South African journalists and concerned citizens protest outside SABC against censorship

by Brent Lindeque@BrentLindeque 140 0
SABC

The South African National Editors’ Forum will join Friday’s planned pickets outside the SABC’s offices in Cape Town and Johannesburg.

Sanef urged all journalists and citizens who support media freedom to attend the protests in Auckland Park, Johannesburg and Sea Point, Cape Town, at 08:00.

“Recent editorial policy directives are a direct assault not only on the journalism profession but on media freedom as a whole,” the media body said in a statement on Thursday.

The protests were against censorship, Sanef said, and in support of staff who had taken a stand on these matters of basic journalistic principle.

Several of the public broadcaster’s journalists had been suspended for speaking out against COO Hlaudi Motsoeneng’s decision to no longer air footage of the destruction of property during protests.

Acting CEO Jimi Matthews resigned on Monday over what he termed a “corrosive atmosphere” at the organisation.

A message of the intended action was circulated by journalists and news editors on social media, email, and Whatsapp. It was not clear who the organiser was.

It reads: “So here’s the deal: on Friday journos from all over will gather outside SABC Auckland Park dressed in black with placards that read ‘#journalistrights’ from 8am. SABC staffers, with placards that read ‘#notinmyname’, will join them and they’ll proceed to Constitution Hill.

“This is not about us or our respective media houses, but a direct assault on our profession and press freedom.”

SABC COO Hlaudi Motsoeneng has been criticised for his decision last month to no longer air footage of the destruction of property during protests. Three SABC journalists were suspended last week for raising questions about a decision not to cover the Right2Know campaign’s protest outside their offices.

On Tuesday, Motsoeneng said he wondered whether privately-owned media had an agenda against the public broadcaster.

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He did not believe the SABC was censoring content and it reported the news as it was.

“There are no problems within the organisation,” he said.

Exasperated, he said he did not even know what censorship was.

“What is this censorship thing? It is English so I don’t know it. There is no censorship here,” he declared.

Acting group CEO Jimi Matthews resigned from the broadcaster on Monday. He said the SABC’s “corrosive atmosphere” had negatively affected his moral judgement, and made him complicit in decisions he was not proud of.

Meanwhile, social media has been set alight with support for the protests.

https://twitter.com/Burgerboxx/status/748037360848375808

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About the Author

Brent Lindeque is the founder and editor in charge at Good Things Guy.

Recognised as one of the Mail and Guardian’s Top 200 Young South African’s as well as a Primedia LeadSA Hero, Brent is a change maker, thought leader, radio host, foodie, vlogger, writer and all round good guy.

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