News - Media Release
- A South African First: Child Media Monitors make a submission to the Press Council
For the first time children will be making an oral submission to the Press Council in its current review process. Children from local schools work with Media Monitoring Africa (MMA) as part of its Children’s Media Monitoring Project (CMMP). These child media monitors, who keep a close eye on the media and do daily monitoring on its representation of children, will be giving their suggestions to the Press Council.
MMA will also be making its submission to the Press Council directly after the children’s slot, and will give balanced views on the ongoing debates around calls for a Media Appeals Tribunal, poor and unethical reporting, accountability and regulation of the press.
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- Media Monitoring Africa warns that current proposed legislation threatens the realisation of key hum
As the world commemorates International Human Rights Day, marking the anniversary of the General Assembly’s adoption of Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, South Africa is nearing the end of the year 2010, where new legislation and proposals were put forward that have the potential to severely clampdown on the realisation of our human rights to freedom of expression as well as access to information. The media are key enablers and protectors of our human rights and should be a champion for the realisation of human rights but need the freedom to do so.
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- Media Monitoring Africa concerned about public & family access in ET trial
Media Monitoring Africa (MMA) welcomes the decision to allow but limit media access in the Eugene Terre’blanche murder trial, in which one of the accused is a child. However other elements of Judge Joseph Raulinga’s ruling have given MMA serious cause for concern.
MMA Director William Bird said, “While we welcome the decision on the media, MMA is astonished by the order allowing access for four members of Eugene Terre’blanche’s family and sixteen members of the public, especially when the court received no application seeking family or public access. MMA is seriously concerned that facilitating public and family access will make it impossible to even ensure that the identity of the child is adequately protected”
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- MMA welcomes PSB Bill withdrawal but proper policy review must follow
Media Monitoring Africa (MMA) is delighted with the withdrawal of the Public Service Broadcasting (PSB) Bill, and the commitment shown to proper consultation, review and research.
However MMA urges that consultations must critically include a proper policy review process that adopts a corrective action approach, or else the symptoms of the SABC woes will be temporarily remedied.
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- “SABC offside in Gumede/M&G coverage” says MMA
Rather than acting as an impartial observer SABC appears to have filled the role of a consenting third player in the row between businessman Robert Gumede and the Mail and Guardian newspaper.
That’s according to Media Monitoring Africa (MMA)‘s analysis into the spat between Gumede and the Mail and Guardian – or more specifically the role played by the public service broadcaster in the row and whether SABC has taken sides.
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