News - Media Release

Minister of Communications Speech: The Good, the Optimistic, and the Concerning

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

24 January 2012

MMA welcomes the speech from the Minister of Communications, Dina Pule.  There is much to be pleased about in the new minister’s plans, with one particular area of concern raised below.

Invitation to Children’s Rights Seminar on last day of Media Freedom Week

Media Monitoring Africa invites you to a seminar to be held at the Mail & Guardian offices in Rosebank. We ask, Does upholding Children’s Rights Compromise Media Freedom?

Blanket Boycott of Media 24 will leave citizens out in the cold

The media has come under increasing attack in recent times with the latest being a call for a boycott on Media 24 issued by the ANCYL in Limpopo.

Clearly any media that fails to convey or present news fairly and accurately is doing a disservice not only to its readers but to democracy as well.  Many valid critiques of our media can be made in terms of their accuracy, quality, balance and speaking to all South Africans.  Specifically the voices of the poor and marginalised are seldom heard or their needs catered for by the mainstream media.

Leadership Crisis at the SABC

Media Monitoring Africa (MMA) is deeply concerned by the ongoing governance crises at the SABC. The crises seemed to climax in 2007, however despite various attempts to bring stability we seem to be little further than where we were some three years ago, in terms of fundamentally addressing corporate governance issues. MMA believes that the appointment of the GCEO should be made by the SABC board alone.

Time for BCCSA to stand tall

MMA CALLS ON THE BCCSA TO STAND ITS GROUND IN THE FACE OF PRESSURE FROM THE SABC

Self regulation of the media is an important aspect of our democracy. It is for this reason that institutions that promote and protect the self regulatory aspect of our media are respected and protected. Media Monitoring Africa (MMA) is concerned by the manner in which the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) has chosen to react to the ruling by the Broadcasting Complains Commission of South Africa (BCCSA) in the case of the SABC and the Mail and Guardian (M&G).

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