Thought Leader
Type of site | News and opinion portal |
|---|---|
| Owner | Mail & Guardian |
| Created by | Matthew Buckland (Founder) |
| URL | thoughtleader |
| Commercial | No |
| Registration | Required for commenting |
| Launched | 2007 |
| Current status | Inactive since circa 2022 |
Thought Leader is a collaborative news and opinion platform owned by the South African newspaper Mail & Guardian. Founded in 2007 by Matthew Buckland, who headed the Mail & Guardian's online division, the platform was part of a broader strategy to establish the newspaper's digital presence.
The platform became known for its commentary and analysis. In December 2007, it sponsored the first South African blogger, Ndumiso Ngcobo, to be officially accredited to cover a major political event, the ANC national conference in Polokwane. The move was described as a "watershed event for media" in the country.
In 2010, a study by the Tshwaranang Legal Advocacy Centre on the reporting of sexual violence in South Africa identified Thought Leader as the forum where the "most analytic discussion of sexual violence" was taking place.
Activity on the platform significantly declined around 2022, with the last articles on the main site dating to March of that year.