The South African National Editors’ Forum (SANEF) supports an urgent call by the Committee to Protect Journalists for Zimbabwean authorities to free jailed New York Times freelance journalist Jeffrey Moyo, and condemns the deportation of his two colleagues, Christina Goldbaum and Joao Silva.
The deportation and arrests raise the alarm about ongoing media freedom violations in Zimbabwe.
Moyo was arrested on May 26 in Harare, and charged with violating Section 36 of the Immigration Act for alleged misrepresentations to officials about the accreditation status of Goldbaum and Silva, according to the CPJ, which spoke to Moyo’s lawyer, Doug Coltart in Zimbabwe.
The two New York Times journalists arrived in the country from South Africa on May 5, and were deported three days later, allegedly because they did not have proper accreditation from the Zimbabwe Media Commission.
Angela Quintal, CPJ’s Africa program coordinator, said that Moyo should never have been detained, let alone charged. “The fact that he was arrested, and his New York Times colleagues forced to leave the country, shows that Zimbabwe continues to violate the right to press freedom and the public’s right to know,” she said.
The CPJ reported that the New York Times was assisting Moyo’s lawyers to secure his release. “Jeffrey is a widely respected journalist with many years of reporting experience in Zimbabwe and his detainment raises troubling questions about the state of press freedom in Zimbabwe,” said New York Times spokesperson Nicole Taylor.
Moyo also freelances for Canada’s Globe and Mail newspaper and Norway’s Bistandsaktuelt.
Silva is an acclaimed South African photojournalist who has been working for the New York Times for several years.
Moyo has been incarcerated at a Bulawayo prison over the weekend pending a bail application ruling due on Monday, according to reports. He had been transferred from Harare to appear in a Bulawayo magistrate’s court with a co-accused, Zimbabwe Media Commission official Thabang Manhika.
In a statement posted on Facebook and emailed to CPJ after publication, the Zimbabwe Media Commission alleged that two individuals “claiming to be New York Times reporters” had been deported after having obtained “forged” accreditation from “a properly accredited local reporter for the same New York Times with the alleged collusion of a ZMC member of staff.”
Coltart said Moyo had denied allegations of faking accreditation details. The CPJ has described the charges as baseless.
These latest incidents follow the harassment of prominent journalist and government critic Hopewell Chin’ono, who was arrested and charged three times within 6 months last year. Chin’ono has appeared frequently in court this year, fighting numerous contempt and incitement court battles. He says that he is being persecuted for his role in uncovering corruption in the acquisition of Covid-19 medical supplies.
Sanef also notes with concern the statement by the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum, which, in marking World Press Freedom Day on May 3, noted that there had been seven attacks on journalists by state security agents in Zimbabwe this year. In 2020, 52 cases of attacks on journalists were recorded.
Note to Editors: 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. We promote excellence in journalism through fighting for media freedom, writing policy submissions, research and education and training programmes. SANEF is not a union.
The South African National Editors’ Forum (SANEF) is appalled by the continued harassment of Lesedi FM journalist Mantsheuwa Mofokeng and other former SABC employees.
Mofokeng and two others former SABC journalists Matshediso Mokaeane and Naka Moloi are currently the victims of a vicious cyberbullying campaign that started in October last year.
In the latest poster created and widely distributed on social media this week, fellow Lesedi FM journalist Dimakatso Motsoeneng’s face has been added to the smear campaign.
Unknown persons have made unsubstantiated claims that the four are involved in a so-called “sex for jobs” scandal at Lesedi FM. The creators have used fake email addresses and fake Facebook accounts to distribute the malicious allegations. In the posters being widely distributed, pictures from pornographic websites are used as part of an obscene plot to destroy their reputations.
We believe that this is a classic case of cyberbullying which affects the journalists’ ability to work and damages their credibility as journalists.
We welcome the police’s investigation into the cyberbullying, harassment, and defamation of the SABC journalists. We are hoping for a speedy conclusion and for perpetrators to be brought to book to send a message that such action will not be tolerated or left unchallenged.
SANEF condemns the continued use of social media as a weapon to silence journalists, especially women journalists. Too often women journalists are sexualised, body shamed, called names, and even threatened with rape in a desperate effort to force them to leave journalism.
The savage actions have a lasting impact on the journalists’ mental health.
Following its Media Ethics and Sustainability conference earlier this month, SANEF has prioritised mental health awareness and support for journalists. We plead with all newsroom managers and media companies to act quickly against these acts and ensure women journalists receive adequate mental health support as soon as possible.
If there are allegations of abuse of power related in particular to sexual harassment allegations, they should also be investigated immediately because they hurt employee morale, lower productivity, cause high employee turnover and frequent absenteeism as well as cause stress-related illnesses.
Society needs to send a strong message that it is appalled by these cheap attempts to malign female reporters.
Note to Editors: 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. We promote excellence in journalism through fighting for media freedom, writing policy submissions, research and education and training programmes. SANEF is not a union.
The SIU has submitted a R14.2 billion COVID-19 investigation report to President Cyril Ramaphosa on 30 April 2021. The report includes outcomes of decontamination of schools in Gauteng and probe into COVID-19 communication tender.
Join SANEF to hear Head of SIU Advocate Andy Mothibi on ongoing investigations into State Owned Entities and government departments outside COVID-19.
Ethical lapses, media sustainability, bullying, mental health support, training and rebuilding trust between journalists and the public were key talking points at the South African National Editors’ Forum (SANEF) conference on media ethics on 15 May.
SANEF conference on media ethics was held in response to the Satchwell Inquiry, a report of the investigation into media credibility and ethics written by retired judge Kathleen Satchwell and panel members Rich Mkhondo and Nikiwe Bikitsha, both journalists.
SANEF has held four webinars in recent months to look into the issues raised by the 300-page report.
The Satchwell Inquiry was commissioned by Sanef in June 2019 in response to a series of high-profile stories published and then retracted by the Sunday Times between 2011 and 2016. It was released in January 2021.
The report noted trends in the sector that had contributed towards the erosion of public trust, the decline of editorial independence – including the encroachment of media owners – and shrinking newsrooms linked to large-scale retrenchments.
Forum chairperson Sbu Ngalwa said Sanef hoped to use the report not only to guide its interactions with the government, corporate funders and civil society but also to steer its thinking around the support of journalism as a public good and a key pillar of democracy.
Sbu Ngalwa, Newzroom Afrika’s politics editor, explained: “In January, when the Satchwell Inquiry report was released, Sanef issued a statement saying while the media had been lauded for investigative work that had helped our democracy, we believe the media must continue to [be introspective] to strengthen the relationship of trust with the public.
“We said we would rigorously debate the report’s 69 recommendations to assess how they could be implemented in the advancement of ethical journalism.”
Since the start of the pandemic, the sector has lost not only colleagues but also more than 1,000 jobs. However, Ngalwa said, there were some green shoots: audiences returned to traditional media as they looked for trusted news sources; and digital audience figures improved dramatically, with some news sites seeing a rise of 72% in traffic in March 2020 alone.
While the media continued to be under attack from detractors and targeted by disinformation campaigns, the biggest threats to the industry were not just bullying by politicians, criminals or a hostile police force, it was the sustainability of the media, he said.
Keynote speaker and prominent jurist Judge Bernard Ngoepe called on the media to work towards “a perfect society”.
“When journalists say ‘I can do it because the law and the Press Code allow it’, that’s the wrong attitude. It shifts away from a fundamental objective for journalism – to try to build a perfect society.
“It may be impossible to attain but we have to accept that it’s a perpetual pursuit. There are positive dynamics that are achieved in the pursuit of a perfect society where there is freedom, democracy, elections and equality.”
Ngoepe warned that journalists should not report in ways that would compromise investigations or divulge information for a scoop that could prejudice investigations.
“Say to yourself – would this be a good thing and make a positive contribution towards society?” Having a fixed, determinable moral compass should guide journalists to the right decisions. “Your ethics – not just the law and code – must drive you to achieve your objectives,” Ngoepe said.
Songezo Zibi, a former editor of Business Day who left the media in 2015 over ethical concerns, was candid about his experiences.
Describing democracy as a system of self-rule that relied heavily on those who had “sacred duties” that were essential for its preservation, Zibi said journalism was an indispensable pillar of democracy because it provided a channel for elected representatives and other public officials to communicate truthfully so that the people always knew what was being done in their name.
It also provided a platform for ordinary people to share views and expose what their needs were, he said.
Journalism, though, played another role: to “deliberately and doggedly shine a light on the dark corners where the truth that is in the public interest may lay hidden”. But since journalists were unelected, their credibility was drawn from assumed integrity – that they would always present an accurate, complete version of events and the facts.
“This is an extremely powerful position for unelected tradesmen and women to occupy in a society,” Zibi said. “They can influence political events and the course of history whether what they write is accurate or not. As a result of this power, it is important for journalists and editors to remain humble and committed to truth out of respect for the public and its welfare.”
There were many instances where journalists had been careless, arrogant and untruthful. And, when their mistakes were pointed out, they doubled down. This, he cautioned, was not a good thing.
A number of factors were to blame, Zibi said, starting with unconscious arrogance, which alienated the public from journalists because they fought for the freedom of the press and not for the right of the public to know what was being done in their name.
“This humble formulation is important because it places democracy, our system of self-government, at the centre of the problem and the purpose of journalism, not journalists, for seemingly narrow and self-interested reasons. Journalists do not do the work they do for their own edification but in service of the people and open democracy.”
Tolerating rogue journalists (and media owners) who failed to apply the appropriate standards of conduct and commitment to truth was another blight on the sector.
These were journalists and editors who were comfortable with providing insufficient, or even inaccurate context, making material omissions or deliberately failing to give respondents sufficient time to respond.
“It still happens that media relations professionals get emailed questions on a Saturday to respond to within a few hours … I cannot think of any reason why this would happen except ensuring that the subject of the story has insufficient time to respond meaningfully.”
Journalists also had inherent biases, which resulted in a failure to scrutinise everyone equally – from Treasury to private corporations.
Other little “missteps and habits” may seem benign, Zibi said, but they were insidiously harmful, such as the terms of endearment journalists had for politicians, referring to the secretary-general of the ANC as “SG” or Julius Malema as “CiC” or “commander-in-chief”.
The problems, though, are not entirely journalists’ making: in South Africa, media owners use their platforms to drive their own agendas and peddle lies, while politicians bully journalists for anti-democratic purposes.
Journalists compete with billions of voices on the internet, but many seem to believe they have some special right to exist. But they don’t, said Alan Rusbridger, a former editor of The Guardian. “The only way to justify our right to exist is to be better than the internet – and that means quality.”
The public is smart – if they can see journalists are doing stories that matter to them, if they can see the courage it takes and that journalists are working towards the highest ethical standards, they will support them.
“A lot of journalists don’t want to enter into conversations; they despise that whole aspect of social media,” Rusbridger said. But social media had brought about a revolution in the way journalists communicated and the way audiences respond.
“They’re not respectful and they’re rude and challenging. The first reaction of journalists is to switch off. ‘Our readers are horrible, we don’t want to engage with them, social media is a cesspit.’ We need to engage.”
Being a journalist was no easy job – the pay was poor, resources were scarce and the work was dangerous, acknowledged Zibi. But it was also a calling and a sacred duty.
“Let us continue to respect it and treat it with the reverence it deserves, for to do so is to honour the blood and tears of those who fought for this system of self-government we ought to protect with all we have.”
The Special Investigating Unit, SIU, has investigated corruption, associated with PPE tenders during the Covid-19 crisis and has now submitted its report to President Cyril Ramaphosa.
Join SANEF as the SIU head shares the outcomes of that investigation with members
New York — Israeli forces should do their utmost to protect Palestinian and Israeli journalists covering unrest and conflict and should ensure that members of the press can work safely and freely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said on Friday, 14 May 2021.
On May 12, Israeli forces in the West Bank city Tulkarem arrested Hazem Naser, a Palestinian camera operator for the Amman-based broadcaster Al-Ghad, according to a report by his employer; he remains in detention today, and authorities have not disclosed the reason for his arrest.
Separately, two members of a right-wing Israeli demonstration in Tel Aviv assaulted a TV crew working for the Israeli public broadcaster Kan News yesterday, according to news reports.
Also, an Israeli airstrike injured at least two Palestinian journalists with the Turkish state-owned Anadolu Agency yesterday in Gaza, their employer reported.
“Israeli authorities must cease arresting and attacking journalists, who play a vital role reporting the news and bringing clarity amid chaos,” said CPJ Middle East and North Africa representative Ignacio Miguel Delgado. “Israeli authorities must immediately release camera operator Hazem Naser, and do their utmost to protect Palestinian and Israeli journalists covering conflict and unrest in the country and allow them to work freely and safely.”
Israeli security forces arrested Naser at the Anab military checkpoint near the West Bank city of Tulkarem on May 12, while he was on his way home after covering clashes in the city, according to his employer, news reports, and a report by the Skeyes Center for Media and Cultural Freedom, a regional press freedom group.
In an Al-Ghad broadcast later on May 12, the outlet’s Hebron correspondent Raed al-Sharif said that he had lost contact with Naser and believed that the Israeli army had arrested him and seized his car. Naser’s cousin, Muhammad Naser, confirmed the journalist’s arrest to the Skeyes Center, telling the group, “Until now we don’t know the reason for his arrest.”
On May 13, Al-Ghad published a report saying that an Israeli court had extended Naser’s detention for 11 days. Israeli forces previously arrested Naser in 2016, and Palestinian forces arrested him in 2018, as CPJ documented at the time.
Separately, in Tel Aviv’s Hatikva neighbourhood yesterday, two unidentified members of a right-wing Israeli demonstration attacked a Kan News team consisting of reporter Yoav Zehavi and camera operator Rolik Nowitzki, who had been covering the demonstration, according to footage of the incident posted on social media and tweets by Zehavi.
The footage shows two men kicking Nowiztki and beating him with a motorcycle helmet, throwing his camera to the ground, and then stealing the camera and fleeing the scene; the men shouted at Zehavi but did not beat him up.
Zehavi wrote on Twitter that the demonstrators were chanting “death to the Arabs” and “Mohammad is dead.” Nowitzki was hospitalized following the attack, according to reports.
In a separate incident yesterday in northern Gaza, a rocket fired in an Israeli airstrike exploded near a car transporting Anadolu Agency photojournalist Mustafa Hassona and camera operator Mohammad al-Aloul, both Palestinians, injuring them, according to a report by their employer, a statement by the Turkish government, footage and pictures posted to social media following the attack, as well as images and video reviewed by CPJ.
Footage and pictures that CPJ reviewed shows the journalists’ car, clearly marked with the letters “TV” on its front and roof, with shattered windows and two holes in its side.
Hassona and Al-Aloul were transferred to the Indonesian Public Hospital near the northern Gazan city of Jabalia, where they are in stable condition, according to their employer’s report.
Al-Aloul sustained injuries in his left hand and arm and his left leg, and the picture CPJ reviewed shows a piece of unidentified shrapnel that had been extracted from his leg. CPJ could not independently confirm the extent of Hassona’s injuries; he wrote on Facebook that he and al-Aloul were in good health.
According to a post shared on social media by Palestinian photojournalist Hosam Salem, a third journalist, Dawood Abu al-Kas, was also travelling in the car; CPJ could not verify whether he sustained any injuries.
CPJ emailed the Israel Defense Forces’ North America Desk for comment but did not immediately receive any reply.
The South African National Editors’ Forum should lobby for the establishment of a Media Sustainability Fund, an annual barometer of media ethics and ongoing mental health support for journalists.
These were among the top activities identified at a ground-breaking SANEF Media Ethics and Credibility Conference held today (Saturday, May 15, 2021) which was attended by well over 100 media stakeholders. The conference will inform the strategic path for SANEF’s five-year action plan.
The conference is the culmination of a journey that started in 2019 when the organisation commissioned an independent inquiry into media credibility and ethics with a panel led by retired Judge Kathy Satchwell and panel members author and veteran journalist Rich Mkhondo and award-winning journalist Nikiwe Bikitsha.
Since the release of theSatchwell Report in January this year, SANEF has hosted a series of public webinars to discuss the panel’s recommendations. The results of these discussions were presented at today’s conference and key activities identified to finalise an inclusive five-year action plan that will reflect more accountable and ethical reporting.
SANEF also launched a report on policy options for media sustainability, as part of its response to the devastating impact of COVID-19 regulations on media houses. The report facilitates ongoing support to promote citizen access to news services in the digital age.
When SANEF also launched the fund to support journalists who have lost their jobs, it committed to this.
The establishment of a Media Sustainability Fund to support the development, sustainability and independence of public interest journalism and strengthen ethical practices in the media. It is envisaged that such a fund would support a media ecosystem in which all types of media will thrive, by strengthening regulatory bodies, encouraging innovation and training, and backing public interest reporting projects and local content production.
Universal access to news media via zero-rated public interest news websites
A commitment to running mental health workshops for journalists; and to develop strategies to counter cyberbullying.
Measures to ensure sustainable co-existence and fair competition between news media and tech platforms in the digital economy.
Tax relief, subsidies and other state support for media sustainability
Alternative income-generating models for news media
Public interest news wires and community media content sharing arrangements
Training and media & information literacy programmes
The report will be used to guide interactions with government, corporate South Africa, funders and civil society on ways to support journalism as a public good and as a key pillar of the South African democratic system.
Guest speakers all challenged the media fraternity to work towards ethical journalism that serves the public interest.
Keynote Speaker Judge Bernard Ngoepe called on the media to work towards a “perfect society”.
“Patriotism to society – not to the government or political parties – was key to the practice of journalism,” said Judge Ngoepe.
“It is not enough to think it is acceptable to print just because the law or the code does not prevent it. Journalists should be guided too by whether it makes a positive contribution to society,” he said.
Former Business Day editor Songezo Zibi noted that independent and trusted news media was essential: “Journalism is an indispensable pillar of democracy because it provides a channel for the elected representatives of the people and other public officials to communicate truthfully with the public so that the people always know what is being done in their name”.
“On the flip side, it provides a platform for ordinary people to share views with one another, and to lay bare for all, including the people they have elected, to see what their needs are,” Zibi said.
He noted that the credibility of journalism was drawn from their integrity and it is important for journalists and editors to remain humble and committed to truth out of respect for the public and its welfare.
“Journalists do not always remember this sacred duty. They can be careless, arrogant and untruthful. When their mistakes are pointed out, they can double down and, as the saying goes: “stand by their story.” This is not a good thing, and although not pervasive, we still see it too often for comfort,” he chastised.
Zibi called on journalists to protect their credibility: “Credibility is everything. That credibility must be continuously earned because of consistent ethical application of the craft itself”.
“I know better than most that it is hard being a journalist. The pay is poor, resources scarce and the work is dangerous. However, it is also a calling and a sacred duty. Let us continue to respect it and treat it with the reverence it deserves, for to do so, is to honour the blood and tears of those who fought for this system of self-government we ought to protect with all we have,” Zibi said.
Former Guardian editor Alan Rusbridger, in conversation with SANEF secretary-general Mahlatse Mahlase said it was self-evident that we wanted quality journalism. “We need to be better than the internet,” he described.
Rusbridger responded to various questions from the audience including the commitment of the media to whistle-blowers. He asked the media to examine whether they had done enough to protect whistle-blowers, whether they have adequate systems in place and whether journalists knew how to deal with the issues.
SANEF will review all the inputs ahead of finalising an action plan to build ethical and sustainable media.
Note to Editors: 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. We promote excellence in journalism through fighting for media freedom, writing policy submissions, research and education and training programmes. SANEF is not a union.
Firstly, let me thank the Chairman and the Executive of SANEF for inviting me today. As someone who was in the newsroom for a short time, I have to confess to being surprised but honoured to be asked to share my thoughts with you and the public.
Secondly, I want to thank the panel that produced a report that is comprehensive, brutally honest but constructive. After reading it, and reading it once more, I became worried that there would be nothing left for me to say. In advance, I ask you to forgive me where I repeat something you had already said in the report.
To the extent that I do so, please take it as an indication of the profundity of the point to our common goal, which is an independent and trusted news media that is an indispensable pillar of our democratic system.
About Journalism
I want to preface my comments by offering my understanding of the role of journalism in a democracy and in an open society.
I am sure most of you can recite the definition of democracy from school – a government of the people, by the people, for the people. While that is trite, I choose to describe it as a system of self-rule that relies heavily on many among the people accepting certain sacred duties that are essential for its preservation.
Journalism is an indispensable pillar of democracy because it provides a channel for the elected representatives of the people and other public officials to communicate truthfully with the public so that the people always known what is being done in their name. On the flip side, it provides a platform for ordinary people to share views with one another, and to lay bare for all, including the people they have elected, to see what their needs are.
Journalism plays another role, and that is to deliberately and doggedly shine a light on the dark corners where truth that is in the public interest, may lay hidden. Again, this is so the people can develop informed opinions about those that govern them or hold very powerful positions so that they may use their own democratic power to hold them to account.
Since journalists are not elected, their credibility is drawn from their assumed integrity – that they will always present an accurate, complete version of events and the facts. The public often takes what journalists write or say at face value because they trust them to be professional and ethical.
This is an extremely powerful position for unelected tradesmen and women to occupy in a society. They can influence political events and the course of history whether what they write is accurate or not. It is not beyond the realm of possibility for a violent protest to occur in which scores of people end up dead based on inaccurate reporting.
As a result of this power, it is important for journalists and editors to remain humble and committed to truth out of respect for the public and its welfare. More than that, it is on the understanding that all of us have a duty to sustain the credibility of our system of self-government – an open democracy in which the people have the ultimate power.
Journalists do not always remember this sacred duty. They can be careless, arrogant and untruthful. When their mistakes are pointed out, they can double down and, as the saying goes: “stand by their story.” This is not a good thing, and although not pervasive, we still see it too often for comfort.
Drivers of damage to journalism
Let me propose for consideration some of the reasons for the damage caused to journalism in the recent past.
The first is unconscious arrogance. I want to take members back to the time when the ANC attempted to pass the Protection of State Information Bill aspects of which were decidedly anti-democratic. Correctly, this body raised heckles and lobbied for those aspects to be removed on the basis that this would affect the constitutionally guaranteed freedom of the press.
Sure, this is true but it misses a bigger point. The ultimate battle was not just about the right of journalists to publish the truth, but about the right of the public to know what was being done in its name with its powers and resources. It was then about how that attempt to block the public from knowing would affect those who seek transparency on behalf of the public, such as journalists and whistle blowers.
This humble formulation is important because it places the democracy, our system of self-government, at the centre of the problem and the purpose of journalism, not journalists for seemingly narrow and self-interested reasons. Journalists do not do the work they do for their own edification but in service of the people and open democracy.
The other formulation alienates journalists and journalism from the rest of society in that many ordinary people likely saw this as a battle between politicians and journalists, which suited the politicians just fine.
The second reason stems from unwarranted tolerance of rogue journalists (and media owners) who routinely do not apply the appropriate standards of conduct and commitment to truth that is expected. These are journalists and editors who are comfortable with providing insufficient or inaccurate context, make material omissions or deliberately fail to give respondents sufficient time to respond.
It still happens that media relations professionals get emailed questions on a Saturday to respond within a few hours. In some instances, and I am speaking from first-hand experience, some journalists do not even send a text message alerting you to the email. I cannot think of any reason why this would happen except ensuring that the subject of the story has insufficient time to respond meaningfully.
“Don’t let the facts get in the way of a good story” is a well-known adage that is perhaps only acceptable in fireside, embellished tales than in newsrooms that take their democratic duty seriously.
Thirdly, journalists also have inherent biases to which they should have more resistance than ordinary people, but they don’t really commit to this self-discipline to their eternal detriment. In South Africa, everyone knows that the National Treasury is less likely to be closely scrutinized and questioned than any other government agency.
Sure, it has built its own reputation over the years but in recent years it has not earned the apparent reverence with which journalists and commentators reserve for it even when it needs to be challenged. Such failure to scrutinize everyone equitably, including private corporations, leads to apprehensions of bias that undermine public confidence.
Of course, there are other little missteps and habits that may seem benign but are nonetheless insidiously harmful, and that is the terms of endearment journalists share with those in power.
The secretary-general or treasurer-general of the ANC is not your SG but Mr Mantashe, Magashule or Mkhize to you. Julius Malema is not your CiC either, he is Mr Malema. If you keep doing this, two negative things happen immediately.
The first is that you fail the test of consistency. The Democratic Alliance does not have a president or any of these other titles, but a Leader with a capital letter L. Do I hear anyone referring to Leader Steenhuisen or Leader Maimane? Or maybe just “Leader”? No. So what happens? You come across as if you are much closer and therefore more likely to be accommodating to the ANC and EFF even if this is not the case.
The second is that you construct an unhelpful expectation that your relationship with the said politician can be something it is not supposed to be, and they get upset with you when you unexpectedly criticize them as if protecting their egos is your job.
You are all grown up, so I am not going to turn each of these observations into a lecture on how to be vigilant and protect the role of the news media in our democracy. What I will ask you to do, though, is to reflect deeply on the big and small issues.
On the big issues, you really ought to encourage further reflection on the role of the news media in our democracy, and how that role is about the protection and advancement of an open democratic culture itself. The work of journalists is not different to that of judges. It is sacred.
On the “small” issues, uncompromising commitment to standards is really important. Over the recent years, journalists have done egregious things at the cost of good citizens who suffered a great deal. As if they have no conscience whatsoever, these colleagues of yours have steadfastly refused to apologize and make amends, to say that to err is to be human.
Such hard-heartedness does nothing to sustain the role and power of journalism in society. The public notice and project all of that on all journalists, most of whom just want to do their jobs properly.
Other Forces
Having said that, it will be naïve of me to speak as if the problem is created entirely by journalists. Owners have and continue to play their part, too. Let me be blunt, the news media business is not where you invest in order to be rich. If that is the intention, then you get Fox News, which does not qualify as a proper news channel.
Instead, it is a verifiable threat to democracy worldwide. In South Africa we have our own instances of owners using the platforms they own to drive a nefarious, damaging agenda. It used to be unthinkable but these days it is not unusual to see a whole media group peddle dangerous xenophobic content based on lies and deliberate mischaracterizations. I cannot think of any reason why this would be done if not to create social instability and political anarchy.
In such instances, one cannot help but feel sorry for young reporters who are taught a perverse form of journalism that cannot be good for society in the longer term. The ultimate response and solution to this remains great journalism that illuminates facts and insights that the public find useful in their own political decision-making.
The Dark Forces
I also hope that there will be space in the coming months to have a meaningful discourse about the dark forces that are out to undermine democracy itself. These forces engage in two lines of attack.
The first is sophisticated and concerted disinformation that seeks to undermine democratic institutions. These range from the most outrageous lies that, under normal circumstances would be laughable, to the light touch magicians that use the cover of their professions to do the same.
In my observation the objective of these purveyors of misinformation is to have the public so confused that it cannot separate truth from fiction and cannot trust anyone other those who confirm their biases. Crucially, they want the public to believe that critical democratic institutions are inherently anti-democratic, thereby delegitimizing in the eyes of the people so that they can no longer perform their functions.
In this vein, it is acceptable to criticize journalists or the content of stories but not the egregious and dangerous cyber and physical bullying, especially of female journalists by hordes of sexist political followers who use language laced with threats of violence.
It is okay to criticize judgments, but it is not okay to seek to delegitimize the entire judiciary for spurious reasons. Please make no mistake, anyone who does this, no matter how charming they otherwise may be, is a dangerous enemy of democracy. Assuming that they are sufficiently astute to understand what neutered institutions and journalists who cannot do their work mean, consistency demands that they be treated with a healthy dose of scepticism.
People who engage in this kind of thing are anti-democratic. Of course, they will claim freely expressing themselves is their democratic right. Our response should be: of course, we are so happy that you are showing your true colours. Now we can make an informed judgment about the extent of your hypocrisy and anti-democratic tendencies.
If the news media is to play this role, credibility is everything. That credibility must be continuously earned because of consistently ethical application of the craft itself.
I know better than most that it is hard being a journalist. The pay is poor, resources scarce and the work is dangerous. However, it is also a calling and a sacred duty. Let us continue to respect it and treat it with the reverence it deserves, for to do so, is to honour the blood and tears of those who fought for this system of self-government we ough to protect with all we have.
This report seeks to contribute to SANEF’s mission of achieving media sustainability and universal access to public interest journalism, and it forms part of SANEF’s response to the Independent Panel Report in the Inquiry into Media Ethics and Credibility, prepared by retired Judge Kathleen Satchwell, Nikiwe Bikitsha, and Rich Mkhondo. In particular, Recommendation D35 calls on SANEF to—
“[s]upport research into the financial viability and sustainability of all forms of news media, examining international approaches to funding independent media, including but not limited to taxation incentives/exemptions, allocation of public funds, the pursuit of royalties, levies on online advertising revenue routed offshore by online platforms, or other such methods.”
This report does not purport to offer the solution to media sustainability in South Africa. It does, however, present a series of policy options to promote media sustainability drawn from local, regional, and international comparative practices and examples for further deliberation and debate. Notably, this report complements a variety of recent and ongoing media sustainability initiatives5 and offers the reader a high-level overview of options that may be tailored for South Africa’s unique media landscape. Specifically, this report presents eight media sustainability strategies and over fifteen direct policy considerations.
These include:
• The establishment of a Media Sustainability Fund (MSF): One of the priority media sustainability strategies for SANEF is the possible establishment of an MSF. The mission of the MSF — which may include what is referred to as a local content fund in the Independent Panel Report6 — is to support the development, sustainability, and independence of public interest media organisations, in pursuance of the right to freedom of expression and democratic principles. In fully considering an MSF, this report considers its potential mission, eligibility criteria, sources of funding, and its structure and oversight.
• Promoting access to public interest news websites: Alongside an MSF, substantially reducing data costs and advocating for the zero-rating of public interest news websites and content have been identified as priority measures for SANEF. In considering these sustainability options, data costs, internet access, and possibilities related to zero-rating access to public interest content are considered.
• Fostering competition in the digital economy: In line with international trends, this report notes international developments, particularly in Australia and the United States, relating to fostering competition in the digital economy, including through enhanced engagement with the so-called FAANGs (Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix, and Google). In the South Africa context, this report suggests possible areas of engagement with South Africa’s Competition Commission.
• Considering tax relief and other state support schemes: Allied to fostering competition in the digital economy, tax relief and other state support schemes are documented, including possibilities associated with converting license fees to a bespoke tax, the introduction of a new online advertising tax, and various other tax relief proposals for public interest media organisations and donors, including, for example, a proposed amendment to South Africa’s Income Tax Act to allow for tax deductions for businesses, donors, and individuals who subscribe to a community and local media.
• Engaging with different subsidisation, subscriptions, and other income-generating models: With an emphasis on comparative international examples, the benefits of subsidies are discussed, alongside the potential of “access tiering” — the practice of offering memberships and subscription discounts to older persons, students, and social grant recipients — and new business models.
• Assessing the potential of coupon and open-access systems: By way of new sustainability strategies, this report introduces a possible coupon and open access system which facilitates subscriber access to premium content on multiple public interest news websites; and it investigates the openTrust model, which promotes corporate social investment.
• Considering the establishment of public interest wire services: To assist with what Frances Cairncross refers to as the “humdrum task or reporting on the daily activities of public institutions” and to promote community media, the establishment of public interest wire services to assist under-capacitated public interest media organisations and ensure that additional public interest media content is produced and distributed for publication, particularly on matters relating to the exercise of the democratic function and its institutions; and to (2) collect local content from community media organisations and distribute it to larger media houses for a fee is discussed.
• Promoting education, training, and leadership: Lastly, this report reflects on the importance of fellowships to train young journalists, continuing development opportunities for mid-career journalists, and the need for the South African government to fund media information literacy (MIL) initiatives.
The report concludes by noting that despite years of decline in advertising revenues and the devasting impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, public interest media actors are proving to be resilient, working tirelessly to develop new media sustainability strategies. This research seeks to complement this tide. With concerted and collective action — and the requisite political will — strides can be made in not only sustaining public interest journalism in South Africa but working towards an enabling environment in which it can grow and flourish.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The South Africa National Editors’ Forum (SANEF) is thankful to everyone who has participated in this process.
For initial reviews of the preliminary draft of this report, SANEF is thankful to Izak Minnaar, Kate Skinner, and the amaBhungane Centre for Investigative Journalism.
For interviews based on the preliminary draft of this report, SANEF is thankful to Kate Skinner, Nwabisa Makunga, Professor Franz Kruger, Bilal Randeree, Izak Minnaar, Mary Papayya, Adriaan Basson, Mahlatse Mahlase, and Sbu Ngalwa. For reviews on the further draft of this report, SANEF is thankful to all of the participants who participated in the SANEF Ethics and Sustainability webinar on 5 May 2021, and to Phathiswa Magopeni, Martina Della Togna, Dunisani Ntsanwisi, Professor Franz Kruger, and Kate Skinner for their comments.
Importantly, SANEF is thankful for and acknowledges the recent research by Dr Harry Dugmore1 and Reg Rumney which has contributed significantly to this report. This report was prepared with the assistance of ALT Advisory. ENDS
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The South African National Editors’ Forum should lobby for the establishment of a Media Sustainability Fund, an annual barometer of media ethics and ongoing mental health support for journalists.
