POLOKWANE – Gr 8 and 9 learners from Jabez Christian Academy visited Northern Media Group (NMG) last Tuesday as part of a school project, gaining firsthand experience of how newspapers are printed and published.

Accompanied by their principal, Elana Erasmus, and deputy principal, Dr Bruce Phillips, the learners were welcomed by journalist Anne Mametja, who introduced them to the Review team before taking them on a guided tour of the factory.

At the factory, they were met by factory production manager Brenda Pretorius, who explained the various stages of newspaper production.

The process begins in the editorial department, where articles are written, edited and formatted before being sent to the pre-press department. Here, Eric Mabitsela demonstrated how the ‘dummy’ version of the newspaper is checked and transferred onto printing plates using a plate machine in a specialised ‘red room.’

Once the plates are ready, they are transported to the printing department, where the newspaper is printed using four-colour units – cyan, magenta, yellow, and black (CMYK).

Pretorius guided the learners through the folding process, where the printed pages are arranged and assembled into the final newspaper format. The collators then add additional content such as advertisements or supplements before the completed newspapers are prepared for dispatch, usually happening overnight.

The learners also witnessed quality control measures, including the use of a vibrating table to ensure neat and uniform newspaper stacks.

To commemorate their visit, the learners received keyholders and badges branded with Review and Observer logos. Expressing gratitude on behalf of the school,

Erasmus highlighted how the visit provided an enriching and educational experience that would leave a lasting impact on learners.