DURBAN, June 11 (ANA) – The media and the judiciary have a responsibility to safeguard South Africa’s open democracy, KwaZulu-Natal Judge President Achmat Jappie said on Saturday.
“Without information citizens cannot make informed decisions. If citizens can’t make informed decisions then they are nothing more than a bunch of sheep,” Jappie told the annual general meeting (AGM) of the South African National Editors’ Forum (Sanef) in Durban on Saturday night.
Jappie emphasised the role of the media in disseminating information to citizens and government. “If the media doesn’t report how will the government know what the people are thinking? They will sit in a dark room and create their own reality,” he said.
The AGM was dominated by discussions on the threat of so-called fake news, cyber bulling, and physical threats to journalists, Sanef said in a statement.
Sanef expressed its outrage at the death threats received by investigative journalists Sipho Masondo (City Press) and Mzilikazi wa Afrika (Sunday Times) in recent months. The AGM agreed to urgently request a meeting with Police Minister Fikile Mbalula and acting national police commissioner Lt-Gen Lesetja Mothiba to discuss these and other threats to and the intimidation of journalists.
“The AGM further identified the weaponisation of social media as an immediate threat to the credibility and safety of journalists. Social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook are being used by nefarious forces to bully, harass, and threaten professional journalists doing their jobs.
“We encourage journalists to report any online or physical abuse and harassment to us on Twitter (@SAEditorsForum); by contacting the Sanef office, or through their title editors,” Sanef said.
The AGM noted with concern the fact that South African photojournalist Shiraaz Mohamed had still not been released from captivity in Syria where he was kidnapped in December. Sanef urgently appealed to the international relations and co-operation department, the Syrian government, and other agencies involved to secure his safe release.
The AGM was informed of the decision by the Press Council’s chair of appeals Judge Bernard Ngoepe to allow Sanef to make presentations as amicus curiae during the appeal hearing on the Huffington Post hate speech matter. Sanef believed that the Press Ombudsman erred in making findings of hate speech and discrimination against HuffPost.
The AGM was also briefed on a research report into the threats editors faced from commercial interests. Sanef would begin to draw up an editorial charter for South African journalists in consultation with members and the industry, the statement said.
– African News Agency (ANA)
