‘No media house should get funds without Press Council membership’
The South African National Editors’ Forum (SANEF) has held its non-elective Annual General Meeting (AGM) at which various issues – from the training and development of journalists to mental wellness and the upcoming Media20 (M20) Summit to the important role of the Press Council of South Africa – were discussed.
Also discussed at the 25 June meeting was the long-awaited media engagement between President Cyril Ramaphosa and the broader media in South Africa.
The AGM took place at radio station Kaya 959 and preceded the Standard Bank Sikuvile Journalism Awards later that day.
The AGM noted the progress that the Competition Commission has made with the Media and Digital Platforms Market Inquiry (MDPMI) and is looking forward to seeing the final report, expected at the end of August.
The AGM was unequivocal in its position that all media entities must be members of the Press Council and/or the Broadcasting Complaints Commission of SA (BCCSA). This has always been SANEF’s position, as it abides by the ethical codes set out by these industry bodies.
With the Competition Commission favouring the establishment of a country fund to support journalism, SANEF reiterates its position that no media house should be considered for any possible funding if they do not defer to the guidance of these reputable industry bodies that uphold journalism standards and ethics
SANEF also noted the release, in June, of the Print and Digital Media Transformation report. While the report marks an important intervention, it however does not include the broadcast media in the country.
The exclusion of the broadcast media is unfortunate and makes it difficult to engage with the report, as the entire media landscape – and not just print and digital reporting publications – is facing challenges of sustainability. SANEF is looking to further engage with the GCIS on the report.
With regards to the report, SANEF welcomes and supports the recommendation that only those who belong to the Press Council and BCCSA must be considered for any funds intended for the revitalisation of the media in South Africa.
The AGM noted the progressive meeting between SANEF leadership and Kenny Morolong, the Deputy Minister in the Presidency, following the organisation’s criticism of the government and the Presidency’s attitude towards the South African media.
The meeting was also briefed on Morolong’s feedback at a recent media engagement event at which he had communicated SANEF’s call on Ramaphosa to have a direct engagement with the broader South African media, as he last took questions from the media in 2020. The ball is now in the President’s court
The AGM resolved that more funds need to be raised for the continuous training of journalists. The training should be on areas such as financial journalism, mental wellness, indigenous languages reporting, and other specialised beats such as health and education.
An institution of higher learning will be sought, with the view of partnering to provide such training and improvement of skills in newsrooms, given the massive skills deficit in most newsrooms due to the well-documented sustainability challenges of the media sector.
SANEF and Media Monitoring Africa, through the support of partners such as Brand SA and Standard Bank, have made significant progress regarding the preparations for the Media 20 (M20). The M20 is an independent initiative by the media and involves a series of media events that will take place parallel to the G20.
An international media summit has been planned for September, and numerous international media organisations have come on board to support the M20 efforts in South Africa
There will be several policy issue papers that will be released, and more information can be found here. The work continues to focus on areas such as the role of AI in journalism, intellectual property, children in the media, and information integrity. The safety of journalists is also a topic for the M20.
This article was first published here
