Abstract
This research is motivated by the stance that there should not be a language divide when consuming news. The research seeks to understand the relationship between different languages in relation to how online news content is consumed and created in South Africa. The Afrikaans and English languages are used to investigate this difference through the online news media platforms of Netwerk24 and News24, respectively. The researcher uses a mixed-methods approach to understand the difference between Afrikaans online news media and English online news media. Article collection and analysis were carried out to understand the difference in content published between the two platforms. Interviews with the editors of each platform were conducted to understand the content creation process. Lastly, a survey was completed by readers of News24 and Netwerk24 to understand their experience in consuming the respective platforms. Through the collection of articles, the researcher ascertained that a significant amount of content differs daily from one platform to another. The analysis found subtle differences in reporting between Afrikaans and English. The editor interviews confirmed these differences further. The survey revealed that Netwerk24 readers prioritise consuming news in their home language, while News24 readers appreciate the platform's up-to-date coverage of current events. All these results mean that language does, in fact, impact news and the experience of reading news, therefore, creating a language divide in news post-apartheid South Africa.