All Resources
- Mirror of abuse
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29 October 2003 - Despite the extra protection afforded to children in South Africa by the International Convention on the Rights of the Child (to which South Africa is a signatory), the Constitution, and various pieces of legislation, members of the media continue to violate the rights of children by identifying them when involved in criminal proceedings or identifying children who have been abused or are in trauma.
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- Race, Rugby and Everything Else
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While South Africa’s leading papers would have one believe that the South African media has come a long way in the struggle for unbiased reporting especially when it comes to race issues, the Geo Cronje debacle has showed us that there is still a lot of room for improvement…
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- Putting Children First – This is no gag
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The last few days have seen extensive coverage across all media of a white boy, Happy Sindane, who told police that he had been abducted by a domestic worker when he was 6-years old.
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- Victims of War or Victims of the Media
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As the conflict in Iraq reaches new stages, similarly so does the coverage as provided by the news media. Increasingly newspapers are carrying more and more graphic images of dead bodies and injured people.
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- All Sides of the Story
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The media plays an important role in protecting and promoting children’s rights, and in many instances, in exposing their abuse and their triumphs. The South African Constitution guarantees freedom of expression, including freedom of the press and other media, and access to information. These rights do not stand alone, however. The right to privacy, dignity, and specific rights protecting children are also constitutionally guaranteed. Satisfying the public’s right to hear stories about and affecting children, while at the same time respecting children’s rights to privacy and dignity, is a delicate and difficult balancing act. Journalists reporting on children are confronted with ethical dilemmas of an extraordinarily complex and diverse nature. This guide reflects these difficulties whilst providing journalists with a resource to deal with them.
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- The representation of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Trans-gendered people
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The Bill of Rights enshrined in the South African Constitution clearly and unambiguously outlaws discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender and marital status (Act 108 of 1996, chapter 2, paragraph 9). Yet Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Trans-gendered (GLB&T) people remain stigmatised and marginalised in South African society. GLB&T people are confronted on a daily by social and institutional discrimination and little is known about the challenges and concerns facing them.
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- Media Coverage of the Budget Speech 2002
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The level of coverage of the budget was overwhelming. Broadcast news was dominated by the budget and several special programmes were organised. Most of those monitored were in the form of expert analysis and discussion on the budget. In the print media some papers carried as many as 65+ articles on the budget – again many carried special budget editions with budget pullouts.
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- Gang Rape & HIV/AIDS
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On Sunday night during News Hour (18/11/2001), and then repeated on Monday (20/11/2001) on Morning Live, the SABC chose to report a story about a woman who had been gang raped. While the intention may have been good, the result raised several ethical issues and highlighted the necessity for extreme care to be exercised in the reporting of violence against women. The item was exceptional for the way it dealt with the issue of HIV/AIDS, in that the rape survivor was named and identified and that her children were identified.
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- Independence, ICASA and the Telecommunications Bill
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The Telecommunications Amendment Bill is currently being debated before the Portfolio Committee on Communication. The majority of the bill focuses specifically on telecommunications and the issuing of licences. (Many of the issues it raises have been discussed in the media and addressed by industry players.) The Bill also deals with, “further provision for certain functions of the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa, [and] the repeal of a particular law and the amendment of two others” (Telecommunications Amendment Bill). The implications of the latter strike at the heart of the independence of ICASA and serve to highlight some of the contradictions endemic to ICASA.
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- Exposing Women in the Media
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For the last three years the MMP has observed that a few weeks before National Women’s Day on the 9th of August there is a dramatic increase in coverage of women and issues perceived as pertinent to women. The majority of items are usually more analytical and deal with a range of issues and subjects from violence against women to the role of women in society and business. In spite of the worrying aspect that women tend only to get such substantial coverage a few weeks before and after National Women’s day the trend is at least positive in that it displays a level of commitment from the various media to deal with and represent women in more interesting, diverse and equitable ways.
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