ABC waits for its Mandela moment. How do you cover the death of someone who may not be dying? That’s the conundrum facing media outlets around the world as 94-year-old South African president Nelson Mandela enters his 10th day of treatment for a lung infection. If the anti-apartheid icon does die, it’ll be a one of the biggest stories of the year. TV networks want to be there on the ground to capture what will be an historic and emotional moment. But if Mandela ends up coming through, there’s a risk scarce resources will be squandered on what turns out to be a non-story.

The ABC already has a huge advantage over its rivals, with full-time African correspondent Ginny Stein. But Aunty’s news and current affairs bosses have left nothing to chance by sending over former African correspondent Sally Sara to supplement Stein’s coverage. Sara, now the ABC’s national social affairs reporter, left for Johannesburg last Wednesday and has been filing mostly for radio while Stein compiles TV reports such as this piece for 7.30 last night. Crikey hears the ABC is also considering flying over other high-profile correspondents if more firepower is needed. But surely Stein — who has been covering the oft-ignored continent on a shoestring for the past two years — will get her moment in the sun if worst comes to worst. The world, of course, hopes that moment hasn’t come quite yet. — Matthew Knott

A ‘Two of Us’ update. A fortnight ago, Crikey promised to keep you up to date with the happenings at Two of Us — the much-loved Good Weekend column. The last four profiles, we noted, had featured people on a publicity trail and ended with a footnote spruiking their book/TV show/album. The June 8 column featured former Wolfmother frontman Andrew Stockdale, who released his debut solo album the day before. But there was no explicit plug for the record. The most recent Two of Us was a PR-free zone: a moving tale of a young couple’s experience with cystic fibrosis.

Video of the day. David Cameron and Barack Obama engage in some diplomatic painting on the sidelines of the G8 summit in Northern Ireland …

Front page of the day. It’s clear what The New Yorker makes of the revelations the US government is spying on its own citizens. The magazine’s website quotes the cover artist Richard McGuire as saying: “George Orwell’s ghost is shaking his head saying, ‘I told you so’.”