Campaigns

MMA currently is not running any campaigns.

Our strategy is generally to work with media houses, rather than adopting a combative stance.  Therefore, campaigns are only run when the offense is so serious and other options for remedy have been exhausted.

Past Campaigns

Daily Sun’s use of the word alien (2008)

The Media Monitoring Project has succeeded in their bid to prevent the Daily Sun from using the word ‘alien’ in their stories after appealing against the initial finding of the Press Ombudsman. Daily Sun has agreed not to use the term, in the settlement made during the appeal. During the xenophobic attacks, coverage by Daily Sun failed to condemn the violence and continued to label foreign nationals ‘aliens’.  MMA (Previously MMP) submits that Daily Sun‘s continued use of the term “aliens” to refer to non national’s is inappropriate and discriminatory. The Daily Sun is South Africa’s most widely read daily newspaper, and that this reporting has had the effect of supporting the recent violence by perpetuating stereotypes of foreign peoples. Such reporting also threatens the freedom of all media in South Africa, at a time when media freedom has already suffered various challenges.

Campaign activities:

  • Complaint to Press Ombudsman together with CoRMSA (Consortium for Refugees and Migrants in South Africa);
  • Appeal to Press Council.

    • Child Porn in Daily Voice (2007)

    The Media Monitoring Project filed a complaint with the Press Ombudsman against the Daily Voice about the coverage of children in a child pornography feature.  We also highlighted this case of bad coverage and launched a petition against it.  The Daily Voice approached MMA (then MMP) for a settlement to the complaint.  The settlement compels the Daily Voice to:

  • Ensure that the children get counselling,
  • Submit its protocol on publication relating to children to the MMP and to Child Line for contributions,
  • Participate in the course for journalists, “Reporting Children in the Media” presented by MMP at Wits University.


    • Campaign activities:

  • Complaint to Press Ombudsman together with CoRMSA (Consortium for Refugees and Migrants in South Africa);
  • Petition signed by concerned public; and
  • Pamphlet distributed at Children and media conference.