Vincent from Mail & Guardian Online got in touch with us yesterday to talk about publishing the contents of a secret videotape of a consultation between Saleem Ebrahim (the lawyer representing Robert McBride’s detractors) and an unknown client at Ebrahim’s office in Johannesburg.

The video itself is remarkable.

How could a lawyer make such damning statements about his clients so openly to a third party? What happened to lawyer-client privilege? What are the implications now for the three cops and indeed Ebrahim himself?

But even more remarkable is the fact that this marks a milestone in South African internet and journalistic history. This breaking news story includes video evidence that was revealed on the internet first. Usually, news is broken in print or on TV or radio, and then sometimes followed up with interviews or expanded footage via video online.

Here, Mail & Guardian Online will be pointing eyes at their website as the primary source of information. This represents a very exciting transition in how news operates and can operate in the future. We’re thrilled to be playing a part in the distribution of the video and look forward to seeing how this develops the industry as a whole.

Here’s the video: