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[Gems]( [Mail & Guardian Newsletter logo](#) [mg.co.za]( [The Ampersand Daily Newsletter from the M&G team](#) [Divider Strip] November 02 2020 | [View in browser]( [Divider Strip] [Facebook icon]( [Twitter icon]( [Instagram icon]( [LinkedIn icon]( Hi there, We have some good news for you to round off what hasn't been the best of years -- for a limited time, we're offering readers of The Ampersand a special discount on subscriptions to the Mail & Guardian online. [Pay just R99 -- the equivalent of a single month's regular subscription -- and you can get full access to all of our digital services for 99 days. That's three months, for the price of one](. We hope this helps to take the edge off of 2020. Few people are going to be sorry to say goodbye to it in a couple of months, and we're all going to be dealing with the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on our physical, emotional and financial wellbeing for a long, long time. To say this has been a tough year for journalism may sound a little facetious: it's been a tough year for everyone. But if, like us, you believe that quality journalism is fundamental to a thriving democracy, and vital to a fair and equitable future for South Africa, then we have to stay alert to what is happening in the local media landscape. Since April, there have been staff cuts, [salary cuts]( the closure of [dozens of much-loved publications]( and the loss of [entire publishing houses](. The M&G has struggled, but we're still here. And we are well into the fightback against what Covid-19 has done to our business. It has hurt. It has also been a chance to focus on what really matters: talking about the real South Africa while holding those in power to account with the very best journalism, written well. To do that, we're continuing to publish exclusive and hard-hitting stories every week. We won't let the government [rest easy over the wasted opportunity that is TVET education]( or the [living nightmare that haunts mine protesters go unnoticed](. Our relationships with sources will continue to help us to [open the blind eyes turned to corruption in the ANC]( and we will continue to document how new technology is [changing the parts of society that some might prefer to ignore](. Join us on our mission If you're a regular reader of our website, you'll have noticed our paywall is evolving. When we were founded in 1985 by independent journalists, it was with the support of committed readers. We believe that you are our future. Subscriptions mean we can keep doing journalism and ensure that we maintain the highest ethical standards. In return, we promise a better online experience for our readers. Today, that means more subscriber benefits, such as access to the [weekly digital edition of our newspaper]( the country's original [multilingual cryptic crossword]( [exclusive subscriber-only stories]( and our [growing digital archive of print editions]( from the last 35 years. And that's just the start. Our promise is that we will do more to meet our subscribers' needs in the future. We want to bring you into our newsroom conversations, provide you with new platforms for debate away from the polarised world of social media, and much, much more. We want, in other words, to learn from you how to do our jobs better. Subscribers are vital to the survival of the Mail & Guardian. We want to be just as important a feature in their lives too. We hope that, as a regular reader of The Ampersand, you are already appreciating our commitment to these ideals. We don't just fill a daily mailout with yesterday's news links -- each edition is an original piece of writing crafted by our team to inform and entertain. This investment pays off -- we see our audience growing locally and internationally both in terms of raw numbers and engagement every day. All of this is possible because we invest in people who do things such as write The Ampersand. Please support that work, if you can. [You can sign up for a digital subscription for just a rand a day for the first 99 days (the standard price is R99 a month)](. That's R99 for 99 days, and after that you'll qualify for another discounted price of just R250 every three months. This offer will remain open until 10 November -- [you can take advantage of it at this link](. Sipho Kings Acting editor-in-chief [Divider Strip] [LGSETA]( [Divider Strip] [Subs offer]( [Divider Strip] [Facebook icon]( [Twitter icon]( [Instagram icon]( [LinkedIn icon]( You are receiving this email on {EMAIL} because 1.) You're a member of "Mail & Guardian" or 2.) previously subscribed [M&G logo] 25 Owl St, Braamfontein Werf, Johannesburg, 2092 Want to be removed? No problem! [UNSUBSCRIBE]( Email support: help@media-connect.co.za - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -