Ferial Haffajee
Leading non-governmental organisations renewed calls on Media Freedom Day this week for state intervention to help media diversity.
The Freedom of Expression Institute (FXI) complained of “government inaction” in setting up the Media Development Agency it has committed itself to.
This agency is meant to fund independent media to give life to the country’s commitment to media diversity. The idea has its genesis in deputy president Thabo Mbeki’s Communications Task Group which completed its work earlier this year.
Both the FXI and the Trust acknowledge the strides taken to unbundle media ownership since 1994. Times Media Limited’s titles, a significant chunk of The Citizen, City Press and The Sowetan are firmly black- owned. But black ownership doesn’t mean greater diversity.
Emdon notes that “while some unbundling has taken place, ‘rebundling’ is becoming more and more evident in that new poles of concentration under black ownership are beginning to develop.”
Many media players note the prohibitive costs of starting new newspapers. Instead Emdon says a range of existing small community and privately owned media needs support. “Commercial diversity will start in these areas,” says Emdon, adding that smaller publishers could pool resources and perhaps even start their own printers, reproduction facilities and marketing agencies.