Press ombudsman Joe Thloloe is touring South Africa to consult the public on possible improvements to the press code.
The five-city tour is part of the media profession’s response to the ANC’s proposal of instituting a media appeals tribunal to regulate the press.
Thloloe said: “Some criticism raised by the ANC was obviously a case of political games being played, but there was some truth in some of it, so we decided to have a complete review.
“We want to get as wide a view as possible to find out what people’s concerns are.” The review will take the shape of open presentations and debates by interested public parties.
At the end of last year Thloloe called for submissions from people who wanted to join in and the first of these debates was held at Wits University last Thursday.
Submissions included suggestions on how to improve the press code, the press ombudsman’s complaints procedure and the constitution of the Press Council. Written submissions are being accepted until March 15.
According to Taryn McKay, a researcher at the ombudsman’s office, the government has failed to submit any applications so far. But the office had received “a note from the ANC wishing us good luck, but saying that it was going ahead [with its tribunal idea]”, she said.
McKay said all the suggestions would be gathered by the middle of March and would then be “prepared for parliamentary submission as a counter-submission [to the media tribunal]”.
The national tour will move to Port Elizabeth from February 21 to 22, Cape Town from February 24 to 25, Bloemfontein from February 28 to March 1 and Durban on March 3 and 4. — Additional reporting by Retha Grobbelaar