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A new vision for Nat Nakasa 2020 – We need your assistance

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.

Further details will be provided soon.

please click here for more on the Nat Nakasa Award : https://sanef.org.za/nat-nakasa/ 

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Press Freedom Guaranteed But Fragile

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.

South Africa’s ranking since 2013.
Year Ranking
2019 31 / 180
2018 28 / 180
2017 31 / 180
2016 39 / 180
2015 39 / 180
2014 42 / 180
2013 52 / 180

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World Press Freedom Day – Journalism Under Severe Financial Threat

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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.

https://behindthescenewitheditors.splashthat.com/

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.

https://africanagendasetter.splashthat.com/

https://commercialandcommunitymedia.splashthat.com/

 

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:

Mahlatse Mahlase – SANEF Chairperson, (083) 399-2852

Mary Papayya – Acting SANEF Media Freedom Chair (082) 379-4957

Judy Sandison – SANEF KZN Convenor (082) 571-3334

Sbu Ngalwa – SANEF Eastern Cape Convenor (073) 404-1415

Janet Heard – SANEF Western Cape SANEF Convenor, (078) 041-9528

Hopewell Radebe – SANEF Acting Gauteng Regional Convenor (083) 582-1734

Kate Skinner – SANEF Executive Director – (082) 926-6404

 

Twitter: @SAEditorsForum

Email: [email protected] Website: www.sanef.org.za

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INVITATION: BEHIND THE SCENES WITH EDITORS

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?

Please click the link below for rsvp:

https://behindthescenewitheditors.splashthat.com

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Facebook Invests $390,000 to Support South Africa Newsrooms During COVID-19

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 million investment 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 donation to 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 / the ICFJ website to find out how to apply.

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Covid-19 Report 1: Understanding The Most Important Science Of The Past Week

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Structure of coronavirus. Image by Scientific Animations via Wikimedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

GroundUp and Spotlight have teamed up to publish an occasional report that summarises and links to the most important Covid-19 science, and clear up misunderstandings.

 For more on this, please click here : https://www.groundup.org.za/article/covid-19-report-1-understanding-most-important-science-past-week/.

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AIP’s Open Letter to the President

The Association of Independent Publishers (AIP) has written an open letter to the office of the Minister in the Presidency, Media Development and Diversity Agency and the Office of the President. Click here to download the letter:

It is with deep regret and anguish that the Association of Independent Publishers (AIP) is writing this letter. As the president has made several announcements regarding economic relief to South Africans during this testing time, it seems that community print media is yet again forgotten.

In all of the relieve measures the president has made, independent community media has been sidelined and it is clear that the president does not regard the sector as an important contributor to not only the economy but the communities it serves.

The Media Development and Diversity Agency (MDDA) is yet again playing hide-and-seek at a crucial time. It recently announced an emergency relief fund and gave our members less than three days to apply. The conditions on how the money was to be used were not only unclear but completely absurd. The emergency fund was a clear indication that the MDDA is out of touch with realities on the ground. We are to this day not clear how many publications received the grant and if there will be any further relief offered. The MDDA has shown that it does not care about the print sector and is willing to see it die a slow, painful death.

I am sure that as the economy is going through the current challenges, it is well known that corporations are to cut advertising spend which is a huge income loss for the community print sector. Something the government, MDDA and the Minister of the President is simply ignoring.

Our print members are still waiting to see a directive that will push government departments to place advertising in community newspapers, which was promised to the sector, more than a decade ago The issue of advertising is a sign of lack of political will by those in power to help keep the sector afloat. We are also very distraught that the money that the Competition Commission set out over a year ago as compensation especially for the community print as a result of the advertising cabal has not in any way reached community print.

As a solution to our continuing challenges we propose the following:

  1. MDDA provides the emergency fund to all AIP member publications.
  2. The Presidency must mandate all government departments to spend at least 30% of their advertising on community media.
  3. The money that the Competition Commission fined mainstream media on the advertising irregularities must be made available to community media especially community print and the AIP, with immediate effect.
  4. The AIP as an NPO be allowed in the period of 2020 to issue section 18A certificates to corporates that will be willing to make the donations to them.
  5. The MDDA avails a budget to help NPOs in the media sector with some sort of relief.
  6. That all relief measures afforded to SMMEs are extended to the NPOs such as the AIP.
  7. The SETAs that are funding the sector on a project basis also work on a relief fund for NGOs that work with them

About AIP:

Association of Independent Publishers (AIP) is a membership association that represents grassroots community newspapers (both online and print). There are over 200 AIP members that publish over 7 million copies per month (reaching close to 28 million readers). Over 70% of our publishers are black and our publications service the most rural parts of the country.

AIP member publications are distinct from mainstream media owned by large media groups like Media 24, Sekunjalo, Caxton Group and Tiso Blackstar. Members publish primarily in rural areas and disadvantaged communities, in a diverse range of languages and service a diverse range of interests.

85 members publish in a combination of English, Afrikaans and a local language. 78% of publications are black-owned with 28% owned by women.

Our geographical communities range from rural Cofimvaba to the urban people of Bonteheuwel, Heideveld and the Cape Flats; from Makhado to Gansbaai; Mangaung to Jozini and many more in between.

Regards

Carol Mohlala

Executive Director

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SANEF Welcomes The Launch Of The Real411 Platform

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The South African National Editors’ Forum (SANEF) welcomes and endorses the launch of the Real411 platform together with Media Monitoring Africa and a range of partner organisations, as a mechanism for members of the public to report concerns of disinformation to be assessed and verified.

SANEF trusts in the integrity of the platform. It was originally launched as a joint initiative with the Independent Electoral Commission during the 2019 general elections in South Africa where it played an important role to counteract disinformation. The platform was then relaunched earlier this year to address misinformation and disinformation beyond the election period.

With the rise in the spread of disinformation regarding the Covid-19 pandemic, SANEF believes that such a platform presents a unique and important opportunity to address disinformation in an open and transparent manner.

On April 15, the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies announced that it would be collaborating with Real411 to curb the spread of disinformation pertaining to the pandemic.

SANEF believes that the Real411 initiative is significant for various reasons.

First, rather than housing the complaints portal within the security services — which could have a chilling effect on the right to freedom of expression — it is run by a civil society organisation that has a strong history of protecting and promoting free speech.

Second, it brings together voluntary reviewers with established technical, media and legal expertise to ensure that the findings are properly informed by all relevant facts and a number of expert perspectives.

Third, it emphasises the need for transparency and accountability and seeks to deal with all complaints in a manner that is reasonable and justifiable.

Lastly, Real411 has an appeals process that is led by former acting Deputy Chief Justice, Zak Yacoob.

SANEF notes that all findings made and decisions taken by the platform are made available to the government. The government then makes decisions in light of these findings.

SANEF hopes that the South African media will promote the Real411 Portal as a means of combating the spread of “fake news” and assisting the public to report false Whatsapp text and voice messages including videos as well as other suspicious and “dodgy” social media posts.

(The Real411 portal does not deal with media complaints. Any media complaint received by the platform is immediately forwarded to the relevant self-regulatory authority such as the Press Ombud or Broadcasting Complaints Commission of South Africa.)

We believe that misinformation on the virus is getting out of control with very dangerous consequences for our society – including the spreading of unnecessary panic and the ultimate undermining of our collective efforts to contain the virus.

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:

 

Mahlatse Mahlase – SANEF Chairperson, (083) 399-2852

Katy Katopodis – Acting SANEF Chairperson, (082) 805-7022

Moipone Malefane – SANEF Secretary-General (082) 772-5861

Mary Papayya – Acting SANEF Media Freedom Chair (082) 379-4957

Sbu Ngalwa – SANEF Eastern Cape Convenor (073) 404-1415

Janet Heard – SANEF Western Cape SANEF Convenor (078) 041-9528

Hopewell Radebe – SANEF Acting Gauteng Regional Convenor (083) 582-1734

Judy Sandison – SANEF KZN Convenor (082) 571-3334

Kate Skinner – SANEF Executive Director – (082) 926-6404

 

Twitter: @SAEditorsForum

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