Menu

News

Disinformation Site Wide Image

Africa Check’s Coronavirus Fact-checks Portal

, ,

South Africans at the OR International Airport wear musks in a bid to prevent contracting Coronavirus                Photo: by Themba Sepotokele

 

Africa Check has established its own fact-checking portal to combat the spreading of misinformation.

The global spread of Covid-19 disease has led to unprecedented measures around the world. When there is a health crisis, misinformation can also spread quickly. As a result, Africa Check has been busy fact-checking viral WhatsApp messages, Facebook posts, tweets and news articles in recent weeks. The partner organisation has undertaken to continue to do so as long as there is a need for accurate information during this difficult time.

Click here to access the portal.

Africa Check has grouped fact-checks into six broad categories, which are alphabetically sorted.

They will be adding more categories – and checks – as they encounter them.

Share this #LiveGuide

Many people may feel helpless during this time, especially if they are working from home or self-isolating. But Africa Check can all help combat false and misleading information about the novel coronavirus.

Please share this #LiveGuide and encourage your friends and family to share accurate information.

Tag @AfricaCheck and use #CoronaVirusFacts.

COVID-19 Site Wide Image

Second Alert to Our Members and the Media Industry Coronavirus Disease (Covid19)

,

President Cyril Ramaphosa announced plans to combat the spread of COVID-19 at the Union Buildings        Photo: GCIS

The South African National Editors Forum (SANEF) notes the President’s important address to the nation on the spread and containment of the Coronavirus on 15 March. As stated previously SANEF is committed to assisting government to communicate information pertaining to the spread and containment of the virus and to the safety of journalists covering the disease.

SANEF is heartened by the steps taken by media organisations to protect their journalists in the field. Further, we are pleased that technology is making it easier for non-field staff, in some newsrooms, to work from home. SANEF understands that it is essential for reporters to continue reporting the facts around COVID-19 but that journalists’ safety equally needs to be safeguarded.

In terms of health and safety of journalists, SANEF refers all journalists to the excellent information produced by the Committee to Protect Journalists included on our website –

https://sanef.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/CPJ-Safety-Advisory_-Covering-the-coronavirus-outbreak-Committee-to-Protect-Journalists-002-1.pdf

In the interests of protecting all our communities, we note the importance of all media organisations ensuring the protection of their cleaning and administration staff.

As an organisation promoting media freedom and credibility of the media, we will be providing our members and industry with various toolkits and platforms to facilitate the reporting on COVID-19 in a responsible and ethical manner.

We are working closely with GCIS, the Department of Health and the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) to make sure the flow of information is timeous, accurate and factual.

SANEF notes the damage of the spread of misinformation, disinformation and sensationalism. We thus stress the importance of all journalists relying on expert advice and sources and to scrutinize all information extra carefully before sharing it. The news media particularly, has a duty to counteract “fake news”.  Further, we believe that journalists should avoid creating and distributing graphs, graphics and pictures that could be misleading and /or have not been specifically vetted by experts in the field. SANEF believes that the following organisations are credible sources.

–           The National Institute for Communicable Diseases

–           The Covid-19 South African coronavirus news and information portal.

–           The World Health Organisation

–           First Draft

–           Africa Check 

SANEF is committed to supporting all media organisations in their fight to contain the spread of the virus. We note the critical role of our public broadcaster and all community media organisations in sharing credible, fact-checked news – due to their unique reach in terms of our most marginalized and vulnerable communities.

If media houses would like support – or would like to share their views – as regards protecting journalists covering the virus, we encourage them to contact us on [email protected].

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, education and training programmes. SANEF is not a union.

For more information contact

  • Katy Katopodis – Acting SANEF Chairperson, (082) 805-7022
  • Mary Papayya – Acting SANEF Media Freedom Chair (082) 379-4957
  • Judy Sandison – SANEF KZN Convenor 0825713334
  • Sbu Ngalwa – SANEF Eastern Cape Convenor (073) 404-1415
  • Janet Heard – SANEF Western Cape SANEF Convenor, 0780419528
  • Hopewell Radebe – SANEF Acting Gauteng Regional Convenor 083 582 1734
  • Kate Skinner – SANEF Executive Director – 082 926 6404
COVID-19 Site Wide Image

CPJ Safety Advisory: Covering the Coronavirus Outbreak

,

UPDATED VERSION

The COVID-19 virus (also known as novel coronavirus) is now present across every continent, excluding Antarctica, with confirmed cases and ongoing transmission in over 100 countries, according to data from the World Health Organization (WHO).

The WHO declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on January 31, 2020, and raised its global risk assessment from “high” to “very high” on February 28, 2020, according to news reports.

Below is a link from the Committee to Protect Journalists on how to safely cover the coronavirus outbreak:

CPJ Safety Advisory_ Covering the coronavirus outbreak – Committee to Protect Journalists

COVID-19 Site Wide Image

SANEF Alert to Our Members and the Media Industry – Coronavirus Disease (Covid19)

,

The South African National Editors Forum (SANEF) held a productive teleconference on Tuesday with the GCIS and Department of Health on reporting on the coronavirus. SANEF stated that it was committed to assisting government to communicate information pertaining to the spread and containment of the virus.

Post the meeting, SANEF would like to clarify its role in terms of what it will be assisting with – but also what its role does not include.

To start with the latter – SANEF will not be distributing news alerts. This will remain a GCIS and Department of Health function.

However, where we will be assisting is as follows:

  • Encouraging responsible journalism to prevent panic and stigmatism.
  • Assisting with news events where appropriate.
  • Alerting media houses to credible sources of information such as the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD).
  • Alerting media houses to important messages that need to be conveyed – such as prevention messages and risks.
  • Calling groups of editors together to discuss all new and important developments.
  • Communication around the details of correct government spokespeople.

SANEF believes that the media can play a critical role in the prevention of the spread of this disease. We are therefore happy to contribute in whatever way we can.

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, education and training programmes. SANEF is not a union.

For more information please contact:

  • Katy Katopodis – Acting SANEF Chairperson, (082) 805-7022
  • Mary Papayya – Acting SANEF Media Freedom Chair (082) 379-4957
  • Judy Sandison – SANEF KZN Convenor 0825713334
  • Sbu Ngalwa – SANEF Eastern Cape Convenor (073) 404-1415
  • Janet Heard – SANEF Western Cape SANEF Convenor, 0780419528
  • Hopewell Radebe – SANEF Acting Gauteng Regional Convenor 083 582 1734
  • Kate Skinner – SANEF Executive Director – 082 926 6404

 

 

Diversity and Ethics Site Wide Image

Event Management Tender Notice for SANEF’s Independent Media Ethics and Credibility Inquiry Conference and Ethics Campaign  

,

Event Management Tender Notice for SANEF’s Independent Media Ethics and Credibility Inquiry Conference and Ethics Campaign

 Introduction

The South African National Editors’ Forum (SANEF) is one of the most influential groupings in South Africa. It consists of title editors and senior journalists operating in print, broadcasting and digital mainstream at national as well as some regional and community media levels. It also serves media trainers and academics from major journalism departments and training institutes in the country.

SANEF’s vision is to promote the quality and ethics of journalism, to reflect the diversity of South Africa, and to champion freedom of expression.

SANEF would like to invite event management companies and individuals to bid to manage the following one-day conference and ethics campaign:

Background

SANEF launched an Inquiry into media ethics and credibility in June 2019. We appointed an independent panel chaired by retired Judge Kathleen Satchwell with panelists, Nikiwe Bikitsha and Rich Mkhondo. Please see a link to the terms of reference https://sanef.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Terms-of-reference-June-2019.pdf. The panel will present their findings to SANEF at the beginning of June 2020. The report will be debated and an action plan drafted. This action plan will then be adopted at a SANEF Ethics and Credibility Conference that has been planned for 15 October 2020. Please see the SANEF website for more background information https://sanef.org.za/media-ethics-and-credibility-inquiry/.

Two hundred guests will be invited. It will be a one-day conference held in Johannesburg on Thursday 15 October 2020.

 

Tender document

Prospective companies and individuals should submit a document that contains the following:

  1. Name of company/individual and contact details including company registration and ID numbers of representatives;
  2. Profile and references;
  3. Outline of how the company/individual would approach:
  • The marketing of Judge Satchwell’s media ethics and credibility report to ensure that all major media industry players and other stakeholders (including government and business) are aware of the report and feel encouraged to debate and submit their views to the SANEF office.
  • Assist the SANEF office in compiling an action plan using the report and submissions;
  • Assist the SANEF office to invite speakers and guests to the conference;
  • Assist with drafting of the conference programme; and
  • Organize all logistics connected to the conference.
  1. Detailed budgets for the ethics campaign leading up to the conference and detailed budgets for all the costs associated with the one-day conference.

Contact details for submission

Date of final submission: 25 March 2020

Office Administrator, South African National Editors’ Forum (SANEF)

Email: [email protected]; website: www.sanef.org.za

 

Please note the decision of the SANEF Management Committee is final and no correspondence will be entered into with unsuccessful bidders.

 

Elections Site Wide Image

Nominations Open for the Nat Nakasa Courageous Journalism Awards – 2020

Nat Nakasa was a prominent South African journalist and writer who died in exile in 1965. The annual Nat Nakasa award is awarded for courageous and brave journalism. The award recognises any media practitioner – journalist, editor, manager or owner – who has:

*      Shown integrity and reported fearlessly;

*      Displayed a commitment to serve the people of South Africa;

*      Tenaciously striven to maintain a publication or other medium despite significant obstacles;

*      Resisted any censorship; and

*      Shown courage in making information available to the SA public.

To ensure that courage is highlighted within the community media sector, a specific award will be dedicated to a community media journalist, editor, manager or owner.

The winners will be selected by a jury on the basis of nominations submitted by the public.

Please send your written nominations and clear evidence-based motivations with reference to the criteria above to [email protected].

The closing date for nominations is Friday, 29 May 2020.

The ceremony for the Nat Nakasa Award for brave and courageous journalism will be held at a gala dinner on Saturday 20 June 2020.

Elections Site Wide Image

Addressing Opportunities And Threats Of Social Media to Electoral Democracy

,

On behalf  of the Independent Electoral Commission and United Nations Development Programme

Cape Town – A multi-faceted and inclusive approach is needed in order to harness
the power and to mitigate the risks presented by digital and social media to the integrity of elections.
This is one of the key issues to emerge from a four-day conference themed
‘Safeguarding Electoral Integrity in the Digital Age: Strategies for Combatting Digital
Disinformation’ which ended today in Cape Town.

Attended by nearly 200 delegates including senior representatives from over 30
election management bodies (EMBs) across Africa, election professionals and digital
media experts from around the world including representatives from the major social
media platforms, the conference was organised by the Electoral Commission of
South Africa in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme
(UNDP).

At its conclusion, the conference delegates recommended that a continental working
group be established to build on the work of the conference to develop guidelines to
govern the use of digital and social media in elections in Africa.

Ather guiding principles which emerged during the conference are that:

• A human rights approach should underpin any regulatory and normative
framework on digital media in elections
• Principles of impartiality, accountability and transparency should guide the
creation and composition of any statutory institution mandated with monitoring
digital and social media in elections
• To guard against over-regulation of digital media in elections, measures must
not erode the self-determination and identity of communities especially
marginalised groups
• There must be established a multi-level partnership at national, regional and
continental levels for coherence and maximisation of benefits of social and
digital media and risk mitigation measures to produce a draft set of guidelines.

“Over the past three days, we have noted that disinformation and misinformation is
not a new phenomenon brought about by social media. It is as old as democracy
and the news itself. But what digital and social media have done is to amplify the impact
of disinformation at many levels – including how we relate to content, how we
structure content, how we consume and the rate at which we transmit information,”
said South Africa’s Chief Electoral Officer Mr Sy Mamabolo.

“Social media is an everyday reality and part and parcel of communication and
information infrastructure. Clearly, there are advantages and disadvantages,
especially for us in elections. We must manage this new digital environment and
increase capacities and digital literacy as EMBs and as electoral stakeholders,” he
said.

Among the common challenges of digital and social media, as experienced
throughout the continent is that when used maliciously, disinformation can distort
and harm democratic and electoral processes and it also has the potential to
increase polarisation which can provide a breeding ground for democratic
backsliding and can also become a tool to reinforce authoritarianism, populism,
negative ethnicity and narrow nationalism.

The threats posed by digital media were exacerbated by a weakening of the
traditional media throughout the world and continent.

“Social media is a powerful tool at the disposal of EMBs, political parties, voters and
all stakeholders and there is a critical need to embed social media throughout the
electoral cycle. But it needs monitoring and management.

“We cannot deal with digital media as the preserve of EMBs alone. We need
collaborative efforts and partnerships, and a multi-sectoral and multi-faceted
approach at national, regional and continental levels to address the threats” Mr
Mamabolo said.

The conference identified as a key limitation the lack of guiding principles or legal
and normative frameworks to help govern the use of digital media in elections by all
stakeholders.

“This conference has laid a foundation for further work to be done in developing such
a framework for the continent which can serve as a guideline for all stakeholders.
That is our next challenge and the next chapter of this story,” Mr Mamabolo said.

Contact details for Electoral Commission:
For media queries: Please contact Kate Bapela on 082 600 6386
For media interviews: Please email requests to [email protected]
Contact details for UNDP: Rhulani Lehloka
Tel: 066 307 1827 and Email: [email protected]

Diversity and Ethics Site Wide Image

SANEF to Reinvigorate Yearly Cabinet / SANEF Lekgotla

,

President Cyril Ramaphosa with Sanef Acting Chairperson Katy Katapodis

The South African National Editors’ Forum (SANEF), held a transparent and robust engagement with President Cyril Ramaphosa at Tuynhuys, Parliament in Cape Town, yesterday (Tuesday 3rd March 2020). SANEF members and senior journalists from across the media sector were invited.

The President agreed with SANEF that there was a need to reinvigorate our yearly cabinet / SANEF lekgotla and to hold interactions, on a quarterly basis.

He agreed that it was important for the media to interact with government at all levels. The President promised to facilitate these interactions.

The key issues, in our wide-ranging discussion, included SANEF’s Media Ethics and Credibility Inquiry, the budget speech, cuts to the public wage bill, the state of the economy, the restructuring of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) including Eskom, the President’s time in office and his leadership, and the media’s interaction with government and its leaders.

SANEF was particularly pleased to see that the country’s most senior editors and journalists attended this important event – which forms part of SANEF’s strategy to interact more often and more robustly with the Presidency in order to address any and all pressing and important matters related to the media industry.

Note for 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, education and training programmes.

For more information contact

  • Katy Katopodis – Acting SANEF Chairperson, (082) 805-7022
  • Mary Papayya – Acting SANEF Media Freedom Chair (082) 379-4957
  • Judy Sandison – SANEF KZN Convenor 0825713334
  • Sbu Ngalwa – SANEF Eastern Cape Convenor (073) 404-1415
  • Janet Heard – SANEF Western Cape SANEF Convenor, 0780419528
  • Hopewell Radebe – SANEF Acting Gauteng Regional Convenor 083 582 1734
  • Kate Skinner – SANEF Executive Director – 082 926 6404
Media Freedom Site Wide Image

SANEF Condemns The Harassment Of Journalists By Cape Town Metro Police

,

Journalists equipment damaged in the scuffle.
Cape Town Metro Police officer barring a journalist from covering the eviction of refugees at the Central Methodist Mission on Greenmarket Square. Pic: Unknown

The South African National Editors’ Forum (SANEF) condemns the Cape Town metro police officer who pushed and harassed journalists barring them from doing their job on Sunday, 2 March, 2020.

According to freelance reporter Wesley Fester, who recorded the incident, Newzroom Afrika’s reporter Athi Mthongana was shoved and assaulted by a member of the  City of Cape Town’s Law Enforcement Department assigned to remove the refugees living around the Central Methodist Mission on Greenmarket Square on Sunday afternoon. There were other journalists whose equipment was also damaged in the scuffle.

SANEF also noted that last week, on Budget day, Wednesday, February 26, 2020, a SAPS police officer forcefully stopped Parliamentary reporter and photographer Jan Gerber from recording and reporting an incident where the police prevented DA interim and official leader of the opposition John Steenhuisen from entering Parliament ahead of the budget speech.

Gerber, a News24 journalist, was busy taking a cell phone video of this interaction when one brigadier then confronted him, saying he should turn his phone off because he was not “authorised” to make a video of the discussion. On the video, the brigadier in question pushed his phone away to prevent the recording.

Harassment of Journalists
Cape Town Metro Police officer barring a journalist from covering the eviction of refugees at the Central Methodist Mission on Greenmarket Square. Pic: Unknown

According to the police’s standing order 156, no police official may prevent a member of the media “taking photographs or making visual recordings”.

SANEF calls for decisive action against the metro police officers and the members of the SAPS who are identifiable breaking the law. They should be subjected to internal disciplinary action and held to account in terms of why they sought to censor the media.

SANEF is worried that these incidents where police and metro police officers randomly prevent journalists from using the tools of their trade to record and report stories are increasing. They have done so recently even inside courtrooms without the decision or the order of the presiding magistrate.

We are looking into engaging officials responsible for metro policing around the country to make the police’s standing order 156 possibly applicable to metro officers as well.

SANEF once again calls on the Ministers of Police as well as the Justice and Correctional Services in the security cluster to ensure that all state organs especially members of the SAPS and metro police protect journalists and stop this gross violation of the Constitution.

The prevention of journalists from covering stories infringes on the right of freedom of expression enshrined in Section 16 of our Constitution. Section 16 states that everyone has the right to freedom of expression, which includes “freedom of the press and other media” and “freedom to receive or impart information or ideas”. Therefore, the protection and encouragement of the free press, freedom of speech and the free flow of information are cornerstones.

Note for 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, education and training programmes.

For more information contact

  • Katy Katopodis – Acting SANEF Chairperson, (082) 805-7022
  • Mary Papayya – Acting SANEF Media Freedom Chair (082) 379-4957
  • Judy Sandison – SANEF KZN Convenor 0825713334
  • Sbu Ngalwa – SANEF Eastern Cape Convenor (073) 404-1415
  • Janet Heard – SANEF Western Cape SANEF Convenor, 0780419528
  • Hopewell Radebe – SANEF Acting Gauteng Regional Convenor 083 582 1734
  •  Kate Skinner – SANEF Executive Director – 082 926 6404

Load More

Back To Top
The South African National Editors’ Forum (SANEF) remains committed to ensuring that this site is kept up to date and accurate. If you like our site or have suggestions on how best we can improve your experience on our website, please send us an email.
2024 © South African National Editors' Forum. All rights reserved. Developed by ALT Media.