Business Day
*Newspapers getting what they deserve in Info Bill* *Thami Mazwai, Business Day, Johannesburg, 30 November 2011*THE passage of the Protection of State Information Bill in the National Assembly should usher in a period of deep reflection for the privately owned media, which, like it or not, indirectly forced the decision that Parliament took last Tuesday.
Press freedom is a cherished right of every South African and is nurtured by a positive relationship between role players, the main being society, the media and the government. However, the private media saw themselves as the custodians of media independence and determined the rules of the game, changing them at will. This arrogance resulted in some of its operatives abusing society's trust, as the following example shows.
Three weeks ago, a friend was sent questions by a journalist doing a story on an alleged "illegal transaction". It was clear from the questions that the poor journalist did not know the elements of a legal transaction and could not write intelligently about an "illegal transaction". Yet, the story appeared but, to my disgust, it speculated and was cleverly written to avoid litigation. Somebody was being named and shamed on sheer speculation and not fact. This happens regularly and is apparently the media's priority. The media even responds to a right of reply from the public by proclaiming "we stand by our story", suggesting the respondent is lying. This hounding of individuals is not merely part of a broader outlook but is the mission for many in our media.
The people hung out to dry are invariably politicians and bureaucrats, more so those of the African National Congress (ANC). Some deserve this naming and shaming but others, like my friend, do not. Needless to add, many in Parliament who voted last Tuesday enjoyed kicking the media in the teeth.
The media are aware of the poor standards in most newsrooms, but shrug them off. As I talk, two newspaper groups are about to close their training units to cut costs. This then raises questions about the media's commitment to quality journalism. Furthermore, there are no professional qualifications required of those who want to join the profession. While other professions such as engineering, the legal profession and accounting, to name a few, have these qualifications and even keep registers to ensure discipline and maintain standards, the media will not.
Pronouncements by the press ombudsman to rein in reckless reporting are a step in the right direction. Parliament has also criticised the media for their lack of diversity, but the media retort that most editors or executives are black. As if racial quotas are diversity to the exclusion of the diversity and quality of content. Parading stories on witchcraft in publications aimed at blacks is not diversity, it is an insult.
Conferences on press freedom organised by newspapers and/or related civil society groups reinforce the reigning orthodoxy and do not question its relevance, or get feedback from stakeholders. Last week, most newspapers published a common editorial protesting the new law. Interestingly, The New Age newspaper was not given a copy of the editorial so that it could also publish it. It is branded an ANC paper. Even if this were true, what is wrong with being an ANC newspaper? Would this not be part of diversity? SABC TV has also been accused of being a government mouthpiece because it parades government ministers in its news broadcasts. In other words, despite the private media's protestations about press freedom, they want to dictate to the SABC what it should broadcast.
To assist the media in this soul searching, they should ask themselves why national and international communities have not bellowed in anger at the new law as they did when the National Party tampered with the press. They must ask themselves if they have embedded themselves in society and championed its aspirations as we did in the struggle against apartheid. They must ask why most people on the ground, the majority, are not that worried about this bill. The bill would never see the light of day if residents of black townships saw it as an assault on the democracy they fought for. Makes you think, doesn't it?
* Mazwai is director of the Centre for Small Business Development, Soweto campus, University of Johannesburg. *From: http://www.businessday.co.za/articles/Content.aspx?id=159951* * *** -- 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] .
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