Culture of censorship in South Africa.

[IamCanadian]

Interesting quote from SABC banned journalist.

She was banned by the new SABC because she is Jewish. Here is what she says of her experience. It seems as if the new propaganda/information masters learned a lot from the old propaganda/information masters

"Perhaps the biggest irony of all is that I am now working for Russia - once one of the world's greatest censors - and yet I am free to report on whatever I see fit without fear or favor.

"Russia Today is a state-controlled channel, but it is freer than the SABC. The major difference between pre-1990 Moscow and the Johannesburg of 2006 is that back in the USSR the censorship and the muzzling was backed up by a secret police who had labor camps instead of a public service mandate. At least in communist Russia, the lack of political freedom could be blamed on torture, intimidation and the boot.

"Today, in a South Africa that basks in freedom, employees are scared to speak the truth for fear of becoming sidelined, and so-called journalists take hollow pride in groveling in the footsteps of politicians. There's no excuse for that."

Here is the link to the full article:
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1161811213929&pagename=JPost/JPArticle/Printer

More to come.

 

[bwana]

Indeed - the commission probing the incident and found

A direct instruction was given not to use Paula Slier [a freelancer in the Middle East] for improper reasons and in direct conflict with the SABC’s policies and codes.

From the desk of Zikalala
These are verbatim quotes from evidence given to the commission by the SABC news chief Snuki Zikalala

On Paula Slier:“From the movement where I come from we support PLO. But she supported what’s happening in Israel. And then I said to them Paula Slier we cannot use her on the Middle East issue because we know where she stands. We need somebody who’s impartial.”
Earlier, Zikalala sent out the following directive:
URGENT NOTE: ALL DESKS
The MD of news, Dr Snuki Zikalala has directed that NO MATERIAL OR STORY SUPPLIED BY JOURNALIST PAULA SLIER should be used by SABC news desks until further notice. Dr Zikalala says this instruction applies to all units of SABC news.

Do you think this is being covered up or something? Or is digging for dirt on the county that you rejected soothing on those cold autumn nights?

BTW - you call it "Culture of censorship in South Africa." - you do realise we live in the age of information with multiple avenues for dissemination. What the SABC did was out of line but they're merely one avenue or medium available.

 

[Xarog]

It's all nice and great being a journalist in Russia until some 'patriotic' nut blows your brains away. Don't expect the police to spend the same amount of effort finding the killer of a reporter compared with the general population.

 

[brixton tower]

I read that article in the Cape Argus and how she compared Russia to South Africa and couldn't help myself laughing for it was ironic. Two weeks ago in Russia a gunman killed an investigative journalist for merely digging up some stuff on atrocities committed in Chechnya.
I think anyone who watches SABC news should know and I take it does know that they're very pro-Mbeki...to the point where you don't have to read between the lines- it's that obvious. But comparing the SABC to Russian media is a no-brainer.

 

[IamCanadian]

BTW - you call it "Culture of censorship in South Africa." - you do realise we live in the age of information with multiple avenues for dissemination. What the SABC did was out of line but they're merely one avenue or medium available.

Dude, there has always been a culture of censorship in South Africa.

Do you realize that you live in a society where only 300,000 (mostly elite whites) have access to broadband out of a population of 45 million?

The SABC is the main mouthpiece to the masses.

 

[Darth Garth]

Anna Politkovskaya, a U.S.-born Russian journalist known for her opposition to the Chechen conflict and the administration of Russian President Vladimir Putin, was shot dead on Saturday, Oct. 7 in an elevator located in her central Moscow apartment block. Reports have indicated that it was a contract killing carried out by a professional. The mother of two, Politkovskaya was 48 years old.

This clueless journalist quoted above clearly knows very little about Russia and it's freedoms .

 

[bwana]

Dude, there has always been a culture of censorship in South Africa.

Do you realize that you live in a society where only 300,000 (mostly elite whites) have access to broadband out of a population of 45 million?

The SABC is the main mouthpiece to the masses.

Yes - I realise that probably better than most - you do also realise there are other means to disseminating information besides the internet? You've heard of newspapers?

Odd thing is your nay-saying is being directed at the people that already know all of this - we are, after all, the elite you are referring too.

 

[IamCanadian]

Yes - I realise that probably better than most - you do also realise there are other means to disseminating information besides the internet? You've heard of newspapers?

Odd thing is your nay-saying is being directed at the people that already know all of this - we are, after all, the elite you are referring too.

And how many of those 45 million actually buy a newspaper to read? How much easier is it for them to just turn the telly on?

 

[Darth Garth]

And how many of those 45 million actually buy a newspaper to read?

14.5-million South Africans buy the urban dailies, while community newspapers have a circulation of 5.5-million.

Reporters Without Borders ranks SA's press as the 26th most free in the world.

That's ahead of the United Kingdom, ranked 28th, Greece (33rd), Italy and Spain (tied at 39th) and Australia (41st).

Our press is the freest in Africa, and more free than any press in South America, Asia, the Middle East and Australasia.

So expat Canuck ... go club a baby seal or something which what you civilized lot apparently rather enjoy doing over there.

 

[Alan]

14.5-million South Africans buy the urban dailies, while community newspapers have a circulation of 5.5-million.

Reporters Without Borders ranks SA's press as the 26th most free in the world.
That's ahead of the United Kingdom, ranked 28th, Greece (33rd), Italy and Spain (tied at 39th) and Australia (41st).

Our press is the freest in Africa, and more free than any press in South America, Asia, the Middle East and Australasia.

So expat Canuck ... go club a baby seal or something which what you civilized lot apparently rather enjoy doing over there.

Oh so only 20 milliion read newspapers. You sure they don't just look at the pictures .

So we are only the 26th most liberal press in the world, that is surprising.
No surprise the others are so low down. After all Italy, Spain ,Australia have had conservative governments at least in the recent past.

I see you are a "liberal league" member too .

 

[kilo39]

14.5-million South Africans buy the urban dailies, while community newspapers have a circulation of 5.5-million.

Reporters Without Borders ranks SA's press as the 26th most free in the world.

That's ahead of the United Kingdom, ranked 28th, Greece (33rd), Italy and Spain (tied at 39th) and Australia (41st).

Our press is the freest in Africa, and more free than any press in South America, Asia, the Middle East and Australasia.

Ah tibby; I hope (and pray) it stays this way (which with latest moves will be one thing we cannot brag about.)

 

[bwana]

Oh so only 20 milliion read newspapers. You sure they don't just look at the pictures .

So we are only the 26th most liberal press in the world, that is surprising.
No surprise the others are so low down. After all Italy, Spain ,Australia have had conservative governments at least in the recent past.

I see you are a "liberal league" member too .

Er only? You do realise how many countries there are right? Hows about I save you the effort in looking and the embarrassment in guessing - 193 - so im my books 26th is pretty damn good.

And as far as newspaper readership goes - 20 million is a substantial number when you consider that 30% of the population is under the age of 14 and therefore less likely to be reading a paper. It leads one to assume that the vast majority of the adult population is being informed of current events via this medium.

 

[Alan]

Er only? You do realise how many countries there are right? Hows about I save you the effort in looking and the embarrassment in guessing - 193 - so im my books 26th is pretty damn good.

And as far as newspaper readership goes - 20 million is a substantial number when you consider that 30% of the population is under the age of 14 and therefore less likely to be reading a paper. It leads one to assume that the vast majority of the adult population is being informed of current events via this medium.

Not if you equate a liberal press as being a good thing. Reading my local daily and weekend paper their bias is appalling(less so with local news on the government which deserves some credit).

Misinformed to a large degree is probably more appropriate.

 

[bwana]

Not if you equate a liberal press as being a good thing. Reading my local daily and weekend paper their bias is appalling(less so with local news on the government which deserves some credit).

Misinformed to a large degree is probably more appropriate.

There's that much maligned, and oft misinterpreted, word liberal again. I suppose you therefore consider yourself as an ultra conservative, adverse to any change.

Do you consider yourself as the only one who has the ability to detect any bias?

 

[Alan]

You can call me conservative. I'm not ashamed of my "label" , unlike some people around here .

*glances over at you know who, well there is more than one *


I should hope not. Surely you have picked it up to. If you haven't then I would be a bit worried .

 

[Darth Garth]

I see you are a "liberal league" member too .

ACDP actually ... you and your Canuck buddy are really clueless .

 

[Skeptik]

This clueless journalist quoted above clearly knows very little about Russia and it's freedoms .

She's a bit of a stirrer when it comes to reporting. Russian journalism is probably TOO free if you ask me. They are able to say some quite outrageous things about people and politicians they disagree with. Ana was very anti authority and wasn't impressed with anything Putin did.

She even had bad things to say about the Beslan incident, where a lot of Russian schoolchildren were kept hostage in extremely poor conditions and then shot by their Muslim Chechen captives (many while they were running away). She strongly supported the Chechen side even there which made her quite unpopular with many. The Russian government were embarassed by her death so I doubt they had anything directly to do with it. She was not your typical unbiased journo.

 

[IamCanadian]

ACDP actually ... you and your Canuck buddy are really clueless .

Tibby.dude,

What makes you think you are clued in?

14.5-million South Africans buy the urban dailies, while community newspapers have a circulation of 5.5-million.

Why would they buy the urban dailies when they have a hard time buying a loaf of bread for the day?

Our press is the freest in Africa, and more free than any press in South America, Asia, the Middle East and Australasia.

Not for much longer. see SABC.

So expat Canuck ... go club a baby seal or something which what you civilized lot apparently rather enjoy doing over there.

Why don't I come back to Africa and cull an elephant instead. It seems the thing to do for all the poachers that you lot in Africa can't seem to control.

 

[bwana]

Why would they buy the urban dailies when they have a hard time buying a loaf of bread for the day?

Why would you assume everyone buys a copy? I'm sure Africans arent the only ones to figure out that a single newspaper can be read by many.

 

[jontyB]

Actually the newspaper circulation figures are slightly skewed. They do not take into account single households buying 2 or more publications. They also count business subsciptions in their statistics. To be fair, more people have access to radio news than newspaper news. Another thing: community newspapers in circulation tend to target more affluent neighbourhoods rather than townships, and are little more than advertising vehicles, so the 5 odd million distribution is not really an indicator of readership.