In response to the current challenges facing the South African media industry, FirstRand is contributing half a million rand to assist journalists financially impacted by COVID-19, through the South African National Editors’ Forum (SANEF) Media Relief Fund.
This forms part of the group’s wide-ranging COVID-19 relief measures and the R500 000 is made up of contributions from FirstRand and its operating businesses: FNB, RMB, WesBank and Ashburton Investments.
The group believes that the media has played a vital role in ensuring that the nation is kept up to date on key developments in the COVID-19 pandemic, through credible journalism and platforms. It has ensured that South African citizens have been reliably informed on the necessary measures to keep themselves and their loved ones safe.
South Africa is fortunate to have a journalistic community with a long track record of holding all stakeholders of society to account. This is not a privilege that every nation enjoys, and it needs to be protected in these challenging times.
Mahlatse Mahlase, SANEF chairperson, says: “We are truly grateful to FirstRand for contributing to the fund and recognising the important role journalism plays in strengthening our democracy. The job losses in the industry are unprecedented and we are losing journalists at a time we need them the most. South Africans have turned to trusted news sources in the face of the devastating COVID-19 pandemic. The contribution will go a long way in cushioning the blow.”
The South African National Editors’ Forum (SANEF) is dismayed to learn that one of the country’s biggest multiplatform media companies will be retrenching hundreds of journalists, due to the negative impact of COVID-19.
SANEF notes with deep concern the statement by Ishmet Davidson, CEO of Media24, that the pandemic has “accelerated the pre-existing and long-term structural decline in print media, resulting in a devastating impact on our own already fragile print media operations with significant declines in both circulation and advertising since April”.
Davidson further stated that even with a return to pre-COVID-19 economic levels, the impact of the pandemic on print media operations will be unrecoverable. As a result, the company’s planned interventions are expected to affect around 510 staff members (with a proposed reduction of close on 660 positions) out of a total staff compliment of 2 971, largely across the print media and distribution divisions.
The company’s move will lead to the closure of some magazines, and others will be moved to digital platforms or outsourced. Media24 plans to close Move!, and the Hearst portfolio (Men’s Health, Women’s Health, Bicycling, Runner’s World); publish DRUM in digital format only. And it will outsource the editorial production of the remaining monthly portfolio including Fairlady and SARIE amongst others. Further, they plan to reduce the frequency of their monthly magazines to six issues per year, and eight issues for tuis/home, SA Hunter/Jagter and Man Magnum.
The same fate awaits its newspapers as the company said it planned to close Son op Sondag and Sunday Sun. It will also close the Eastern Cape edition of Son, four community newspapers in KwaZulu-Natal: Amanzimtoti Fever, East Griqualand Fever, Hillcrest Fever and Maritzburg Fever.
It is going to publish the Volksblad and Die Burger Oos-Kaap as weekday digital editions, consolidate the Noordkaap and Kalahari Bulletin into a single newspaper, Noordkaap Bulletin, and Kroonnuus and Vrystaat Nuus into Vrystaat Kroonnuus. At the same time, it is incorporating Theewaterskloof Gazette into Hermanus Times. It plans to accelerate the digital transition of The Witness.
The process will also lead to the reduction of staff in its media distribution business as well as in divisional and corporate services departments related to the proposed reduced print media operations.
SANEF also takes note of the recent SABC notice of possible job redundancy/retrenchments and notification in terms of section 189(3) of the Labour Relations Act 66 of 1995 (“LRA”) that was sent to staff members on 18 June 2020. The SABC stated that a possible 600 jobs could be lost.
SANEF joins the SOS Coalition (SOS) and Media Monitoring Africa (MMA) in their statement that the long-term financial sustainability of the SABC is essential to the well-being of our democracy.
We are painfully aware that any SABC and Media24 retrenchments in the media sector will exacerbate unemployment as mass retrenchments have hit us hard since the beginning of the COVID19 lockdown.
Last week Thursday SANEF launched a relief fund for journalists who had lost their livelihoods as a direct result of the COVID-19 national disaster. In April alone we saw the closure of two magazine publishers and 80 small print publications operating across the country, leading to the loss of over 700 jobs for journalists. We appeal to South African corporates to spend their advertising budgets with South African media consciously, and that the public should take up subscriptions and continue to buy local papers.
We are concerned that the continuing closure of media houses will have a detrimental effect on our democracy as it limits the number of sources of information for the public, leads to regression in media diversity and multiplicity of voices. Since COVID-19 the process of newsgathering has transformed completely, and this element of personal danger is one of the most troubling changes for journalists. SANEF believes that the risks facing journalists remain unacceptably high for most, and tragically it has claimed the lives of some. And yet, most journalists remain resolved to fight to keep the principles of unwavering dedication to the pursuit of truth and making it available to all. And, we are convinced that the world needs journalists, now more than ever.
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) welcomes the launch of the SABC’s editorial policies including the corporation’s commitment to resolving the controversy around the position of editor-in-chief. We welcome the resolution of this issue and the clarification that editorial decision making now rests with the Head of News and that this post is now officially designated as editor-in-chief.
We believe that this decision is critical to ensuring the independence of the SABC as it limits the possibilities of outside interference.
Further, we welcome a number of other important amendments to the policies including:
The introduction of the Press Code to guide digital publishing; and
The introduction of a new section on management of content on digital platforms.
We note the SABC’s statement that the rationale behind the amendments is to strengthen editorial controls by ensuring that, “editorial staff take full accountability for editorial decisions”. Further, we note the SABC Board’s statement that, “Consistent with the ethos of the SABC Charter, the policies give an exclusive right to the editorial staff of the SABC, to exercise journalistic, programming and creative independence.” We welcome these statements as we believe that editorial decision making must rest with journalists.
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 launching a relief fund for journalists who have lost their livelihoods as a direct result of the COVID-19 national disaster. The Social Justice Initiative (SJI) is acting as a fiscal host for the fund and will be playing an oversight role to ensure that all funds are fairly and transparently distributed.
Mahlatse Mahlase, SANEF’s chairperson says, “In making the announcement today, we want to express our warm gratitude to MTN SA for their contribution of R500 000 to start the fund and for their further commitment to lobby other corporates to contribute”.
To process the applications, SANEF has set up a team that includes media stalwarts Mathatha Tsedu and Joe Thloloe, Wandile Fana from the Association of Independent Publishers (AIP) and Melody Emmett from the freelancers’ association (SAFREA). Anlo Financial Solutions, a financial services company will assist with processing.
Executive: Corporate Affairs at MTN South Africa, Jacqui O’Sullivan, says all South Africans owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to the reporters and editors who have braved harsh conditions every day to provide invaluable information that is helping save lives.
“In MTN’s view, it is now imperative that the private sector steps in to offer financial assistance to ensure quality reporting standards can be maintained across digital, broadcast and print media platforms. To ensure communication channels remain open and the public gets the information it can trust, MTN is proud to partner with SANEF to begin offering financial support and aid through a targeted relief fund for journalists.”
However, she adds that this is just the first step and “far more” needs to be done, which is why MTN is encouraging all large corporates, companies in supply chains, clients and individuals who can, to step up and help by contributing to this fund.
The purpose of the funding is to assist those in dire need with a small donation to purchase necessities like food and clothing. Only freelance, contract or permanently employed journalists who have been retrenched or had their contracts cancelled since the implementation of the national lockdown on 26 March 2020, will be eligible to apply.
This announcement fulfils the promise we made to establish a fund – a promise we made when we launched our “COVID19 Impact on Journalism” Report in June 2020.
The report points to the devastation that COVID has wreaked on the industry – particularly the print media with the closure of two magazine publishers and 80 small print publications operating across the country, leading to the loss of over 700 journalist jobs. Also, the report pointed to the fact that freelancers had been particularly badly impacted and that 60% of their members had lost almost 70% of their income – and that some had lost 80% to 100%.
SANEF is keenly aware of the fact that many industries are experiencing tough times and that salary cuts and retrenchments have become an ever-present reality. But what is particularly worrying is that with the media industry plays a powerful, democracy-deepening role in society – this is in terms of ensuring a free flow of information in society to keep citizens informed and to hold the powerful to account, both in terms of government and the private sector. We are thus worried that the collapse of the media in small towns, and the shrinking of the industry as a whole, will have a devastating long-term effect on the health of our democracy.
This fund is, therefore, a small first step to assist the industry and thus ultimately to assist all citizens to get the information they need.
We want to again express our gratitude to all who have assisted SANEF to establish the fund. We are hoping that the first phase will allow us to offer emergency relief to journalists. However, if we find further funding, we hope to support other projects to assist the sustainability of small, independent media institutions across the country, through a variety of targeted interventions.
If you wish to contribute to the fund, kindly contact [email protected]and we will send you the details. Alternative arrangements are being made to enable individuals to quickly contribute on a safe, stable and reliable platform. We will announce this soon.
If you would like to donate to the SANEF Media Relief Fund, please click here
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) in conjunction with the Social Justice Initiative (SJI) is inviting applications for emergency funding for journalists who have lost their livelihoods as a direct result of the Covid-19 national disaster.
SANEF has received limited donations from MTN South Africa for journalists in crisis to distribute as emergency funding in this time of need.
SANEF has set up a team of industry stalwarts including representatives from the Association of Independent Publishers (AIP) and the freelancers’ association (SAFREA) to process the applications.
Only freelance, contract or permanently employed journalists, including multimedia journalists who have been retrenched or had their contracts cancelled since the implementation of the national lockdown on 26 March 2020 are eligible to apply for emergency funding.Click here to download the application form
The purpose of the funding is to assist those in dire need with a small donation of R5000 to purchase necessities like food and clothing.
The independent panel will adjudicate all applications and award a fixed amount to each applicant who qualifies for the once-off payment. The panel’s decision is final, and no correspondence will be entered into.
The deadline for applications is Friday 17 July 2020.
Newzroom Afrika reporter, Mweli Masilela shot and injured while covering a protest by taxi operators in Kanyamazane township outside Mbombela, Mpumalanga.
The South African National Editors’ Forum (SANEF) condemns the shooting of Newzroom Afrika reporter, Mweli Masilela while covering a protest by taxi operators in Kanyamazane township outside Mbombela, Mpumalanga.
Masilela was shot and injured when police fired rubber bullets just a few minutes after arriving in the area to disperse the protesters. There was a standoff between the police and taxi operators from the early hours of the morning over the taxi operators’ demand to carry passenger loads of a hundred per cent.
“I had just finished doing interviews with some taxi drivers who were protesting blocking the main road leading into the Kanyamazane township. I was taking some visuals of the blockade when police arrived on site and started firing rubber bullets,” Masilela said.
“I was clearly visible carrying a video camera and tripod, that’s why I still don’t understand why they still had to shoot me. They didn’t even give a warning for people to retreat. They just shouted move, move, and fired shots – that’s when one rubber bullet hit me,” Masilela told SANEF from the hospital where he was examined. He has opened a case against the police.
SANEF believes that this violent incident could have been avoided had police considered the safety of everyone involved before firing. The police should have given reporters and protesters sufficient warning time. Also, they should have given journalists time to find a safe space before indiscriminately firing in their direction.
SANEF calls on police leadership to take swift action and investigate the matter to identify and discipline those that compromised everyone’s safety. Further, we believe that public officials should respect the role of the media in our democracy. We intend to raise the matter with the National Police Commissioner in our upcoming meeting.
NB: SANEF wishes to remind all journalists that the South African Police Service (SAPS) has through its National Service Complaints Centre created a platform enabling the public and the media to report allegations of police brutality or cruelty, inhumane and/or degrading treatment and/or punishment, committed by members of the SAPS. Click here for details
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.
Highway Africa and the Rhodes University’s School of Journalism and Media Studies will be hosting a webinar entitled The Future of Journalism and Media in Africa which will take place on 30 June 2020, 11:00 – 12:30.
The panelists are Styli Charalambous (Daily Maverick), Sandra Gordon (SA Magazines Expert), Julie Masiga (The Conversation Africa) and Roukaya Kasenally (Africa Media Initiative).
community media activist and editor, Mr. Lefa Mohale
The South African National Editors’ Forum (SANEF) and the community media are deeply saddened to learn of the death of community media activist and editor, Mr. Lefa Mohale.
The 33-year old Soweto born Mohale died On Thursday, 18 June 2020 on his way to the hospital after a noticeably short illness.
Mr. Mohale joined Entice Communications and Media as a Senior Photographer and worked his way through the system until he got into the actual compilations of newspaper articles. He founded and published his own Town Talk News publication and joined the Association of Independent Publishers (AIP).
According to Nontando Mokoena of the AIP, Mohale will be remembered for his quiet personality and the gentleman-attributes that he possessed. It was easy working with him.
His former associate Modise Lobelo from North West recalled: “I first met him during a Photo-Journalism training at Media24, Jhb. He had so many ideas on how to grow the newspaper.”
Lobelo said he was not surprised when Mohale established his own newspaper.
Mohale is survived by his wife Tshepi Nthinya, the Editor-in-Chief of Soweto Today and Midrand General News and their 3-year old daughter.
SANEF joins our colleagues in the media in expressing sincere condolences to his family and friends.
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.
Maria Ressa, Executive Editor and Chief Executive Officer, Rappler.com, The Philippines. Photo by Sikarin Thanachaiary
The South African National Editors’ Forum joins leading editors, media executives, and media freedom advocacy groups around the world in calling on the Philippine authorities to end their campaign of harassment and intimidation of fellow journalist Maria Ressa.
A court in the Philippines yesterday (Monday 15 June 2020) found journalist Maria Ressa, the executive editor of the news website Rappler, and former Rappler reporter Reynaldo Santos Jr guilty of “cyber libel”, in a controversial case seen as a significant test of press freedom under the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte.
The court sentenced the pair to a minimum of six months and one day – to a maximum of six years in jail. It allowed them to post bail, pending an appeal. They are the first two journalists in the Philippines to be convicted for cyber libel.
SANEF condemns in the strongest terms the conviction which amounts to a blow to media freedom in the Philippines. We find it ironic that the presiding judge Raineldo Estocio-Montesa convicted the journalists shamelessly quoting former president Nelson Mandela saying: “to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.”
SANEF wishes to remind judge Estocio-Montesa and the Philippines authorities that Mandela did not only advocate for media freedom; he ensured that it thrived even when it was critical of him.
He told the International Press Institute Congress on 14 February 1994 in Cape Town: “A critical, independent and investigative press is the lifeblood of any democracy. The press must be free from state interference. It must have the economic strength to stand up to the blandishments of government officials. It must have sufficient independence from vested interests to be bold and inquiring without fear or favour. It must enjoy the protection of the constitution so that it can protect our rights as citizens. It is only such a free press that can temper the appetite of any government to amass power at the expense of the citizen.”
SANEF believes that the cases filed against Maria Ressa, the founder and editor of the online news site Rappler, were a transparent attempt to silence her and shut down Rappler in retaliation for its critical coverage of President Rodrigo Duterte and his administration.
In solidarity with the media freedom advocacy groups around the world, SANEF regards the conviction of Rappler as part of a more massive assault on press freedom in The Philippines under President Duterte. The Duterte administration’s actions against the media gravely violate the fundamental rights to press freedom and freedom of expression and undermine the Philippine public’s right to access and receive independent news and information.
Shawn Crispin, the Committee to Protect Journalists CPJ’s senior Southeast Asia representative, said: “We call on the Philippine authorities not to contest Maria Ressa and Reynaldo Santos’ appeals. And to stop their campaign of legal harassment against Rappler and other independent media outlets. The criminal prosecution of journalists for their work has no place in a country that purports to be a democracy.”
We also vehemently condemn the vicious online attacks and smear campaigns against Maria Ressa and other journalists at Rappler, which are a further attempt to bully them into silence and deliberately undermine their credibility. These attacks are unacceptable and unworthy of a democratic society.
We call on the Philippine authorities to drop all other charges against Ressa and Rappler, ensure that all attacks – online and offline – against journalists are investigated and stop all forms of harassment and intimidation against the 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.
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