Her TV news stories are unashamedly tabloid but Chriselda Lewis, SABC news reporter, is singlehandedly busy shaking up the SABC's staid and dreary daily TV news coverage.
Buying drugs, busting a bogus doctor, confronting shops over old meat and point-blank refusing to leave a school where pupils are being beaten, Chriselda Lewis is turning the SABC's flagship news show News @ 7 into must-watch television, as well as its other news bulletins also running her stories.
Her ongoing gawk-interest stories in prime time TV news bulletins has the South African TV industry taking notice, as Chriselda Lewis churns out eye-popping story after story which viewers of the public broadcaster's 36 years of TV news coverage have never seen in that style - or being done so consistently - before.
With veritable Carte Blanche panache - and not something South Africa's million of viewers dependent on public access television are accustomed to or have ever seen on the SABC before - the hawkish Chriselda Lewis (with shaky cameraman in tow) does story after story of actual real investigation pieces. How long before M-Net and Combined Artists poach the SABC's new news star for Carte Blanche - or eNews and the eNCA steal her away?
Not only are these Chriselda Lewis stories compelling television and groundbreaking - but because they're original investigations in the public interest, they're also unique. Now, wherever Chriselda Lewis goes she breaks news - on and for the SABC of all places and for decades not usually known for its appetite or prowess for real independent and investigative journalism.
Shamelessly (and it's meant in a good way) employing tactics of the best of confrontational television and often ambush news coverage by way of hidden camera, Chriselda Lewis courageously assails her targets with deft skill and microphone thrust in the face for possible comment.
Although tabloid in style (and too much of it would be dangerous) the often overly dramatic Chriselda Lewis pieces are unashamedly populist with consumer appeal. Her stories, and she, now have the industry and viewers buzzing.
Chriselda Lewis' feisty demeanour and "take no prisoners" approach, very much comparable to Devi Sankaree Govender of Carte Blanche on M-Net and before her Ruda Landman, makes for a refreshing change to the SABC's often de rigeur boring and politi-pandering news coverage.
From blatantly bursting through a door looking for a headmaster and confronting a school with grainy cellphone footage of pupils being savagedly beaten ...
To exposing how middle class suburbs are being invaded by druglords by posing herself as someone wanting to buy drugs in Windsor...
It is all suddenly "classic" Chriselda Lewis style - even confronting shop managers like Checkers and Pick n Pay about food products on shelves which have passed their sell by date.
This relentless, ruthless and seemingly fearless firebrand is giving SABC news viewers a brand-new revelation of what TV news and real news reporting in this medium can be.
What makes it even more remarkable is the time construct it's accomplished within - and two types of time are applicable. Firstly there is the time in which to tell these scandal-chasing, investigative stories on air.
Lasting no longer than a few minutes each in a 23 minute News @ 7 bulletin on SABC3 and repurposed for other SABC bulletins as well on SABC2 and SABC1, Chriselda Lewis is very skillfully able to tell and bring across a story by starting with finding the alleged guilty perpetrator and then widening the scope to tell South Africa why an entire country should care. Amazing to get that right in 2 to 3 minutes of precious screen time!
The second time of importance is the sourcing, scoop-digging and actual real journalism practising time coming to bear on unlocking and bringing even one of these stories to television. From experience I can tell you it takes daily, huge amounts of time. And remember: she's not working for a weekly investigative magazine show - this is daily grind stuff done for the evening news bulletin which remains an ever-consuming monster when it comes to news and wanting content.
It's quite remarkable. But keeping up the pace, Chriselda Lewis has definitely over the past few months now clearly shown that the scoops and scandal suddenly airing on SABC TV news are no mere fluke - it's hard and consistent work.
Of course too much of this (oh so enjoyable) expose awesomeness would be overkill - the avenue which America's sensationalist evening broadcasts have long since succumbed to in their chase for ratings. However, the SABC can do with, and deserves an injection of actual news, exclusive news, and investigative, independently-minded news gathering. And Chriselda Lewis' follow-up worthy and agenda setting stories are exactly that.
The interesting thing is that Chriselda Lewis is actually showing how the SABC - even though she's just one person - is actually as a public broadcaster quite capable of doing news stories which are interesting and in the public interest. Yes, it's borderline schadenfreude entertainment and somewhat voyeuristic, but definitely still pass the litmus test of real actual journalism and fair reporting. And she's taking a stand for the little guy.
Where Chriselda Lewis goes, the SABC and SABC Television News would be well-advised in sending even more reporters. This type of television is sure to lure more viewers in time - these types of news stories are far more accessible and relatable to average citizens that politispeak and the unending menagerie of ministers and government press conferences the SABC rolls out night after night.
The danger would be to overdo this more sensationalistic type of stories, or to not do them journalistically fairly and turn it into tawdry tales, but so far, so absolutely very good. Chriselda Lewis is doing a great job doing journalism at the SABC.
