*Is the public voice being replaced by media houses* A growing distortion is fast entrenching itself in the media fraternity, that the views of the public are communicated through media houses; that a media agenda is that of the public. I read two consecutive editions of a prominent Sunday publication dedicating serious pages to a supposed expose of the President of the ANCYL. It reminded me of previous editions not so long ago which were also supposedly exposing a rift in the SACP to the detriment of the General Secretary of the SACP. This trend seems to have gained momentum and institutionalised within the media space where fact has been replaced by amusing potential conspiracies; giving the reader entertainment as opposed to facts which really concern them.
There has been an overwhelming outcry that leaders should be held accountable and this is paramount for the sustenance and development of any organisation or the country for that matter; however-seemingly leaders are now expected to account to media institutions as opposed to the constituencies they represent. The justification for this is that they are “public figures”. We should then interrogate when is a leader a public figure ; is this confined to just the political parameters or should Captains of Corporate industries also be held accountable as they are also instrumental in the shaping of the South African Economy. The manner in which we see stories unfold in media spaces is a great concern to the reputation of the leader in question because serious allegations are made and not necessarily proven in the court of law. Now this manner of investigative journalism and potential sensationalism goes back to when the now President of the Republic , Jacob Zuma was on trial not just in court but also in the media domain. Even in him being proven innocent by a court of law, there were already conclusions made by the public (informed by the media) that he was guilty as charged. If leaders are found to be conducting themselves in an unscrupulous manner, to the detriment of their constituencies or society, institutions which are responsible for investigation such as disciplinary committees within organisations and institutions within legal parameters, must be given the opportunity to thoroughly investigate and come to informed conclusions on the matter. This culture of “Media by trial” however has been exacerbated by leaders themselves using media platforms to settle internal matters. The ANC came out strongly against the culture of using media platforms to engage on matters, particularly matters which have not been necessarily agreed upon internally and using media spaces to lobby views instead of constitutionally mandated structures. No one can ever undermine the role of media in keeping society abreast on issues and the role it plays in shaping and developing public opinion. However there needs to be a balance in the information disseminated to the public as an opinion or an issue of public concern. The selectiveness on whom or which political organisation should be scrutinised is also a serious short coming from the media. If we are going to eliminate roots and causations of corruption, all societal players must be placed under scrutiny. If a scandal on a major corporation in SA with regards to tax evasion and insider trading is exposed by publications such as Noseweek, this seemingly does not get the same amount of zeal in our commercial print media front page sections. Society should hold all public figures accountable over and above politicians, however this agenda is set through the media therefore media should take the responsibility of exposing both politicians and business men or any other public figures in our society if the media really seeks to inform the public in a fair and balanced manner. South Africa as a country needs cohesion in driving towards the developmental agenda;inherent class contradictions exist and will continue to remain rife as we strive towards a society free from poverty and vast socio economic disparities. If we lose sight of the pertinent issues in our society we have failed South Africans. Our battle should be shifted from personalities and egos and our mission should be people centred and driven by the urgent needs of South Africans. Corruption is a growing cancer not only in politics but in Corporate SA where price fixing robs millions of South Africans, unjustified bonuses are paid without question- leaving workers to feed off crumbs of the profit cake and financial institutions continue to rob the public in broad day light. In as much as Corporate SA has never claimed to represent the poor, they are instrumental in changing the lives of the poor and should be held accountable, including directors behind the legal entities. Media is a major player in this context and it should be used effectively to disseminate constructive information to the public (including even cheaper publications). The Media however, can never substitute public institutions which are assigned to uphold the law, as well as substitute constituencies of organisations which ultimately have to take the responsibility of holding their leaders accountable informed by their constitution. The media should also account to the public it informs through accountability for the information it provides. When a story potentially tarnishes a person’s reputation and it is not a story which can necessarily be proven in court, but can have severe ramifications for the person in question- the publication must be held accountable and hence the Media Tribunal is required. The role of public institutions and organisations in their quest to transform society should never be replaced by Media Sensationalism. *Gugu Ndima* -- Gugu Ndima +27 76 783 1516 -- You are subscribed. This footer can help you. Please POST your comments to [email protected] or reply to this message. 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