Barry Streek The Independent newspaper group’s editors won a significant victory over the company’s management this week when executives abandoned their hardline stance that they have the right to publish free advertisements without the editors’ approval.
The group’s management conceded in a statement, issued by its chief executive officer, Ivan Fallon, and its chief operating officer, Tony Howard, that editors have control of the day-to-day content of their titles “including advertising, as outlined in their letters of appointment”. The statement followed a meeting last Sunday between the editors and management in Cape Town to address the fall-out from the group’s decision to provide free ads to the government.
Until now, Independent’s management has defended its decision to give the government free advertisements to promote its controversial views on HIV/Aids, without bothering even to inform most of its editors.
When the row over the free advertisements first exploded into the public domain, the group’s management stated that “public interest interventions” were the right and duty of a media group whose policy explicitly committed itself to the betterment of South Africa. “Decisions on how and on what basis the company will give support are made on a case-by-case basis by the company’s leadership and will continue in future to be made in this way,” management said at the time.
Editors in the group reacted angrily when they learned of the decision, with the Sunday Independent’s John Battersby publishing an editorial apologising to readers and proclaiming his ignorance about the decision. In this week’s statement, however, management backs down from its earlier position and admits that not only do editors have the right to decide what goes into their newspapers but they are also part of the company’s leadership. It was agreed at the Sunday gathering that none of the participants would discuss the proceedings publicly, but editors are known to be pleased about the outcome. It is understood that the meeting, which threatened to set the stage for a major showdown between the editors and management, was held in a relatively calm atmosphere. Some of the editors are understood to have asked for a public apology by management for its role in the affair – a request which was turned down.
This week’s statement said “there was a healthy, constructive and amicable discussion of a wide range of issues affecting the group’s titles” when Independent’s senior managers met the group’s editors in Cape Town. The company “reconfirmed the long- standing principle that editors have control of the day-to-day content of their titles”, including advertising. It “reinforced the practice whereby all advertisements of an unusual, contentious or free nature will be specifically drawn to the attention to the editors or senior editorial staff”. It “reiterated the principle whereby management has the sole right to decide on the rate at which advertisements are accepted but editors have the right to refuse such advertisements on the grounds of content”.
The company also “reconfirmed Independent’s commitment to the key leadership role of its editors and re-remphasised their crucial importance within the company”. The conciliatory tone of the statement was in marked contrast to management’s earlier public position and went some way in meeting the concerns of editors about the publication of the free advertisements. Meanwhile, there has been speculation in Dublin that Fallon will soon quit his position as CEO of Independent in South Africa and relocate to Britain, where he is already spending much of his time promoting the company’s Internet company, iTouch. However, it is understood Fallon’s move has nothing to do with the row over the free advertisements. It is not clear, at this stage, who is in line to take over from him.