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Sustainability & Media Relief Fund 1

SANEF Announces Launch Of Relief Fund For Journalists

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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.

Please find a link to the application form here. 

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.

For more information please contact:

  • Mahlatse Mahlase – SANEF Chairperson, (083) 399-2852
  • Katy Katopodis – SANEF Deputy Chairperson (082) 805-7022
  • Moipone Malefane – SANEF Secretary General (082) 772-5861
  • Adriaan Basson – SANEF Treasurer – 082 562 2113
  • Mary Papayya – 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 Convenor, (078) 041-9528
  • Hopewell Radebe – SANEF Gauteng Convenor (083) 582-1734
  • Kate Skinner – SANEF Executive Director – (082) 926-6404

 

Socials

Twitter: @SAEditorsForum

Email: [email protected]

Website: SANEF

Sustainability & Media Relief Fund 1

Applications For Emergency Funding For Journalists In Distress Due To Covid-19 National Disaster

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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.

For more information please contact:

  • Mahlatse Mahlase – SANEF Chairperson, (083) 399-2852
  • Katy Katopodis – SANEF Deputy Chairperson, (082) 805-7022
  • Moipone Malefane – SANEF Secretary-General (082) 772-5861
  • Mary Papayya – SANEF Media Freedom Chair (082) 379-4957
  • Sbu Ngalwa – SANEF Eastern Cape Convenor (073) 404-1415
  • Janet Heard – SANEF Western Cape Convenor (078) 041-9528
  • Hopewell Radebe – SANEF Gauteng Regional Convenor (083) 582-1734
  • Judy Sandison – SANEF KZN Convenor (082) 571-3334
  • Kate Skinner – SANEF Executive Director – (082) 926-6404

Socials

Twitter: @SAEditorsForum

Email: [email protected]

Website: SANEF

7

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