53
Well done on a great story. However, your saying \we would never have asked that first question had it not been for that Facebook update\ seems to me wrong. You can and should be asking those questions of hundreds of others on a similar basis. The government itself is saying R25billion has been lost to corruption. Its all around us.
November 1st, 2010 - 16:10
Thanks Dirk. Nice to hear from you again. You are right about the scale of things. I think the point I was trying to make is that this particular Facebook update at least suggested about whom we should be asking the question…and it has led to us asking a lot more questions too. Watch this space!