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Children, Media and the Law

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Protection of children is critical in South Africa

Despite the special protection under our Constitution and the law, and the power they sometimes acquire in the news, children are often underrepresented or marginalised in the news story, when in fact they are deserving of protection, and reportage that is empowering and encouraging of their development.

At the end of 2019, the Constitutional Court grappled with finding the appropriate “balance between protecting children, promoting agency and ensuring freedom of expression and open justice are not unduly curbed”.

Striking the appropriate balance between the rights and interests of children and those of the media has and continues to present challenges and tensions. However, it is possible and ultimately imperative, for the media to fulfil its role in advancing freedom of expression whilst simultaneously ensuring the rights of children are promoted and respected.

Children make up 34% of our population, which translates to around 19.7 million people under the age of 18.1
Children are afforded a special place in our homes, communities, and laws. Their evolving capacities, their potential, their resilience, their ability to learn, develop, change, and play-make them outstanding members of society, and in the eyes of our law. These same qualities also imbue them with colossal power in the news wherein many instances they are portrayed at their most vulnerable and most marginalised precisely to highlight the extreme nature of the story in which they feature.

Ethical dilemmas aside, the importance of children to our society and the violation of their rights and when they are on the wrong side of the law are critical news stories that need to be told. The challenge arises when the best interest of the child together with the special protections afforded in the law requires careful balancing acts to take place to ensure that critical news stories are told. But again, to ensure that children’s rights are respected. In this guide, we look at the latest developments and unpack critical issues relating to children, the media, and the law.

Therefore, all journalists must know scenarios and circumstances defining when a report or the story can reveal the identity of the child. They must also identify those instances that forbid the media from naming the child.

Click here to download the document.

Over the past two decades, organisations like SANEF, UNICEF and Media Monitoring Africa (MMA) have published and distributed reports and guidelines that have sought to assist the media in reporting on children, and ultimately to find the best nexus between children and the media.
These guidelines have determinedly emphasised the rights of children, in particular, the importance of the principle of the best interests of children. They have guided the media on best practices when interviewing children, ensuring that children’s voices are promoted and have explained various legal positions relevant to the reporting of children.

The report and guidelines also navigate complex issues including how to report on children in the context of HIV/AIDS;
media coverage of human trafficking and child protection; and unpacking racial and gender representation of children in the media. The common trend and take away from the various guidelines is that informed, sensitive, and professional journalism is key to the promotion and protection of children’s rights.

This report was prepared with the assistance of ALT Advisory.
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial.
4.0 International License. This means that you are free to share and adapt this work so long as you give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. Any such sharing or adaptation must be for non-commercial purposes, and must be made available under the same “share alike.”
terms. Full licence terms can be found at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/byncsa/4.0/legalcode.

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SA Must Guard Sanctity of Press Freedom, says Thloloe

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Stalwart Joe Thloloe (middle) with Sowetan journalist Penwell Dlamini and photographer Antonio Muchave

30 September 2020

On 24 September 2020 Sowetan published this article written by Penwell Dlamini which is an interview of stalwart Joe Thloloe and Chairman of Aggrey Klaaste Trust [AKT].

SA needs to protect press freedom now more than ever as there are still stubborn resemblances of what the country used to be in the past despite gains made in the democratic era.

This is the view of legendary journalist Dr Joe Thloloe which he shared with Sowetan as he reflected on the current state of the media and its role in nation-building.

Thloloe, who used his pen and notebook to fight the apartheid government, said real liberty is about the freedom of the press.

“Free media is the foundation of democracy. Democracy means that people have their say and they are not scared of saying what they believe and what they want… It is in that exchange of ideas that society flourishes. We need it today more than we’ve ever needed before,” Thloloe said.

He said the role of journalists is critical 26 years into democracy as some of the evils there during the apartheid era can still be seen in a free SA.

“When we got to 1994, we got into a very euphoric state where we thought, at last, we have achieved what we wanted to achieve. But when you look around in society, it is a very sad story. We have regressed rather than progressed.

Therefore, the things that we fought for, we still need to fight for even today.

“People are going to bed starving. Coronavirus has just made it a little worse … That fight for a true democracy continues.”

Thloloe is one of the high-profile speakers who will take part in a colloquium scheduled for October 19 which will discuss the state of the media in SA. The colloquium has been organised by Sowetan in partnership with the Aggrey Klaaste Trust and is supported by Arena Holdings, Wits University, and the SA National Editors Forum. The late Klaaste was the editor of Sowetan who championed the values of nation-building in the newspaper and society at large.

Thloloe said when Klaaste introduced the concept of nation-building some in the newsroom laughed at him as they felt what was needed was the demolition of an apartheid system before anything was built.

“Aggrey Klaaste had the foresight to see that we are going to need to build a nation and he made it the responsibility of each individual. [He taught that] each individual is responsible for building the nation,” he said.

Thloloe, who was arrested four times as a journalist by the apartheid government, said most of the problems faced by society today are a result of the lack of ethos of national building.

“Today ’s morality is ‘I come first. My pocket is the most important pocket’. We’ve forgotten the old saying which is umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu [a person survives because of other people]

“We’ve forgotten the old saying that you should do to others as you would have them do to you. We are now a very materialistic society and that is our tragedy,” he said.

 

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Joint Media Release With MMA & SANEF: South Africa’s Promotion of Access to Information Act After 20 Years

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The importance of the right of access to information cannot be disputed.  The right gives meaning to the constitutional values of accountability, responsiveness and openness, and enables the public to seek transparency from both public and private sector actors.  It is both an important right in itself, as well as an enabler of the full range of fundamental rights.

However, on this International Day for Universal Access to Information, as we reflect on the Promotion of Access to Information Act 2 of 2000 (PAIA) after 20 years of enactment in South Africa, it is apparent that there is an urgent need to reform PAIA to make it useful and effective in the digital era.

As such, Media Monitoring Africa, the South African National Editor’s Forum (SANEF) and other like-minded organisations, supported by access to information activists and legal experts,  have embarked on a process to draft proposed amendments to PAIA in an effort to ensure that PAIA meaningfully realises the right of access to information in a timely and effective manner.  The proposed amendments draw on the work by the South African Human Rights Commission, our courts and civil society actors in identifying the shortcomings and pitfalls that currently exist in the provisions and implementation of PAIA.

Importantly, the proposed amendments also seek to bring PAIA in line with regional human rights standards on access to information, including the work of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) through the Declaration of Principles on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information in Africa, the Guidelines on Access to Information and Elections in Africa and the Model Law on Access to Information for Africa.

In the digital era, it is imperative that the right of access to information be fostered, both on- and offline, in order to safeguard a culture of transparency and accountability in South Africa.  It is therefore crucial that all persons in South Africa have meaningful access to the internet and online information, and that disclosures of information are made available through different platforms that render such information readily accessible to the public.

In sum, the proposed amendments have been informed by the following five key principles:

  • Primacy: Access to information, as a constitutional imperative, should be treated with appropriate primacy over other laws that otherwise restrict or inhibit the public’s right to be informed. The proposed amendments seek to ensure that the scope and ambit of PAIA are appropriately clarified to assist requesters in obtaining the information to which they are entitled without unnecessary hurdles.
  • Maximum disclosure: The right of access to information should be guided by the principle of maximum disclosure, with the right only being limited by narrowly defined exemptions that meet the test for a reasonable and justifiable limitation in an open and democratic society.
  • Proactive disclosure: Information in the public interest should be proactively disclosed, even in the absence of a specific request, in recognition of the role that such information plays in the full realisation of fundamental rights.
  • International commitments: South Africa must abide by its international commitments on access to information, including in respect of open government and open data standards through the Open Government Partnership. These commitments evince a move towards more openness on a proactive basis and are deserving of being effectively fulfilled.
  • Online protections: In the current digital era, the exercise of the right of access to information must be respected, protected and promoted, both on- and offline. This places a duty on public and private sector actors to ensure that, in fulfilling their obligations, due regard is had to the medium and format in which information is made available.

Underlying these principles is a core concern about the efficacy of PAIA in meaningfully realising the right of access to information.  In the two decades since its enactment, a number of pertinent issues have come to the fore, such as delayed, stifled or incomplete disclosures of information.  This cannot be allowed to persist.

It is well-accepted that access to information plays a particularly important role in democratic processes and empowering the electorate to make informed choices.  This includes in respect of electing office-bearers, in participating in decision-making and law-making processes, and in holding public and private sector actors accountable for their acts or omissions in the execution of their duties.  Moreover, the right of access to information fosters a vibrant media culture that plays a central role in receiving and imparting information and ideas. This is more important than ever and deserving of protection and support from all segments of society.

As we look to the future of access to information in South Africa, we continue to strive for a society that is underpinned by our constitutional values and democratic governance.  While PAIA is one of the instruments through which this can be done, there remains much work ahead before the right of access to information can be meaningfully realised in South Africa.

This public announcement today on our efforts to reform and improve PAIA follows on months of work by a team of lawyers to incorporate the principles referred to above, and address problems encountered by members of the Access To Information Network, journalists and others in civil society to use PAIA.

The next step is to approach a wider group of PAIA users and experts to make sure that their concerns are captured in the draft amendments. The final step will be to hand the draft over to the Human Rights Commission, the Information Regulator and the Department of Justice for consideration and processing by the executive and parliament.

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Urgent Deadline for SANEF Media Relief Fund – Round Two

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The South African National Editors’ Forum (SANEF) would like to remind journalists that the deadline for applications to our Media Relief Fund is Wednesday 30 September 2020. We encourage all journalists who have lost their jobs and income as a direct result of the Covid-19 national disaster to submit their applications with all relevant and supporting documentation.

Working in conjunction with the Social Justice Initiative (SJI), we wish to report that in our first round, we received 320 applications and approved 227 journalists for payments. Journalists received a small donation of R5000 each to purchase necessities like food and clothing.

SANEF opened the second round for deserving journalists on 8 September calling on everyone to spread the word, especially to journalists who lost their jobs in the hard-hit community media sector including print and broadcasting.

In terms of the criteria we have called for the following people to apply:

Practising journalists who have not received retrenchment packages, freelance or contract journalists. People need to have been retrenched or had their contracts cancelled from the date of the implementation of the national lockdown on March 26th 2020 – or thereafter – as a result of COVID-19. Photographers, print, broadcast and multimedia journalists are all included.

Please see a link to the application form here.

SANEF wants to warmly thank its corporate, donor and individual partners on this project. We received our first donation to kick-start the fund from MTN South Africa. This was followed by funds from First Rand, Yellow Woods, Allan Gray, Nedbank, Standard Bank, Open Society Foundation and Old Mutual. We have also received donations from concerned individuals, including several journalists and ex-journalists who have been worried about the plight of their colleagues. We have raised an over little R3 million so far.

Further, we would like to thank our team of industry stalwarts who have made up our independent panel of adjudicators – including Mathatha Tsedu, Joe Thloloe, Wandile Fana and Melody Emmett as well as Anlo Financial Services. The panel has played a critical role in adjudicating all applications and Anlo has played an important role in the initial processing of all documentation.

We again remind everyone that the deadline is 30 September.

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.

For more information please contact:

  • Sbu Ngalwa – SANEF Chairperson (073) 404-1415
  • Adriaan Basson – SANEF Deputy Chairperson (082) 562-2113
  • Mahlatse Mahlase – Secretary-General (083) 399-2852
  • Nwabisa Makunga – Treasurer (082) 555-1972
  • Mary Papayya – SANEF Media Freedom Chair (082) 379-4957
  • Judy Sandison – SANEF KZN Convenor (082) 571-3334
  • Katy Katopodis – SANEF Gauteng Convenor (082) 805-7022
  • Chiara Carter – SANEF Eastern Cape Convenor (082) 659-9162
  • Kate Skinner – SANEF Executive Director – (082) 926-6404

 

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SANEF Calls for Media Access to Rugby Matches

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Blue Bulls rugby supporters

25 September 2020

As the country eagerly awaits Saturday’s first Rugby match at Loftus Versfeld and the normalisation of sports coverage, the South African National Editors’ Forum (SANEF) is surprised to hear that the number of photographers has been limited.

The Blue Bulls Company has issued a letter stating that only two photographers will be permitted to shoot the upcoming match.

SANEF believes that hurdles to accreditation and unwelcome regulations should be removed so that the media including freelancers (both local and foreign) are not denied the opportunity to get back to work.  Rugby authorities should note that the country has moved to lockdown level 1 as announced by the President. We thus appeal to SA Rugby to seriously consider opening up and enabling the sports media fraternity to resume working.

We believe that journalists should strictly adhere to the regulations of wearing masks, sanitising and ensuring physical distancing but with this, in place, we believe that sports grounds, particularly as big as Loftus Versfeld, should not pose a threat to spreading the Coronavirus.

The media has previously engaged other sports authorities, including Cricket SA that wanted to restrict access to only two photographers at their Solidarity match. However, after engaging with them on their social responsibility to help journalists to get back to work, the issues were resolved. We hope that the same will apply for the rugby fraternity.

Our proposal is that 5/6 major SA and 4 International agencies be allowed to send a representative to cover the matches inside the stadium with COVID19 physical distancing protocols in place.

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.

For more information please contact:

  • Sbu Ngalwa – SANEF Chairperson (073) 404-1415
  • Adriaan Basson – SANEF Deputy Chairperson (082) 562-2113
  • Mahlatse Mahlase – Secretary General (083) 399-2852
  • Nwabisa Makunga – Treasurer (082) 555-1972
  • Mary Papayya – SANEF Media Freedom Chair (082) 379-4957
  • Judy Sandison – SANEF KZN Convenor (082) 571-3334
  • Katy Katopodis – SANEF Gauteng Convenor (082) 805-7022
  • Chiara Carter – SANEF Eastern Cape Convenor (082) 659-9162
  • Kate Skinner – SANEF Executive Director – (082) 926-6404

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Twitter: @SAEditorsForum

Email: [email protected]

Website: SANEF

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SANEF mourns the death of veteran editor of the Limpopo Mirror, Wikus Lee

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The South African National Editors’ Forum (SANEF) and community media mourn the death of veteran editor, Wikus Lee (64) of the Limpopo Mirror. Lee died after a long battle with a heart problem on Wednesday last week.

He was a seasoned journalist who mentored and interacted with various generations of young local reporters in the province. As editor of the Mirror he provided guidance and training to dozens of journalists. He was highly respected for his editorial knowledge and work ethic.

Anton van Zyl, owner and manager of the Limpopo Mirror, said it was almost impossible to think of the newspaper business in the region without Wikus’s wisdom and input.

“For more than 30 years he has been a colleague and a friend. For him, the newspaper was not simply a job, it was part of what made him what he was. His work was his passion and the Mirror newspaper was his pride. He was someone with an incredible general knowledge,” said Van Zyl.

Lee is survived by his wife and three sons.

SANEF sends heart-felt condolences to Lee’s family, friends and colleagues.

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.

For more information please contact:

  • Sbu Ngalwa – SANEF Chairperson (073) 404-1415
  • Adriaan Basson – SANEF Deputy Chairperson (082) 562-2113
  • Mahlatse Mahlase – Secretary General (083) 399-2852
  • Nwabisa Makunga – Treasurer (082) 555-1972
  • Dunisani Ntsanwisi – SANEF Community Committee Convenor (073) 981- 8649
  • Mary Papayya – SANEF Media Freedom Chair (082) 379-4957
  • Judy Sandison – SANEF KZN Convenor (082) 571-3334
  • Katy Katopodis – SANEF Gauteng Convenor (082) 805-7022
  • Chiara Carter – Eastern Cape Convenor – 082 659 9162
  • Kate Skinner – SANEF Executive Director – (082) 926-6404

Socials

Twitter: @SAEditorsForum

Email: [email protected]

Website: SANEF

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SANEF celebrates access to information victory at the municipal level

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The South African National Editors’ Forum (SANEF) congratulates Anton van Zyl, the publisher and editor of the Zoutspansberger and the Limpopo Mirror, based in Louis Trichardt, for his significant victory for the right to access information.

Van Zyl secured an important court victory entrenching the use of the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) as the constitutional right of journalists — and in turn the public — to ensure transparency in government. He used the magistrates’ courts to successfully enhance the media’s right to access information from the Makhado Municipality. His request was for information on a piece of land sold to developers that his newspapers were investigating. He wanted to know why the municipality had accepted offers with a combined value of just more than R3 million when it could have gotten R800 000 more for the land on sale. He also asked for information on the bidding companies.

Using a change to regulations that came into effect in October 2019, Van Zyl took the town council to the local magistrate’s court which ruled in his favour forcing the municipality to release the information about the companies that bided for the benefit of the local community.

SANEF notes that this victory is particularly symbolic because it has been achieved 11 days before the world commemorates the annual UNESCO International Day for Universal Access to Information. Civil society and the media around the globe recognise the importance of transparency and a culture of openness and accountability for participatory democracy.

According to the Access to Information Network 2019 report – a body of civil society organisations that collectively strive to advance access to information rights for ordinary people in South Africa – 66% of all requests made to municipalities or local government were ignored entirely. It indicates serious challenges faced by journalists and other organisations using PAIA.

Year after year, the Access to Information Network’s Shadow Report on the state of access to information in South Africa has demonstrated low levels of compliance with PAIA by government, state-owned entities (SOEs) and private companies. The case shows that compliance levels with PAIA remain dismal, and deliberately so, despite PAIA having been in operation for 19 years this year.

Previous research also points to the difficulty of communities and community media being able to use PAIA to get public and private institutions to release information. There is a generally a low rate of compliance.

SANEF believes that the right of access to information is fundamental to the proper functioning of democratic institutions which may be compromised when members of the public and media are unable to access it. Access to information enables more effective monitoring of state organs and private institutions, and the holding of those in power to account.

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.

For more information please contact:

  • Sbu Ngalwa – SANEF Chairperson (073) 404-1415
  • Adriaan Basson – SANEF Deputy Chairperson (082) 562-2113
  • Mahlatse Mahlase – Secretary General (083) 399-2852
  • Nwabisa Makunga – Treasurer (082) 555-1972
  • Mary Papayya – SANEF Media Freedom Chair (082) 379-4957
  • Judy Sandison – SANEF KZN Convenor (082) 571-3334
  • Katy Katopodis – SANEF Gauteng Convenor (082) 805-7022
  • Chiara Carter – Eastern Cape Convenor – 082 659 9162
  • Kate Skinner – SANEF Executive Director – (082) 926-6404
  • Twitter: @SAEditorsForum

Socials

Twitter: @SAEditorsForum

Email: [email protected]

Website: SANEF

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From The Desk of the President – Monday, 14 September 2020 – a celebration of journalists

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Dear Fellow South African,

In many countries around the world, the coronavirus pandemic has required the limitation of many civil liberties and put social cohesion to the test.  But countries with strong institutions, vigilant judicial systems and a robust media have been able to prevent human rights from being undermined and the authority of the state being abused.

It has been six months since the national state of disaster was proclaimed. Despite the unprecedented nature of the disease and the immense challenge of placing a country of 58 million people under lockdown, we have fared well. We have managed to contain the spread of the disease primarily because of the cooperation and vigilance of all citizens.

This is in no small part due to the sterling work of our media.

We owe a debt of gratitude to South Africa’s hardworking and tenacious journalists. They have kept our people informed by disseminating key health messages about social distancing and hygiene. They have done so under extremely trying conditions, often with limited resources.

They have told the stories of the effects of lockdown on the lives of people and their businesses. They have been out in the villages, towns and cities, bringing stories of ordinary people and drawing national attention to problems being experienced in hospitals and clinics, prompting government action.

Our media have also shone a light on excesses that perhaps would not have ordinarily come to light. They have fulfilled their watchdog role by unearthing acts of corruption and maladministration, sparking a massive national debate and leading to a number of high-profile investigations. Through this reporting they have earned people’s trust.

A free press is not an end in itself. It is a means by which democracy is secured and upheld. During this pandemic, our media has played not just its traditional watchdog role, but exercised its civic duty in supporting the national effort to contain the coronavirus.

Given the importance of the media to the health of our democracy, it is a great concern that like all other sectors of the economy, the coronavirus crisis has hit our media houses hard. Some publications lost as much as 60% of their income in the early days of the lockdown. A number of companies have had to implement salary cuts, reduce staff numbers or reduce hours worked. Regrettably, some publications have even been forced to close, among them some of South Africa’s most established and well-known magazine titles.

The job losses that have resulted from the lockdowns have exacerbated a crisis for media companies already facing challenges like loss of advertising revenues, falling circulation and market share being taken by mobile-first news and other technologies. These financial difficulties are being faced across the board, from online titles to traditional broadsheets to the public broadcaster.

This was one of the issues that was raised sharply during my engagement with the South African National Editors’ Forum last week. Instead of lamenting their fate, however, the media industry is working hard to refine business models, to drive innovation and to retain staff as much as possible.

At the same time, the media is a unique entity in any society because its practitioners fulfil a role that is so essential to our democratic order. They work to keep the public informed and to keep power in check.

We need more journalists, not less. That is why the loss of even a single journalist is not just a loss to the industry but to the country.

We need our media veterans, who bring with them vast experience and institutional memory, and are able to offer critical reportage and informed analysis. At the same time we need more young journalists in the profession who are tech-savvy, abreast with new trends in storytelling and in touch with the concerns of a youthful population.

As a society we owe the media our full support. Whether it is electing to pay for content, supporting crowdfunded journalism, paying our SABC license fees or simply buying a newspaper, we can all play our part to support this industry in crisis. As government, despite the gloomy economic climate we will continue to extend advertising spend to publications and broadcasters, especially community media.

The private sector must also continue to support the industry through advertising and working with media houses in the production of innovative content in line with global media trends. Local philanthropic and donor organisations should also come on board and support public interest journalism ventures, as is the case in many democracies.

The proliferation of fake news during the pandemic, primarily on social media platforms, has added to the urgency for more news that is accurate, fair and impartial. During this time our people have relied on our established media houses for information, once again underscoring their importance as pillars of our democracy.

As we begin the great task of rebuilding our economy in the aftermath of the pandemic, the media industry will need our support more than ever. The free press was once described as ‘the unsleeping guardian of every other right that free men and women prize’. As we salute their role in this pandemic, let us do what we can to ensure that the free and diverse media in our country is able to survive and thrive.

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SANEF condemns harassment of a journalist by Fountains Mall Management in Jeffreys Bay

 

The South African National Editors’ Forum (SANEF) condemns the harassment of a Rhodes University journalism student, Catherine White by Fountains Mall management in Jeffreys Bay today.

At the time the country is fighting for media freedom and access to information it is unacceptable that Fountains Mall management sought to deny a journalist from reporting on the Economic Freedom Fighters’ protests against Clicks Pharmacies.

In a video she posted on her company’s “Cat White Media” Facebook, the mall’s staff is seen pushing and forcefully refusing her the right to do her work, arguing that the presence of the media would fuel the situation. White has filed a case of assault against the mall management.

The video is worrying evidence that suggests that there are some businesses that exacerbate the negative attitude and perception against journalism. Their actions deny journalists access to information and bring into question their commitment to the constitution of the country, which guarantees journalists and media workers the right to make a living through exercising their constitutional rights to freedom of expression, access to information and freedom of the media.

SANEF compliments the EFF supporters that stepped in and defended the journalist who was being shoved and pushed out of the Mall. We note this intervention whereas EFF supporters elsewhere have played a different role.

SANEF believes that without freedom of expression, and particularly freedom of the press, it is impossible to create an informed, active, and engaged citizenry. In a climate where journalists are safe, citizens find it easier to access quality information, and many objectives of a democratic society are possible such as gender equality, justice, and a culture of human rights.

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.

 

For more information please contact:

  • Sbu Ngalwa – SANEF Chairperson (073) 404-1415
  • Adriaan Basson – SANEF Deputy Chairperson (082) 562-2113
  • Mahlatse Mahlase – Secretary General (083) 399-2852
  • Nwabisa Makunga – Treasurer (082) 555-1972
  • Mary Papayya – SANEF Media Freedom Chair (082) 379-4957
  • Judy Sandison – SANEF KZN Convenor (082) 571-3334
  • Katy Katopodis – SANEF Gauteng Convenor (082) 805-7022
  • Chiara Carter – Eastern Cape Convenor – 082 659 9162
  • Kate Skinner – SANEF Executive Director – (082) 926-6404

Socials

Twitter: @SAEditorsForum

Email: [email protected]

Website: SANEF

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