The International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) is partnering with the Facebook Journalism Project (FJP) to administer nine grants to independent local news organizations in South Africa that are producing quality journalism amidst the COVID-19 crisis.
This grant program will provide urgent financial support for independent publishers with a special focus on investigative journalism and local news organizations that are providing trustworthy information about COVID-19.
Please click the links below for more information and how to apply:
The South African National Editors’ Forum (SANEF) is concerned by an ANC statement published on 6 May 2020 in which it accused a national weekend newspaper, Rapport of peddling misinformation.
The ANC statement failed to mention the title and author of the article, date of publication and page where the alleged false headlines and content were published.
Editor of Rapport, Waldimar Pelser states, “accusations of spreading misinformation should not be made without offering evidence of factual errors, which after three days, the ANC had not yet produced. In this case, we believe the only “mistake” we made was to upset the ANC by reporting on government’s attempts to centralise the distribution of food parcels, which lead to thousands of KZN families waiting more than a week for aid.”
While SANEF recognizes the right of the ANC to challenge reports and to express its opinions on any article published, we believe it needs to back up its accusations with relevant facts. Further, we believe that the ANC should have engaged with the editor and/or reported any inaccuracies to the Press Ombud’s office.
The Press Ombud, in the case of online and print publications and the Broadcasting Complaints Commission of South Africa (BCCSA) in the case of broadcasting, has powers to investigate and sanction media houses that report false or inaccurate information. SANEF calls on the ANC to recognize these processes and mechanisms for channelling complaints. We believe that in this way it will then lead by example.
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 perturbed about developments at eNCA where news anchors Xoli Mngambi and Jane Dutton were taken off air after apologising for raising their views about the government’s cigarette ban.
On Monday, Mngambi and Dutton criticised the government’s handling of the ban. After receiving critical feedback from viewers and the public, they went on air to apologise for their comments on Tuesday morning. From Wednesday, they were no longer hosting the morning show on eNCA.
There has been no public explanation for their absence.
SANEF understands that a few months ago the eNCA management introduced a requirement for its anchors to be more opinionated and to open their shows on social and political issues. So it seems that when Mngambi and Dutton aired their comments they were not violating any internal policy.
SANEF is deeply concerned about the potential undermining of freedom of expression at eNCA. Freedom of expression is a cornerstone of the South African Constitution and enshrined in Section 16. We remind the channel’s management of former president Nelson Mandela’s statement that a “critical, independent and investigative press is the lifeblood of any democracy”, a view with which we fully agree.
Issues regarding news versus comment often given rise to a great deal of unhappiness with the media. We think it important to reiterate key provisions of the BCCSA Code of Conduct applicable to eNCA. Section 28.1.3 of the Subscription Code clearly requires that “only that which may reasonably be true… may be presented as fact…If a report is…founded on opinion…it must be presented in such manner as to indicate clearly that such is the case.”
Management’s strategy to include more personalised commentary in the news broadcasts has paved the way for an unfortunate mixing of news and comment in such a way that the reasonable viewer might have been left in doubt as to what was fact and what was the newsreaders’ opinion.
SANEF respects the right of media companies to apply their own editorial guidelines, quality control measures, internal policies and directives, but this should never be at odds with the Constitution and industry codes.
SANEF will write to eNCA acting MD Norman Munzhelele asking for an explanation of why Mngambi and Dutton’s have been taken off the air. We believe that news management should defend journalists and their freedom of expression.
The incident follows incidents of political interference in the newsroom in December that led to the exit of the previous head of news. We will also be raising these issues in our meeting.
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.
Noting the daily grind of reporters struggling to tell the Covid-19 story in various newsrooms around the country and noting journalists’ decision to go out on a limb to report – despite the dangers – the Nat Nakasa judges, in consultation with SANEF, have decided that the story of 2020 is Covid-19 and that the media industry and journalists in South Africa as a whole should collectively be given the award.
Since the outbreak of the virus in the country, many editors in newsrooms around the country have faced daily challenges including difficult choices of assigning journalists to cover the COVID-19 stories, despite the risks. In equal measure journalists have stepped up to the challenge and have taken leave of the safety of their homes and work office space to roam the country searching for unique angles to tell COVID-19 related stories.
Our plan this year is to create a documentary of the incredible work that journalists have been doing.
SANEF thus wishes to encourage all newsroom to submit quality video clips of the work of courageous journalists in the field doing their reports on COVID-19.
We would like journalists, freelancers and editors to submit:
Video clips using smartphones and related video equipment reflecting the typical life of a reporter going out on a limb to bring stories back despite the remoteness of the communities, the difficulties of telling the stories, the difficulties of lockdown, the daily exhaustion, the mental fatigue, the danger of infection and harassment from security authorities.
All media houses – public, private and community as well as freelancers – are invited to record and capture these video clips of the mood in the newsrooms and journalists out on assignment to creatively portray their news coverage of the crisis. Please submit the clips to [email protected]
It is important to note that the video will of course be a sample of work to illustrate the spread of the award.
SANEF will appoint a video production company to edit the clips and create a collage representing the South African coverage of the virus across the length and breadth of the country.
The Committee to Protect Journalists, 191 partner organizations urge UN Secretary General to take action to secure release of jailed journalists amid COVID-19.
Published every year since 2002 by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), the World Press Freedom Index is an important advocacy tool based on the principle of emulation between states. The Index is a point of reference that is quoted by media throughout the world and is used by diplomats and international entities such as the United Nations and the World Bank. This is an extract of its 2019 report about South Africa’s state of media freedom.
South Africa’s 1996 constitution protects press freedom. An investigative journalism culture is well established but apartheid-era legislation and terrorism laws are used to limit coverage of governments’ institutions when “national interest” is supposedly at stake. The state security agency spies on some journalists and taps their phones. Others are harassed and subjected to intimidation campaigns if they try to cover certain subjects involving the ruling ANC, government finances, the redistribution of land to the black population or corruption. The opposition Economic Freedom Fighters party was given a high court warning in 2019 because of its invective and hate speech against journalists. It is not unusual for journalists, especially women journalists, to be mocked, insulted and even threatened on social media, sometimes by politicians or their supporters.
The South African National Editors’ Forum (SANEF) commemorates World Press Freedom Day in 2020 under level four Coronavirus lockdown in South Africa. We believe that during the coronavirus pandemic the news media has never been more important – and yet it is under severe threat.
Historically World Press Freedom Day has been celebrated as a day where citizens, journalists and journalist organisations around the world celebrate the fundamental principles of press freedom and its benefits to society. We evaluate the status of press freedom internationally and in our countries, regions and continents and we recommit to defending journalists from attacks on their independence.
In South Africa 2020 we note the important work done by journalists – particularly covering the Coronavirus pandemic. Journalists are designated essential workers and have been on the frontline telling stories of the spread and containment of the virus, the impact the virus is having on people’s daily lives, holding to account those in authority and educating the public on minimizing the risk of infection. We have seen audiences soar as citizens seek information on health issues and the economy. However, while journalism plays its critical role, simultaneously it has also been under severe financial threat as the lockdown has prompted advertisers to rein in spending and made it difficult to circulate newspapers and magazines.
SANEF notes the closure of Associated Media Publishing (AMP), one of South Africa’s pioneering independent media houses. AMP CEO Julia Raphaely announced that the company would cease trading and publishing all its magazine titles from Friday, 1 May 2020. AMP published famous brands including Cosmopolitan, House & Leisure, Good Housekeeping and Women on Wheels. Raphaely said that, coupled with the global halt on advertising spend as well as the inability to host events for the foreseeable future, the AMP found it impossible to continue trading. She remarked, “For the last 38 years, AMP has been one of South Africa’s leading publishers and our titles have been part of many people’s lives. It’s a big blow for magazine media brands in South Africa”.
AMP’s decision to stop trading comes soon after the distress call for increased government advertising support – and support from the Media Development and Diversity Agency (MDDA) – from the Association of Independent Publishers (AIP). AIP organizes approximately 200 small independent community print publications across the country.
Also, several media houses have announced plans to cut salaries by up to 40% and/or to stop commissioning the services of freelance journalists.
SANEF is aware that community media journalists and freelancers face some of the greatest threats. Freelance workers do not have the traditional protections of paid sick leave, insurance and funds from the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF). Consequently, they face a disproportionate risk of financial hardship. A survey carried out by the South African Freelancers Association (SAFREA) has shown the impact of the pandemic, with more than 50% of members having already lost more than 70% of their income. Many freelancers have lost 100%, and because their work is often ad hoc rather than contractual, they have been turned down for government relief funding.
Not only are jobs at stake, but media diversity and the production of quality news to provide verifiably information in the public interest should newsrooms, already under pressure, shrink or news organisations be forced to close.
In the wake of this crisis SANEF has decided to commission research on the impact of the Coronavirus on the industry and what is to be done. We hope to release the findings shortly.
We will be discussing these matters today as part of a three-part webinar series to honor World Press Freedom Day. The series is being jointly hosted by SANEF, Media Monitoring Africa (MMA), the Press Council, the Institute for the Advancement of Journalism (IAJ), the SOS: Support Public Broadcasting coalition and the AIP.
We warmly encourage everyone to attend the discussion today (Sunday) from 12 noon till 1pm. Please register before 11am.
Also, do join us for the two follow-up seminars on Monday and Tuesday, also from 12 noon till 1pm, looking at the African Declaration on Freedom of Expression and the importance of community 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.
Journalists have played a critical, frontline role during the Coronavirus pandemic sharing information, explaining the crisis and correcting false information. Audience figures have soared across Africa and South Africa but simultaneously the financial bedrock of the media has been fundamentally undermined.
Go behind the scene with editors this coming World Press Freedom Day (Sunday 03 May 2020) as they unpack the corona Crisis – Journalism in financial distress. What is to be done?
Today, the Facebook Journalism Project (FJP) is announcing $390,000 to help South African news organizations navigate the economic impact of the coronavirus crisis. We will provide funding and training to support their coronavirus work and high-quality journalism across the country.
As part of these funds, Facebook will work with the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ), a non-profit organisation with a history of working with publishers across the world. ICFJ will provide $140,000 in these grants to South African publishers, as well as a $250,000 video training program for 10,000 journalists across the continent covering COVID-19 through video reporting. “The news industry is working under extraordinary conditions to keep people informed during the COVID-19 pandemic. As people turn to local journalists for critical information on how to keep their friends, families and communities safe, these journalists are affected especially in the current economic crisis,” said Jocelyne Muhutu Remy, strategic media partnerships manager of Facebook Africa. “We’re working with our partners and the industry to understand their needs, which includes support to help them continue creative, innovative and impactful storytelling.
“Sub-Saharan Africa’s newsrooms will need to play a key role in informing the public in a highly vulnerable region,” said Johanna Carrillo, ICFJ’s vice president of programs. “With this new grant from the Facebook Journalism Project, we can build on our work together helping newsrooms and publishers in the region at this difficult time.”
This investment builds upon Facebook’s ongoing COVID-19 focused work in South Africa and across the continent. Focused on helping provide accurate information to various communities, our work has included launching the Coronavirus Information Center on Facebook, as well as COVID-19 Connect, a WhatsApp-based health helpline developed in partnership with the Minister of Health and local Facebook partner, Praekelt. An additional $100,000 from Facebook will be invested in Kenya this year, for a Video Storytelling Fellowship
FJP’s commitment to newsrooms in South Africa follows Facebook’s $100 millioninvestment to support the news industry during the coronavirus crisis, as well as $2 million in grants for US and Canadian local news, $1 million in grants for fact-checking organizations, and a $1 million donationto the International Fact-Checking Network. Previously, FJP committed $300 million to serving journalists around the world through diverse and inclusive news programs and partnerships.
Applications open 5 May 2020, visit the FJP website / theICFJ website to find out how to apply.
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