Reuters first with Mandela's health status

Reuters beat all South African and international media on Jan. 27 in reporting that former President Nelson Mandela, hospitalised for several days, suffered from respiratory problems and would be released as soon as Jan. 28. Mandela is an international icon and adored by South Africans. A Reuters reporter tapped a well-connected source which led to us putting out the news nearly 16 hours before the government officially announced that he suffered from a respiratory illness and will be discharged. For most of the three days Mandela was in hospital, media were left in the dark over the state of Mandela’s health with the government and Mandela’s office keeping a tight lid on details of his illness. Major international broadcasters such as the BBC and ABC used our story as did many South African media. The story was also extensively re-tweeted on Twitter.