FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION INSTITUTE PRESS STATEMENT 5 JULY 2010 Rasool-Smith Debacle Could Compromise Perceptions of SA Media.
Recent disclosures by former Cape Argus journalist Ashley Smith that he accepted monetary inducements to write politically biased stories have scandalised the South African media community. Smith claimed in his affidavit to the National Prosecuting Authority that he wrote complimentary stories about former Western Cape Premier Ebrahim Rasool, while discrediting the political rivals who were contesting Rasool's leadership of the ANC in the province. The spin-doctoring exercises performed by Smith and his political editor at the time were allegedly compensated via a public relations company where Smith's wife was a director, and which received payments from the provincial government. The Freedom of Expression Institute (FXI) condemns the corruption inherent in Smith's confession. The allegations compromise perceptions of South African media independence and raise serious questions about journalistic integrity. The saving grace in this saga is that the publication in question, the Cape Argus, has published the confession prominently and reiterated its commitment to ethical journalism. Several of Rasool's rivals have publicly stated that they are considering suing the newspaper owners for defamation. Smith's declaration could also lead to Rasool and others being tried for corruption. The media independence so strongly enshrined in the South African constitution and encapsulated in public demand for balanced, unbiased reportage can be traced back to the dark ages of apartheid. Then, while the "fourth estate" was often the only source of truth in a beleagured society, there were undeniably some media organs that had a less laudable history of collusion with the apartheid state. Smith's confession raises the spectre of those times, when the nexus between politics and journalism was often murky and shameful. South Africans never want those ghosts resurrected. "This is the thin edge of the wedge, where journalists act as lapdogs for political masters," observes FXI Director Ayesha Kajee. "Unchecked, it results in embedded journalism of the worst type, as seen in the war in Iraq in 2003, with journalists accompanying American troops, while purporting to give independent coverage of the conflict." The media has a responsibility to ensure that consumers receive balanced and nuanced content, ensured by including multiple perspectives, corroborating sources and rigorous fact-checking. The journalist's creed of accuracy and fairness may be likened to the medical practitioner's Hippocratic Oath, and ought to be as sacrosanct. Ayesha Kajee Executive Director Freedom of Expression Institute Mobile: +27 (0)83 5007486 _______________________________________________ NOTICES: 1. This message and any attachments are confidential and intended solely for the addressee. If you have received this message in error, please notify the sender at the specific Independent Newspapers division, from which this message emanates, immediately. Any unauthorized use, alteration or dissemination is prohibited. 2. Independent Newspapers (Pty) Limited (Registration Number 1989/004672/07), including any one of its subsidiaries from which this message emanates, accepts no liability whatsoever for any loss whether it be direct, indirect or consequential, arising from information made available and actions resulting there from. 3. Please note that Independent Newspapers (Pty) Limited and all its subsidiaries only bind themselves by way of signed agreements. 'Signed' refers to a hand-written signature, excluding any signature appended by 'electronic communication' as defined in the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act, no. 25 of 2002. Click here to have South Africa's leading newspapers delivered directly to your door: http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=22&click_id=1903 -- You are subscribed. This footer can help you. Please POST your comments to [email protected] or reply to this message. You can visit the group WEB SITE at http://groups.google.com/group/yclsa-eom-forum for different delivery options, pages, files and membership. To UNSUBSCRIBE, please email [email protected] . You don't have to put anything in the "Subject:" field. You don't have to put anything in the message part. All you have to do is to send an e-mail to this address (repeat): [email protected] .
