A critique of SABCs political coverage.

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A critique of SABCs political coverage.

• AND
• Opportunities that the current political climate
  offers developmental journalism and the SABC
• By Guy Berger, 22 November, 2009

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• Broadcasting during elections is a testing time
  for SABC.
• A time when commitment to objectivity, accuracy,
  fairness, impartiality and balance is
  scrutinised closely.
• Also a trying time for staff who may feel
  pressure from parties.

(Editorial Policies)
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Coming up

• History
• The stakes
• Your guidelines
• The opportunities

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• 1. HISTORY

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Back in 93...

• Historical conundrum
• ANC didnt trust Nats over SABC pre-election,
• Nats didnt trust ANC over SABC post-election.

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Historical compromise

• Two parties civil society
• Consensus take SABC out of political spheres of
  influence.
• (Note SABC was passive in all this).
• Restructuring
• New board
• Independent Monitoring Commission
• IBA and broadcast pluralism

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But still political pressures

• 1994 separate meetings with parties just
  involved SABC being lambasted.
• 1996 joint meeting (in KZN) set limits
• Minority parties would get coverage
• Not every function would be covered
• Not short notice
• Ground rules for debates
• Complaints would be dealt with asap
• Parties would give up-to-date contacts

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MEDIA CODE OF CONDUCT

• ... FOR POLITICIANS
• 12 parties signed in June 1996
• Bishops, editor-in-chief, Electoral Code of
  Conduct Commission as monitors.
• The text reads
• To ensure a free, independent news media,
  commitment is needed from all the main players
• Journalists and editors to professional codes
• Politicians to the following code

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• To wholeheartedly help party members understand
  the role of the media in a democratic society.
• We agree that the rights of working journalists
  should be respected at all times while engaged in
  news-gathering.
• We undertake to respect and promote the
  physical safety of journalists to the best of our
  ability, including

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• Not inciting attacks on media reps.
• Not naming individual journalists at public
  events.
• Not verbally or physically interfering with
  reporters.
• Not restricting access to news sources.
• Not having no-go zones, but rather letting
  journalists operate without fear of intimidation.

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• Not to pressure presenters while on air to do ad
  hoc interviews.
• Not to try and bribe journalists.
• Discourage party members and others from making
  abusive or threatening anonymous phone calls to
  media.
• Using existing mechanisms to channel complaints.
• TODAY PARTIES CODE OF CONDUCT

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• 2. STAKES

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WHAT ARE ELECTIONS FOR?

• Licence a new gang to get a chance to grab hold
  of the goodies?
• Elect a government to govern in the public
  interest based on mass mandate?
• Register public sentiment on policies?
• Channel social culture into non-violent conflict
  resolution?
• Promote citizenship for post-poll participation
  in political life.

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The bottom line

• Pre-condition for a free fair election
• a free and fair media incl. the SABC.
• Free
• Citizens feel free to speak out ( have platform)
• SABC is free from interference
• SABC is free to provide diversity and access.
• Fair
• Fairness by SABC
• Fairness to SABC

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Take a long haul view

• Building an unassailable PSB over democratic
  transition.
• Setting a role model for the continent.
• Giving South Africans the best possible outcome
  from the poll not least vis-a-vis 2010.

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• 3. GUIDE-LINES

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The law makes it easy for you

• SABC CHARTER confirms
• Your duty to give a plurality of views and news.
• Within this, your right to freedom of expression
  and journalistic independence.

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What Icasa regulations say

• Fair equitable, not equal.
• Fair low differential between old and new
  parties, not pure proportionality based on past
  and present.
• Letting conflicting views be heard does not
  translate into all parties being heard on any
  subject.
• Right to reply is not to mild or even robust
  discourse.
• Assessment can only be done over time.

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A caution from Icasa

• Avoid giving policies of governing party greater
  legitimacy than if the party were not in
  government. (Icasa)
• Avoid the danger of being seen as a Civil
  Service broadcaster i.e. loyal to the
  government of the day (it was TM, now KM,
  tomorrow JZ).
• Keep an autonomous identity.
• Learn from MPs who bent with pressure!

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Critics must be asked to show ...

• Violations of ICASA code
• Distortion, exaggeration, misrepresentation?
• Material omissions?
• Summarisation?
• Or that opinions or allegations were presented as
  fact?
• Or a controversy ignored a key view?
• Or there was no reasonable right to reply.

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• 4. OPPORT-UNITIES

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What we dont want

• Media as a negative factor in an election.
• Toxic treatment of media in an election.
• Media used as a scapegoat.
• Media kicked around as a political football.
• Media losing credibility.

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Foreground media roleS

• 1. Forum role what?
• Platform for parties incl debate
• ALSO Platform for parties and public
  interaction.

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Be careful...

• Phone in and discussion programmes should not be
  presented as scientific reflections of public
  opinion. (Editorial Policies)

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From the horses mouth

• Broadcasters should not rely on political
  parties to bring information to them, but should
  actively seek out information.
• Failure to do so will give parties with greater
  resources inequitable amounts of news coverage.
  (Icasa regulations)

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More media roleS

• 2. Watchdog what?
• Scrutinise parties, expose intolerance,
  irregularities, follow-up on law enforcement.

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More roleS

• 3. Enabling role - what?
• Educating audiences (rights, responsibilities)
• Involving audiences and 3rd parties
• Informing about parties and about results.

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More roleS

• 4. Setting the Agenda what?
• Being proactive, doing research.
• Political conduct (democracy)
• Development the key issue.
• Also Media issues and Access to Info.

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Another cautionary

• Agendas intolerance
• Licensees are reminded generally of the possible
  dangers of some people imitating violence details
  of which they see, hear or read about. (Icasa,
  revised code of conduct).

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Development objectives

• Make development democracy the main agenda.
• Put the focus on policies, rather than on the
  political people and emotion.
• Educate the public on the poll system.

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Development objectives

• Educate the citizens on the poll system.
• Encourage them to assert their rights.
• Put pressure on those who dont exercise their
  responsibilities as citizens
• Build respect for independent SABC.

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Boost credibility

• Combine all four roles
• Forum (pluralistic fairness)
• Watchdog (SABC active agent)
• Enabler (educator, accessible)
• Agenda-setting (leading)

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• 5. IN SUM...

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• History seize a window of opportunity, an
  interregnum between powers.
• Dont be on defensive, dont be a football.
• The stakes are the SABC, and public broadcasting
  in Africa ... And standards for a free and fair
  election.

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• Follow, and quote, your Bibles
• Roles agenda-setter, forum, watchdog, enabler
  (AFEW)
• Empower people for the best possible government
  of, for and by the citizens.

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Thank you