THEMBA SEPOTOKELE | Let's defend media freedom against 'rogue' press

Credibility of media lies on ethical journalism

Iqbal Survé. File photo.
Iqbal Survé. File photo.
Image: Phil Magakoe

It's neither here nor there as to who coined the phrase: "Never argue with a man who buys ink by a barrel". However, as we commemorate the 47th anniversary of Black Wednesday, please allow me to do that in defence of ethical journalism and media freedom. 

Over the years, I have, like many other media practitioners, journalists, editors and photographers alike, been quietly observing the "media wars" playing themselves out in the public waged by one media house against other media houses.

I remember the words of the legendary editor of Sowetan Dr Aggrey Klaaste decades ago saying: "We have a gentleman's agreement in the media that we don't rubbish each other in public".

He was discouraging and denouncing a juicy story this newspaper was planning to publish against one of its rival publications. Those words stuck with me since then. I've been standing on the sidelines watching with disbelief, journalists from Independent Media hurling insults at fellow journalists from other media houses, calling them all unsavoury names, defaming and assassinating their characters. 

For the record, I was one of the journalists on the payroll of The Star newspaper under the editorship of Peter Sullivan and Moegsien Williams respectively.

The Sunday Independent became a mouthpiece of a faction of the ANC — that's when I stopped contributing columns.

When Dr Iqbal Survé acquired the Independent Media stable, through Sekunjalo, from the Irish businessman Tony O'Reilly, we were excited about the acquisition that we now have a South African ownership claiming what's rightfully a South African-based business. 

Sadly, and painfully so, our excitement has turned into a nightmare. For instance, before ascending to the editorship of Pretoria News, a promising journalist, now disgraced Piet Rampedi, long before concocting the global embarrassment about the so-called Tembisa 10 — the false and fictitious story about a heavily pregnant woman expecting decuplets — embarked on a smear campaign insulting fellow journalists on social media. 

When I spotted his defamatory posts on X (then Twitter) in 2017, I thought his account had been hacked. I then realised that he was on a mission, insulting all and sundry. The likes of Mondli Makhanya, Peter Bruce, Max du Preez were on the receiving end of his diatribe. 

Similarly, the Sunday Independent took a certain posture and position, and became a mouthpiece of a faction of the ANC, that's when I stopped contributing columns to the once proud of festival of ideas. 

Fast forward to today, both the Sunday Independent and Pretoria News have been reduced to inserts into the Sunday Tribune and The Star newspapers due to dwindling readership and declining circulation, partly due to the challenging economic environment and rogue and reckless journalism.

With that said, it was shocking to see that, after applying to rejoin the Press Council of South Africa, the Independent Media has taken a hostile, combative and adversarial posture against the Press Council following the rulings against the Sunday Independent for calling News 24 journalist Karyn Maughan all sorts of unprintable names. Despite being ordered to apologise by the Press Ombudsman, then appealing and the appeal dismissed by the respected and revered, retried Justice, judge Bernard Ngoepe it has been relentless.

As a public representative in the Press Council, I cannot sit and watch while Independent Media has taken such a posture belittling, besmirching and even ridiculing the work of the Press Council. The campaign to tarnish the reputation of the Press Council is an assault and attack on media freedom and an attempt to erase and erode ethical journalism. 

Therefore, I would like to call on South Africans to defend this hard-earned media freedom and implore journalists to defend ethical journalism. Reckless journalism has no space in our democracy. We will not allow one media house, whose campaign is clear as mud aimed to destroy the credibility of the media.

As to whether it is William Greener or Charles Bronson, who implored us not to fight with a man who buys ink by the barrel is neither here nor there, the battle lines have been drawn, therefore we need to draw the line in the sand to defend ethical journalism and protect the Press Council from one of their own. 

It is worth reminding the Independent Media, especially during the commemoration of Black Wednesday and the celebration of Press Freedom Day that media ethics are sacrosanct and that the current structure of the Press Council came on the backdrop of the ANC’s proposed media appeals tribunal which fell flat following resistance from the media.

• Sepotokele is a journalist, communication strategist, media trainer and journalism lecturer. He is the author of the recently published book, Being A Spokesperson.


Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.

Speech Bubbles

Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.