Question NW3985 to the Minister in the Presidency

Reply:

Ethics cannot be considered in a vacuum. It is therefore imperative that we consider the historical as well as current context of the South African media. South African media has a dark history of hegemonic control, censorship, and manipulation in the interest of implementing the apartheid project, resisted only by a few brave independent publications and the conscientised media activists of the liberation struggle era.

The resulting legacy could not be – and is not – easy to undo. Oligopoly and lack of diversity persist, narrowing the public space for access to information and debate in a socio-political and economic landscape where English and Afrikaans dominate all platforms, pay-walls encroach, data is expensive and online access limited. Further constraints come in the form of the perceived imperatives of digital news production and dissemination and the fragmenting impact of the entry, via social media, of multiple unaccountable new voices.

To the traditional media roles of informing, educating and entertaining and, as the ‘Fourth Estate’, speaking truth to and asserting checks on power, have been added new responsibilities: countering the self-reinforcing echo chambers of social media; fighting mis- and disinformation; and counterbalancing the hegemony of powerful international information platforms such as Facebook, TikTok and Google.

These are heavy duties. Yet for the proper functioning of a modern participatory democracy, the South African media must be free, proactive, professional, inquiring and accessible. Only then can the media effectively include all citizens in the public discourse and support them in discovering information and forming opinions. Yet the Global Disinformation Index suggests that 41% of South Africans distrust the media and 70% are concerned about the problem of distinguishing valid from ‘fake’ news.

South Africa has a constitution that enshrines the right to freedom of expression and media freedom. However, like in many countries, balancing these rights with ethical considerations is an ongoing challenge. In addition to media being regulated by the country’s constitution and laws, and they are also regulated by the codes they have voluntarily adopted to regulate themselves:

• the Press Council’s South African Press Code;
• the Broadcast Complaints Commission’s Code of Conduct for Free-to-Air Broadcasting Service Licensees and its Code of Conduct for Subscription Broadcasting Service Licensees; and
• the Digital Media and Marketing Association’s Professional Code of Conduct.

Through the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) government continues to ensure that information needs of citizens are met. The GCIS is geared towards ensuring that South Africans receive information in a timely manner, to empower their engagement on important issues that affect their lives as well as the development of communities.

Furthermore, the GCIS has tried and tested platforms such as Vuk’uzenzele newspaper, SAnews, My District Today newsletter, PSM magazine and radio services which boost government efforts to reach the public and contribute to ensuring that the public has access to balanced information. Equally, the social-media platforms managed by the GCIS are regularly updated to ensure they are more effective in conveying government content.

In order to ensure that the community media sector adheres to principles of ethical journalism; the MDDA has since 2019 implemented fact checking training for the sector. Journalists are the first line of defence against information abuse and fake news. Fact-checking is one of the most important elements of the proofreading process. As the name implies, fact-checking in proofreading involves verifying the accuracy of the information included in a document. This practice is essential for producing factually accurate content material that is both reliable and credible.

 

NAME OF THE DRAFTER : PROF. HLENGANI MATHEBULA

DESIGNATION : MDDA BOARD CHAIRPERSON

CONTACT DETAILS : +27 82 448 9219

SIGNATURE :

_____________________________

Nomonde Mnukwa (Ms)

Acting Director-General: Government Communication and Information System

(GCIS)

Date:

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Khumbudzo Ntshavheni

Minister in the Presidency

Date: