Mail & Guardian reporter
The South African National Editors Forum (Sanef) begins its launch conference outside Johannesburg today with the finger of President Nelson Mandela wagging over it. At the ANC’s conference in December, Mandela accused black editors of being the hand-maidens of white owners and newspapers in the main of a lack of balanced coverage.
This weekend, editors will begin to forge what Sanef executive director Joe Thloloe describes as “a new vision for South African journalism” to take to a March indaba with Mandela. Deputy President Thabo Mbeki will get a first look at the new vision when Sanef meets him in February.
Also on the conference agenda will be media diversity and freedom. Thloloe says the black owners of newspapers have found effecting change more difficult than they thought.
“There are all sorts of nuances coming into the definition of media freedom. Some owners find you acquire titles and you cannot influence content because of an editor’s prerogative.”
Thami Mazwai resigned from Sanef last year amid a tussle between Denel and two newspapers, the Sunday Independent and Mail & Guardian, over the publication of one of the arms dealer’s clients. Cape Argus editor Moegsien Williams has since been caretaker leader, but a new set of chiefs will be elected this weekend.