Social media has become one of the primary tools through which journalists carry out their work. Whilst the advent of this technology has greatly expanded the means by which journalists can communicate directly with the public, it has also brought about interesting new challenges for journalists as well as their employers.
Please click the link below for the social media policy guidelines produced by the Press Council. These guidelines will assist you in drawing up a social media policy for your journalists.
The right of access to information and the right to privacy are central to the management and containment of the spread of COVID 19. Commending the government for the measures that it has taken so far to deal with the virus, Pansy Tlakula, the Chairperson of the Information Regulator (Regulator) said “the Regulator calls on the government to intensify and streamline the proactive disclosure of all information relating to the virus.
The information should be detailed and should include information such as the meaning of self-quarantine, what should happen to family members of a self-quarantined person who live in the same house with him or her, what happens to the virus after the quarantine period, is there treatment or medication for the virus? etc.
State agencies such as airlines and the airports company should also proactively disclose information such as the cancellation of flights. Such information should be updated regularly. The Regulator reiterates the importance of communicating in languages which are understood and accessible to all South Africans, including people with various forms of disabilities.
The Regulator also welcomes the decision of the government to centralise communication on the virus and requests government to ensure consistent messaging by representatives of government at National, Provincial and Local levels to avoid confusing the public.
“Whilst we recognise the important role played by social media in the dissemination of information relating to COVID 19 in real time, we advice the government to engage social media companies and request them to subject all information relating to the virus on their platforms to third party fact checking programme and remove fake news and disinformation from in their platforms.” Tlakula said.
The Regulator also implores health and testing centres to ensure that the personal information of everyone who has been tested and/ or treated is protected. Furthermore, although the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) allows the processing of information for statistical or research purposes, health and testing centres must ensure that all the other provisions of POPIA are strictly adhered to when they test or treat patients. For instance, they must ensure that adequate safeguards are taken to ensure that the personal information is secured and is not used for any other purpose.
COVID-19 has increased the use of digital technologies such as on line shopping, banking and even telemedicine in order to minimise social contact. Considering the prevalence of data breaches and cyber crime in our country and globally, the Regulator calls on both public and private bodies to increase their security measures around their digital and physical operating systems so as to protect the personal information of everyone against unlawful or unauthorised access.
The Regulator supports the call by the South African Banking Association (SABRIC) to users of on line services to be careful before they click on risky website links which may lure them into disclosing their personal information which might end up with cyber criminals.
Issued by the Information Regulator. For more information, please contact Mr. Marks Thibela at 082 746 4173 or Adv. Pansy Tlakula at 083 656 5031
The South African National Editors Forum (SANEF) welcomes today’s’ SABC Board statement in response to a story in the Sunday Times of 24th November 2019 titled: “SABC asks spooks to spy on staff” stating that it will not place journalists under surveillance.
The SABC has stated that it does engage the State Security Agency (SSA) on several matters – such as the leaking of board minutes – but it has taken a clear decision never to place journalists under surveillance. We welcome this decision.
While the SABC board has a right to protect the image and the interests of the public broadcaster, they equally have a responsibility to safeguard the SABC from political interference.
It is for this reason that we are uncomfortable with the involvement of the SSA as it has been politicised in recent times and used as a weapon in factional political battles.
The memory of the intimidation of SABC editors is still fresh on our minds as the state intelligence “swept” their offices recently in the name of protecting the SABC as “a national key point”.
While the SABC board’s statement is reassuring by saying that journalists will not be under surveillance, Sanef finds it challenging to accept that the SSA will, at all times, act within those parameters.
As SANEF, we are well aware of the chilling effect of security agents probing journalists working at a public broadcaster. There is too much scope for abuse. The threats to freedom of expression are apparent.
We know that both Houses of Parliament have passed the Critical Infrastructure Bill. The bill replaces the National Key Points Act.
The SABC is a national key point and will now be a critical infrastructure. The bill was sent to the President for signing at which point it will become an Act.
Previously, SANEF made submissions on the bill arguing the unconstitutionality of provisions applied to journalists employed by an institution that is a national key point.
We called for specific exceptions for the editorial staff of the SABC from the provisions of the Critical Infrastructure Bill. Sadly, these were simply ignored by both Houses of Parliament.
We will be writing to the President requesting him to consider SANEF’s submissions on the unconstitutionality of the bill and to refer it back to the National Assembly to reconsider these constitutional concerns.
We trust this will not be necessary and urge the President to send the bill back to Parliament to address the existing constitutionality problems with it.
We officially give notice to the SABC Board, the President, Parliament and all South Africans that we act to protect the public broadcaster, including through launching legal proceedings to challenge the constitutionality of the bill if necessary.
Finally, we want to state that Mary Papayya, who is SANEF Acting Media Freedom Committee chairperson, is committed to media freedom. Her actions speak for itself as our acting media freedom chairperson. We also place it on record that she recused herself from all discussions on all SABC concerned matters at our council meeting on Saturday 23rd November 2019 – and has previously done so in all SABC matters generally.
SANEF has a conflict of interest policy to be henceforth included as a specific clause in our SANEF constitution.
It states that our Council members and sub-committee chairpersons may never comment on any deliberations and decisions taken on the media house where they are employed.
For The Record: The South African National Editors’ Forum (SANEF) is a non-profit organisation whose members are editors, senior journalists and journalism trainers from all areas of the South African media. We are committed to championing South Africa’s hard-won freedom of expression and promoting quality, ethics and diversity in the South African media. SANEF promotes excellence in journalism through fighting for media freedom, writing policy submissions, research, education and training programmes.
Indian investigative journalist Rana Ayyub’s book has not been published in her country, and yet it has sold over 700,000 copies.
By Glenda Daniels – the article was first published in the Daily Maverick.
Indian investigative journalist Rana Ayyub’s book has not been published in her country yet has sold over 700,000 copies.
This is a testament to how much people want to hear the truth and why independent journalism will always remain relevant. At the weekend, she spoke at an event in Johannesburg on combating online harassment of journalists. It was a pity few politicians pitched.
It would have been beneficial to all had the ANC and the EFF made the effort to attend a roundtable the South African National Editors Forum (SANEF) held on Saturday 28 September – World News Day marked by the World Editors Forum.
The date coincided with Unesco’s International Day for Access to Information and celebrated “the work of professional news organisations and the impact they make on the communities they serve”.
In Johannesburg on Saturday, the online harassment of journalists and a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on new rules of engagement regarding treatment, safety and protection of journalists were on the table, due to be signed. But this did not happen.
Political parties would have listened to the keynote address of famous Indian investigative journalist Rana Ayyub, who has gone through indescribable suffering.
But only two parties turned up (out of 14 represented in Parliament) – the DA, represented by Refiloe Nt’sekhe and Cope, represented by Dennis Bloem.
A number of journalists and civil society organisations, including the Special Freedom Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression and Access to Information in Africa, Media Monitoring Africa, the Press Council of SA and the Freedom of Expression Institute, made valuable contributions.
The ANC and EFF would have heard the chilling story of Ayyub, who wrote the best-selling book Gujarat Files: Anatomy of a Cover-Up about the 2002 riots which killed more than 1,000 Muslims, an account which her own news organisation would not publish. Ayyub went undercover for eight months as a Hindu nationalist and detailed the killings of Muslims.
She was considered a “weak child” as she had suffered polio, but chose journalism, which requires a robust constitution, because she was “seeing injustice” and “wanted to give voice to the voiceless”.
Ayyub was trolled online and photoshopped into a porn video that was circulated far and wide-reaching untold numbers of people on Facebook and Twitter, including her father’s phone.
This is some of what she said on Saturday:
“They gloated about the loss of Muslim lives. My news organisation refused to publish due to political pressure. My country has never acknowledged the book. There were fake tweets in my name. I was doxxed (meaning her telephone number was posted online). I was sent rape and death threats. Copies of my book were burnt and sent to my house. After seeing the porn video, I was nauseated and I threw up, I was humiliated. Screenshots were on my timeline and on Facebook. I began to have palpitations and I couldn’t eat.
“I suffered a breakdown after the video. I had to be hospitalised and get psychiatric help. I still suffer from anxiety.
“Twitter said the video did not violate policy. Police officers said, ‘Mam, it didn’t happen to you, it’s online.’ They were laughing. Twitter worked with the police, nothing happened, nobody acted on it. Twitter and Facebook reached out but not because they were concerned but because they had to show they were concerned. Last week our prime minister [Narendra Modi] went to the UN to speak about peace and solidarity and in India, he speaks of hate. He has just received millions from the Melinda Gates Foundation for a ‘clean India’.
“Political parties have a role to play in these rape and death threats. Our prime minister follows these Twitter handles [which are threatening me]. There has to be dialogue. We need to engage with Twitter and Facebook on this matter. We need to sensitise political parties. I feel pessimistic.”
During a break after recounting this trauma, Ayyub disclosed that it didn’t get easier talking about it. But she will have to talk about it at book events planned for her visit to South Africa over the next few days.
Talking at this event brought back all the trauma and emotional violence she had suffered and she had to walk outside to get some air.
Ayyub pointed out that her situation was not isolated. For example, Maria Ressa of the Philippines was threatened with rape and murder, body-shamed and even jailed following publication, in Rappler, of her exposures of the corrupt Filipino president Rodrigo Duterte.
In Mexico, Turkey, Syria, Venezuela, China and the Middle East journalists are “disappearing” – a common euphemism for being kidnapped and tortured. The most famous case was Saudi Arabian Jamal Khashoggi, who was murdered.
Ayyub has been given a column at the Washington Post. She started her talk half-jokingly recounting that she was recently told: “Great to see you joined the Washington Post, Jamal Khashoggi was there too.”
In “free” Western democracies, for example, the US and the UK, whistle-blowers are jailed and called “enemies of the people”, a term previously used to describe political enemies.
Also at the Sanef roundtable, former Webber Wentzel, now privately practising, media law expert Okyerebea Ampofo-Anti sketched the legal framework covering journalism internationally and locally, pointing out that according to Unesco, 530 journalists were killed between 2012 and 2016 and women are particularly at risk.
The persecution of journalists is a global problem and these are not isolated cases, said Ampofo-Anti, citing many cases of kidnapping, disappearance, torture and murder.
She stressed that political will and commitment was imperative to stopping violence against journalists, framing the crisis within “patriarchy” and a “backlash” against women. Men don’t like women speaking truth to power, she said. They find it offensive but tend to find their voices anonymously via bots, which are all over Twitter.
Salutary about Ampofo-Anti’s input was evidence that the more this continues the more the truth-respecting public (those outside politics, in other words) will suffer as journalists will self-censor.
“In recent research done in Europe, 15% of journalists said they abandoned the story [after being intimidated], 31% said they toned the story down, 23% said they withheld some information. Not everyone is like Rana,” said Ampofo-Anti. “Journalists were asking: ‘Am I willing to put my children’s lives at risk.’ Silence results.”
The roundtable might have contributed to a better understanding between journalists and the parties who vilify journalists. At the moment, the EFF targets journalists (unless the journalists are waving the EFF flag) who uncover corruption within their party, in the way the ANC of former president Jacob Zuma (and his enablers who made and continue to make excuses for his corruption) do. For them, it’s in the interests of the country if journalists sing praise songs in the way China’s patriotic “journalists” do.
Journalists don’t want or need to be liked. But they demand political leaders take the lead, that threats of violence stop so that they can do their job of informing the public of the truth and holding the powerful to account.
Instead of engaging, the EFF has been attempting to subjugate journalists by “banning” them from their events, though it has no power to ban the reporting of news. Its supporters, also attack journalists on social media, with threats of rape and murder dished out liberally.
Sanef took the EFF to the Equality Court on August 2019 to argue that the party had enabled an environment of intimidation and harassment of journalists. The EFF argued it had no control over its supporters. Judgment has been reserved.
These developments form the backdrop to Saturday’s roundtable and formulation of the draft MOU.
Meanwhile, many in the ANC have one foot in its Stalinist past and one foot in democracy. They do not understand why we need journalists to be independent and hold power to account. Politicians shake their fingers at journalists, like ANC deputy secretary-general Jessie Duarte’s rant to an eNCA journalist: “Who do you think you are? … lord of the media … you just a journalist”. It would be comical if it were not so tragic.
The DA are no angels either, especially considering former leader Helen Zille’s remarks and attacks on journalists on Twitter.
The way forward: Important points from the event
Duarte’s discourse would be in violation of many resolutions and declarations internationally. These range from the UN’s Article 19 on Universal Declaration of Human Rights where “everyone has the right to receive and impart information”, through Unesco’s resolutions on the safety of journalists, to our own Constitution in the Bill of Rights, section 16, which says, “Everyone has the right to freedom of expression which includes freedom of the press and other media.”
The MOU lists 17 points to cover journalists’ safety. These include no harassment on and offline, no intimidation, no forcing a journalist to reveal their sources, no encouragement of party supporters to accost journalists in their homes and public spaces, and no parties disclosing to supporters or the public, personal information about journalists, such as their contact details.
These were on the table.
The DA raised this: “What about false accusations by the media?”
This was relevant in the light of some journalists having tainted themselves recently. For example, allegations have been made at the Zondo Commission of Inquiry into State Capture about corrupt journalists and media companies.
Cope’s Bloem questioned whether there was any point in just two parties signing an MOU. Besides, they would obviously have to get the mandate of their parties before making any agreement.
It was suggested that the MOU on issues of online harassment and safety of journalists be put forward as a motion in Parliament. Bloem felt if the MOU was taken to Parliament, with an ANC majority, it would surely be meddled with or blocked.
The plan now is that the political parties present will be given a month to discuss the MOU.
Regarding “soft law” and international organisations, Lawrence Mute, Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression in Africa, pointed out that organisations keep framing new resolutions and new working groups, on top of old declarations. Do we need more of this? he asked.
The meeting concluded that big media tech companies, particularly Twitter and Facebook, need to be tackled. They should be made to pay up when their platforms are used to spread the kind of vitriol and misogyny Ayyub experienced – such as fake porn videos.
It was also clear that the media must clean up its act and play fair. Crooks in the craft of journalism (those alleged to be involved with political parties and those constantly making mistakes) and those who do PR for political parties and pose as journalists, should leave the journalism landscape.
If the public can trust journalism more and be supportive of the profession and individuals who serve within it, the Ayubbs of the world and the truth will win.
Disclosures and declarations: Glenda Daniels is an associate professor of media studies at Wits University, a Sanef council member, a press representative on the Press Council, a Sacomm executive member, a feminist and media freedom activist. She writes here in her individual capacity.
As the world recognises and respects the International Day of Universal Access to Information on the 28th of September key media groups are celebrating the day by releasing a report that sets out a seven-point plan that can ensure Internet access for all in South Africa.
Media bodies include the South African National Editors’ Forum (SANEF), the IABSA (Interactive Advertising Bureau of South Africa) Media Monitoring Africa and the Association for Progressive Communication (APC).“While we have much to celebrate, in terms of our access to information legislation, the digital divide continues to undermine our democracy. It is critical that we have a plan that government, public independent bodies, the private sector, civil society and the public can all get behind and help close the digital divide,” said Chris Borain, IABSA chair. The report that is being launched outlines 7 core elements, founded on a Human Rights approach and has access to the internet for all as its core goal. “All South Africans – and especially those who cannot afford it and other marginalised groups – need a daily first tranche of free internet access to exercise their basic human rights such as access to government services, participating in the digital economy, looking for jobs, online communication and for learners and students to access online educational resources. This is the only way to achieve universal access to information and digital equality for citizens, including the rural poor who have access to mobile phones,” said Koliwe Majama, from APC.
At the 2019 International Day for Universal Access to Information (IDUAI) in Pretoria, they expressed the need for a national effort to coordinate existing legislation, policies and initiatives to provide citizens with a basic level of universal free internet access.
The group noted that while the South African government has made domestic and international commitments to take steps towards achieving universal access to online information, these commitments cannot be achieved without providing for a level of free access, in particular for disadvantaged and marginalised groups who would otherwise not be able to enjoy internet access.
The report’s seven-point plan aims to assist the government with proposals to take steps towards progressively realising a basic level of universal free access to online information, both within the government itself and through engagements with private entities and other stakeholders.
The proposed plan endeavours to provide a comprehensive approach to universal and free internet access, from the gradual introduction of free municipal wifi as a basic service and access at other government sites, underpinned by a set of standards for free access, to digital literacy programmes. Full details of these proposals are captured in the report and are summarised here.
The universal internet access proposals are part of a three-pronged approach to achieve the objectives as set out in the Promotion of Access to Information Act (2000), to “actively promote a society in which the people of South Africa have effective access to information to enable them to more fully exercise and protect all of their rights”
First, it must be made easier for citizens to use PAIA to access information. A major improvement in the law will be to make provision for pro-active disclosure of information, as prescribed by the African Model Law on Access to Information, published by the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights in 2013. A major review and update of PAIA are required, beyond the current process to add clauses on party funding.
“The importance of access to information on our young democracy cannot be underestimated, it enables journalists to do their work, citizens to get the information they need and hold those in power accountable and it helps the government ensure they make evidence-based policy decisions. While we may not be as far as would like in quashing the digital divide, there is no doubt that if we all work together, apply the principles on which our Constitution is based, not only can we ensure a more equitable country with access to the internet for all, but we can help stimulate our economy, ensure better service provision and deepen our democracy,” said Mahlatse Mahlase, SANEF chairperson.
The second issue – and a logical consequence of proactive disclosure – is for information holders and access to information activists to vigorously pursue the open data and open government agenda. As a founder member of the United Nations initiated Open Government Partnership (OGP), the South African government has already made ambitious commitments to establish open data portals, with projects ranging from Open Justice, Open Budget (such as the Vulekamali and Municipal Money data portals) and Open Elections, all of which are in different stages of implementation. However, South Africa still needs to deliver on a number of commitments made in its OGP National Action Plan.
With all this information available online, the third requirement to ensure “effective access to information” as PAIA requires, is to provide universal access to the internet. In 2016 the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights called on African governments to take legislative and other measures “to guarantee, respect and protect citizen’s right to freedom of information and expression through access to internet services”.“We believe the 7 point plan offers a practical and considered approach to realising internet access for all, for not only does it talk to clear strategies and approaches for internet access, it also ensures that access is accompanied by the provision of critical digital literacy skills and that there is also a plan to set out minimum standards as well as oversight and monitoring mechanisms. We are thrilled to be launching this report on such an important day,” said William Bird, Director of Media Monitoring Africa.
Helene Eloff’s Master’s Degree Research titled: “South Africa’s Media Defamation Law in a Constitutional, Digital Age” deals with the digitisation of journalism and our legal responses.
She has dedicated this research to those South African journalists who fulfil their mandate legally and ethically. She hopes that the contents of her research will contribute towards the research pool in both journalism and law.
Her dissertation finds that South Africa’s media law is unfair in that it differentiates between media defendants and non-media defendants. “The effects of doing so cannot be justified in terms of Section 36 of the Constitution,” she argues.
TODAY saw the end of the highly successful, twenty first edition of Highway Africa in Grahamstown, Eastern Cape where the South African National Editors’ Forum (SANEF) held its Council meeting.
The meeting started on a sad note as SANEF noted the passing of journalists Mike Green (87) and Mzimasi Mgebisa (41). Mgebisa passed on earlier this week at Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital after suffering from kidney failure.
Mgebisa worked as both a print and broadcast journalist. He started at The Star and later worked for the Sunday Times. He was also known as shrewd soccer analyst at SABC Sport.
Veteran journalist Green was an old-school journalist and the former editor of the Daily News in KwaZulu-Natal, where he was frequently harassed under stringent apartheid media laws and restrictions. He worked as a journalist for about 45 years, then carried on writing.
Green hoped to study music and eventually studied after being awarded Nieman fellowship in journalism at Harvard.
The Information Regulator, Advocate Pansy Tlakula, accompanied by part-time member of the Regulator, Mr Sizwe Snail ka Mtuze, briefed Council on the implications of the Protection of the Personal Information Act (POPIA) in relation to the media fraternity.
She pointed out that while there are exceptions in the Act related to use of personal information for journalistic purposes and a public interest override, that the media will still need to make sure they comply with sections of the law.
In this regard, the media needs to make sure that their codes of conduct, including the Press Code, comply with the Act. SANEF and IR will further engage to ensure the media complies with the Act and to draft regulations to the issue in the next few weeks. The meeting discussed a number of concerning events that pose a threat to media freedom. These include the growing incidents of journalist intimidation and illegal surveillance, where editors were followed and even photographed while on private business.
The South African National Editors’ Forum held its council meeting on Saturday 19th November at Freedom Park in Pretoria.
Council deliberated on the Prevention and Combating of Hate Crimes and Hate Speech Bill and noted its release for public comments. We understand and support the vision of combating racism and hate and see media practitioners as important role players in contributing to curb the scourge. However we are concerned that the Hate Crimes Bill in its current form contains parts that are too broad, and may encroach on media and artistic freedom, and the public’s right to access information. In particular we are worried about impact on Artistic freedom, Media analysis and critique of public figures, cartoons and other forms of political satire.
SANEF will formulate a formal submission on its position and concerns, which will be submitted to the relevant department as part of the public participation process that ends on January 31st.
SANEF is also worried that unlike other Acts, this Bill, provides no mechanisms to deal with exceptions, such as media.
50th commemoration of Can Themba’s passing
Renowned late South African journalists and writer Can Themba died in exile in Swaziland on September 8, 1967. Many people would remember that even though at the time of his death Themba did not have a published book and in 1966 his works were banned inside South Africa under the Suppression of Communism Act, over the years his stature has grown and his works are widely acclaimed. In this year alone there has been a number of initiatives that paid tribute to Themba.
These included the production of a short film based on Themba’s short story, “The Suit,” and featuring the venerable John Kani and his son, Atandwa. The Grahamstown National Arts Festival also featured “Crepuscule,” a play based on Themba’s short story by the same title. The current author wrote “The House of Truth,” a bioplay based Themba’s life and starring Sello Maake kaNcube, which was a runaway success at the Grahamstown National Arts Festival. He was at one time Assistant Editor of Drum magazine.
To mark the 50th anniversary of his death, PhD candidate Siphiwo Mahala ([email protected]) is planning a series of activities next year. SANEF supports Themba’s memorialization and urges all editors and journalists to drink deep at this well and to seek ways to partner with Mahala in the commemoration of this giant of our craft and struggles for freedom.
For Inquiries
SANEF Chairperson – Mahlatse Gallens
(083) 399-2852
SANEF Media Freedom Committee Chair – Sam Mkokeli
(082) 084-2051
Her Excellency chair of the African Union Commission Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma
Our guests who have seen it fit to support us – sharing our fundamental belief that media freedom, is the people’s freedom
My colleagues at SANEF, Good Evening……
Tonight is a special night for us – SANEF came of age last week – we are now 20 years and a week old.
It has been heart -warming reading some of the contributions of our founding members – tonight we salute them for their vision to unite the country’s editors and media practitioners beyond the racial and ideological divide, recognising that united we stand and divided we fall.
SANEF today is the most representative organisation of our media landscape and perhaps the only voice to represent our craft. We have among us, those from the public and private broadcasters, print and online media, community radio stations and newspapers and academics.
Ours founders committed to be the voice of ethical journalism, defenders of media freedom and ridding the industry of all past discriminations, whether racial or gender. They realised that though the dark days of the apartheid regime that included jailing journalists, torturing them and forcing them into exile were behind us, for the constitution to come alive it needed committed champions.
As we mark two decades of our organisation, it gives us an opportunity to reflect on the journey traversed so far. And ours has been a roller coaster ride, we have found ourselves sometimes at odds with those in authority.
But as SANEF we appreciate that the lines of communication remain open – and we are still able to thrash out the differences – even though sometimes of course we walk away agreeing to disagree.
It is unfortunate that sometimes dialogue has not always resolved our differences and we have been unable to find each other but instead our battles have ended in the courts.
Most recently we were in the Supreme Court of Appeals, challenging the infamous signal jamming incident and the parliamentary feed service that remained locked on the speaker while a scuffle was unfolding between security services and members of parliament.
We do hope the SCA ruling that found that it was all unconstitutional is the end of that battle as we believe it was a victory not only for press freedom but for transparency for all South Africans. We believe they have the right to see in full what happens in the esteemed house and the actions of their members of parliament, whom they elected to guard our hard won constitution and to hold the executive accountable.
Unfortunately 20 years on we still have more than 100 laws that still need to be repealed or amended to bring them in line with the constitution.
We sadly have had incidences where for example section 205 of the criminal Procedures Act has been invoked on journalists despite a record of understanding reached between SANEF and the ministers of Justice and security and the Director of Public Prosecution in 1999.
We continue to call for the Protection of Information Bill or Secrecy Bill, still on the President’s desk to be taken to the constitutional court for ratification before being signed into law.
Madam chair, I also want to say we not always a group of wingers as some have labelled the 4th estate. We have heard some of the criticism in our society and responded to it.
One of the major things we did last few years was to contribute to the major transformation of the Press Council. You will be glad to know that it now operates under a system of co-regulation. The voices of the public dominates the council and our title editors have committed to ensuring that any censure by the ombudsman is carried out to the full.
Where we have been found wanting, we have apologised and it’s no longer in a small, hidden section of our newspapers but those apologies have been given the prominence in our newspapers and even bill boards. The BCCSA continues to deal credibly with complaints in the broadcast sector.
Of course we continue to strive to get it right the first time. However despite this major achievement that also extended the press council to include online platforms, that matter of the Media Appeals Tribunal remains a dark cloud that hangs above the industry following calls by the ANC for parliament to investigate its desirability
We are also responding to the precarious situation our journalists find themselves in while covering increasingly violent protests. We have identified training for hostile environment as a major project in coming months. We have also pledged to deepen awareness amongst communities of the role of media. This followed attacks on journalists by the members of communities during protests.
We have also continued talks with SAPS, on Standing Order 156 that regulates our interaction. We are encouraging our journalists to formally lay complaints with the police, so we can formally record the incidents and ensure that they are investigated and those found guilty are brought to book.
The SAPS leadership has agreed with us that it is illegal for the uniformed personnel to remove footage or forcibly remove members of the press from crime scenes. We look forward to further engagements with SAPS after they indicated they want standing order 156 to include social media.
Madam chair – while we highlight the threats from state, we also continue to introspect, realising that we are also facing threats from within the industry.
In the current tough economic conditions, that have seen our newsrooms shrinking and sales of print products also on the decline, we have seen heightened interference of publishers and media executives extending their hands on editorial pages and news programming. It is only with a united media, with enough resources that we can continue to push back the attempts of interference. .
SANEF remains committed to a diverse media. One of our flagship programmes is to train young women journalists in media management training – to break the glass ceiling that has been a barrier to their career progression.
Madam chair we have also heard the criticism from our colleagues at African Editors Forum that while SANEF was at the forefront of bringing together the continent’s editors – we have dropped the ball.
So this week’s workshop between TAEF and African Union to popularise AGENDA 2063 to make it a living documents in our newsrooms was part of our renewed contribution to the pan African ideals of both TAEF and the AU. We were encouraged by your pledge to champion media freedom in your interaction with the heads of state. We will be a partner with you in this regard.
As I end, to my colleagues at SANEF, as we begin a new decade, we need to recommit ourselves in presence, time and action to ensure that we continue to be the voice of our craft, always aware of our added responsibility to a quality brand of journalism, where ethics are sacrosanct as we speak truth to power.
We start this new era, encouraged by our partners that have heard our calls for support to ensure that this vibrant glorious movement of our editors, senior editorial executives and media trainers and academics has the financial resources to survive what is a truly treacherous period. They dug deep into their corporate pockets to be part of strengthening SANEF and through us, strengthening our democracy. Let’s go out and spread the word, because united victory is certain.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorised as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyse and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always active
Necessary cookies are essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Analytics
Analytics cookies are used to track user behaviour on our website. We process these cookies to understand user engagement and improve user experience on our website.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
