South Africa, Dec. 24 -- 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 experienc...