By Tiso Black Star Group Digital
A body representing freelance journalists on Wednesday added its “voice to protests against the suspension of three senior South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) journalists”.
“The right of media to report in a timely and truthful manner is a foundation of democracy‚” said Southern African Freelancers’ Association (Safrea) chair Laura Rawden.
“By putting restrictions on these practices‚ and penalising journalists who do their jobs‚ the SABC is threatening all members of society and removing our right to information.”
The three SABC journalists were suspended after opposing chief operating officer Hlaudi Motsoeneng’s instruction not to cover a Right2Know protest outside the public broadcaster’s offices.
That protest was against the SABC’s decision not to publicise any content displaying violent service delivery protests.
“There is no situation we can imagine where the COO of a public broadcaster should be banning news coverage‚ or forbidding negative commentary on the president‚” said Rawden. “Such actions equate to media censorship and should not be tolerated.”
Rawden said the restrictions meant journalists and other news staff “are faced with a problem of conscience in whether they should inform the public‚ and risk suspension‚ or obey orders that violate the most basic concepts of democracy‚ and keep their jobs”.
“Safrea calls for the SABC to lift the suspensions and to commit itself to transparent and even-handed news coverage‚ without fear or favour.”
Freelancers' body calls for reinstatement of suspended SABC journalists
A body representing freelance journalists on Wednesday added its “voice to protests against the suspension of three senior South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) journalists”.
“The right of media to report in a timely and truthful manner is a foundation of democracy‚” said Southern African Freelancers’ Association (Safrea) chair Laura Rawden.
“By putting restrictions on these practices‚ and penalising journalists who do their jobs‚ the SABC is threatening all members of society and removing our right to information.”
The three SABC journalists were suspended after opposing chief operating officer Hlaudi Motsoeneng’s instruction not to cover a Right2Know protest outside the public broadcaster’s offices.
That protest was against the SABC’s decision not to publicise any content displaying violent service delivery protests.
“There is no situation we can imagine where the COO of a public broadcaster should be banning news coverage‚ or forbidding negative commentary on the president‚” said Rawden. “Such actions equate to media censorship and should not be tolerated.”
Rawden said the restrictions meant journalists and other news staff “are faced with a problem of conscience in whether they should inform the public‚ and risk suspension‚ or obey orders that violate the most basic concepts of democracy‚ and keep their jobs”.
“Safrea calls for the SABC to lift the suspensions and to commit itself to transparent and even-handed news coverage‚ without fear or favour.”
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