Star News Editor Jillo Kadida
It was June 21, 2011, when I walked into the Star newsroom as a new employee. I had just resigned from my previous role at the Nation newspaper, and I was not quite sure what to expect—or how to feel—stepping into a room full of unfamiliar faces.
Thankfully, I quickly spotted a few people I had worked with before, which helped ease my nerves. Even more reassuring was the warm and swift onboarding process led by then-HR boss Kathy Kageni.
Though we had never met before, we instantly clicked. That first meeting marked the beginning of a bond that grew to be much more than just professional friendship.
One of the most heartening welcomes came from News Editor Catherine Gicheru. Catherine had once taken me under her wing at the Nation, shaping my craft with tough love and razor-sharp editorial insight. She was a thoroughbred editor—demanding yet deeply compassionate—and seeing her at the Star felt like coming home.
After a brief orientation, I was promptly dispatched to the courts, which became my reporting beat for most of my time at the paper. Coincidentally, my first day also happened to be the day retired Chief Justice Willy Mutunga officially took office as the first CJ under the new constitution. I was sent to cover his swearing-in ceremony.
Luck, preparation and a prior connection played in my favour. Justice Mutunga and I had made a pact long before—he had promised that if he became CJ, I would be the first journalist he'd grant an interview. Why? Because I once asked him, to his face, a bold question about his earing and sexuality—a topic others only whispered about behind his back.
True to his word, he honoured the pact. While every other reporter at the event left without an interview, I walked away with an exclusive interview—and my very first Page One story on day one at the Star.
The Star newsroom felt markedly different from other media houses I had worked in. It was not as sprawling or busy as the Nation, nor was it as fast-paced and ultra-liberal as the South African newsroom I had previously experienced.
The Star struck a rare balance. It was small but highly professional, serious about its journalism yet sprinkled with a dash of irreverent charm. There was a unique spirit in the air—a mix of gutsy headlines, fearless reporting and a free-spirited team that gave the place its unmistakable character.
But more than anything, it is the people who made the Star feel like home. The laughter shared during headline brainstorms, the communal meals devoured in between stories and the camaraderie that somehow withstood the relentless pressure of deadlines—these are the things that made coming to work every day a joy.
The print team I worked with, and still work with, was young, vibrant, resourceful and resilient to the core. They were (and still are) the heartbeat of the newsroom—and the reason I proudly call the Star my journalistic home.
