The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) has said its ban on staff from making political comments or posting pictures of themselves wearing party regalia on social media is merely a reiteration of its existing policy on social media conduct.
SABC spokesman Kaizer Kganyago said that the broadcaster would not tolerate any employee who brought the organisation into disrepute through comments on social media.
Kganyago said that it was simply a reminder of the rules for new employees‚ and the policy was no different from those implemented by other media houses.
“Put a (comment) in the social space that brings the organisation into disrepute‚ we’ll deal with it‚” vowed Kganyago.
Kganyago said that if employees were seen wearing political regalia or commenting about politics‚ it affected perceptions of objectivity.
The state media entity has faced sharp criticism for its decision to no longer broadcast footage of public property being torched or damaged during violent protests.
On Friday last week‚ Kganyago clarified the SABC position‚ saying that it will still cover protests‚ but “once these turn violent‚ those aspects will not be aired”.
On Sunday‚ the Democratic Alliance (DA) accused the SABC of refusing to air a party election advertisement.
DA spokesman Phumzile Van Damme said the public broadcaster had informed the DA that it had no available slots for political advertisements at this time due to delays in the Independent Electoral Commission’s (IEC) work with respect to the August 3 local government elections.
Van Damme said that it was a “poor excuse by the SABC in order to censor the DA’s political advertisement as has become standard during election time”.
But the SABC denied the allegations insisting that no parties had been given advertisement slots yet.
Kganyago was quoted as saying that the DA was “trying to get publicity out of the SABC‚ because if they have issues they know that they can go and report this matter to the regulators who are controlling coverage of these election periods”.
Kganyago also told Tiso Black Star Group Digital that the SABC had merely told the DA that they were awaiting a complete approved list of registered parties before the organisation could start accepting adverts from political parties.
SABC’s social media policy on political comment no different other media houses
SABC spokesman Kaizer Kganyago said that the broadcaster would not tolerate any employee who brought the organisation into disrepute through comments on social media.
Kganyago said that it was simply a reminder of the rules for new employees‚ and the policy was no different from those implemented by other media houses.
“Put a (comment) in the social space that brings the organisation into disrepute‚ we’ll deal with it‚” vowed Kganyago.
Kganyago said that if employees were seen wearing political regalia or commenting about politics‚ it affected perceptions of objectivity.
The state media entity has faced sharp criticism for its decision to no longer broadcast footage of public property being torched or damaged during violent protests.
On Friday last week‚ Kganyago clarified the SABC position‚ saying that it will still cover protests‚ but “once these turn violent‚ those aspects will not be aired”.
On Sunday‚ the Democratic Alliance (DA) accused the SABC of refusing to air a party election advertisement.
DA spokesman Phumzile Van Damme said the public broadcaster had informed the DA that it had no available slots for political advertisements at this time due to delays in the Independent Electoral Commission’s (IEC) work with respect to the August 3 local government elections.
Van Damme said that it was a “poor excuse by the SABC in order to censor the DA’s political advertisement as has become standard during election time”.
But the SABC denied the allegations insisting that no parties had been given advertisement slots yet.
Kganyago was quoted as saying that the DA was “trying to get publicity out of the SABC‚ because if they have issues they know that they can go and report this matter to the regulators who are controlling coverage of these election periods”.
Kganyago also told Tiso Black Star Group Digital that the SABC had merely told the DA that they were awaiting a complete approved list of registered parties before the organisation could start accepting adverts from political parties.
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