About the podcast
Crossing the Line is a regular podcast in which leading South African journalist and editor, Ryland Fisher, talks to guests from various sectors of society about important issues troubling our country, our continent and our world. Using state-of-the-art technology, Crossing the Line tries to provide its regular viewers/listeners and subscribers with up-to-date views and information about important topics, and sometimes topics seen as less important by some.
Crossing the Line covers serious topics such as politics, human rights, social justice, international and African matters, business, technology, leadership, education, health, housing, transport, race and identity, and the economy. These are interspersed with conversations about sport, arts and culture, music and entertainment, among others. Crossing the Linefocuses on issues that are contemporaneous, but interviews are also conducted in ways that could lead to the issues becoming contemporaneous.
The people interview on this podcast are at the cutting edge of their sector or industry. Some, but not all of them, are high profile, the most important thing they have in common is that they hold interesting views that often go outside the boxes or lines determined by society, on whatever issue is being dealt with in the interview. Because of our location in Cape Town, South Africa, most of the interviewees are from South Africa, but they also include people from the rest of the continent and from overseas. Most of the interviews are in studio, but some are done online.
Philosophy
The line that we cross is symbolic but also practical. For instance, the line could refer to the railway lines used to divide communities in terms of South Africa’s apartheid-era legislation. It could refer to lines used by society to regulate people, not only in terms of legislation but also in terms of morals and morality. It could also refer to the lines that get blurred from time to time when one is addressing issues of morality and principles. In a world that is becoming more and more divided – along race, class and gender lines, among others – it is important to cross the line put in place to divide us. Crossing the Line could also refer to the practice of crossing the finishing line, either in victory or defeat after a race.
All people cross lines from time to time in our daily endeavours to survive, but it is important to know where the line is and when to cross it. Crossing the Line does this from time to time, but always in a respectful manner to our guests in order to provide the best value to our viewers, listeners and subscribers.
About the host
Ryland Fisher is the host of the Crossing the Line podcast. He 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 recently executive produced an international documentary on the life of Archbishop Desmond Tutu. He is the convener of the judging panel for the Vodacom Journalist of the Year Awards. He is the author of five books and has written regular columns for, among others, Moneyweb, Weekend Argus, Daily Maverick and The New Age.
