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Ryland Fisher has more than 45 years of experience in the media industry as an editor, journalist, columnist, author, senior manager and executive.

He is the former Editor of the Cape Times and The New Age, and was assistant editor of the Sunday Times. He was one of the pioneers of community journalism in the 1980s. His experience extends to writing, editing, design, understanding the media landscape and project management, and he has worked across media platforms, including print, broadcast, online and events. He writes for various publications and works with media companies across the globe.

He is the co-owner of a production and events company, called Attuned You, which is recently produced a four-part documentary series about Archbishop Desmond Tutu. The documentary series has already been screened on the SABC in South Africa, and should be available on streaming services internationally soon.

Fisher is the convener of the judging panel for the Vodacom Journalist of the Year Awards, arguably South Africa’s most prestigious award in the media industry. He is also a judge on the Standard Bank Sikuvile Journalism Awards.

He has worked with and in corporates, academia and government. He is the author of Race (published in 2007), a book dealing with race and racism in post-apartheid South Africa. His first book, Making the Media Work for You (2002), provided insights into the media industry. His third book, on the history of the Atlantic Philanthropies, was published in June 2018. His fourth book, The South Africa We Want to Live In, was published in 2019. His fifth book, a biography of a well-known Western Cape struggle activist, will be published before the end of August 2025.

Fisher undertakes projects in media and social transformation, and has lectured on transformation and race in several countries.

He has edited many books, magazines and newspaper supplements on topics such as Nelson Mandela, the National Development Plan, Empowerment, Corporate Social Investment, the South African Constitution and democracy in general.

He recently completed his second and final term on the Council of the University of the Free State.