November 06, 2020

Gareth Cliff’s show fined R10,000 for spreading Covid-19 misinformation

MMA in the media
By Yinhla Ngobeni 88 Comments

05 November 2020, TimesLive, Masego Seemela

Media Monitoring Africa (MMA) complained to the BCCSA and said the broadcast was unlawful, harmful, and in breach of SA’s broadcasting code.

In their documents, the MMA stated, “In the current context, as SA and the world grapple with the devastating effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, broadcasts of this nature that patently seek to spread disinformation should be carefully scrutinised, as they do not serve the public interest or further any meaningful engagement on the subject.”

MMA said eNCA as a news broadcaster has a responsibility to ensure the credibility and truthfulness of the content it broadcasts.

It also stated that eNCA airing Gareth’s show featuring David was “intentionally disseminated disinformation based on facts that were untrue” and it “promoted unlawful conduct that was in violation of the regulations issued under the Disaster Management Act”.

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