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/ 7 September 2007

SABC: Simply incredible

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A confidential market research survey has found that South Africans think the South African Broadcasting Corporation treats government officials with kid gloves and tends ‘to cover up” government’s wrongdoings.

The Mail & Guardian has a copy of a report, titled Qualitative Overview of Current Affairs Programmes, compiled by research firm Plus 94 in March 2007. It was commissioned by Snuki Zikalala’s news and current affairs division.

Viewers and listeners from all language groups were interviewed in focus groups conducted in eight provinces during January and February. The major findings include:

  • It was expected of the SABC’s news and current affairs programmes to ‘fight the cause of the citizens” even if it meant ‘touching the nerve and shaking up the political, economic and other prominent social programmes”;

  • Talk shows, sports programmes and some documentaries were defined as current affairs programmes and regarded as better than most of the SABC’s news offerings; and

  • Only the investigative programme, Special Assignment, was seen as ‘above board” regarding credibility.

The report recommended that the SABC undertake marketing campaigns to promote its news offerings. This would help strengthen the credibility and trust that the SABC’s news and current affairs division ‘so importantly needs”.

Zulu-language speakers felt that political issues were toned down ‘to the extent that even the lack of commitment to reach closure on issues was seen as ‘a sign of some external [government] control’”.

The SABC’s current affairs credibility was thought ‘not to be convincing and perceptions of external control persisted”. Zulu viewers saw Special Assignment as the ‘only truly credible offering on board”.

‘The truth must be told, we are not fools,” a Durban focus group remarked.

Xhosa-language viewers also believed Special Assignment was the only SABC programme that tackled political issues head on.

‘There was a widespread feeling in these group discussions that the subject of politics is any journalist’s landmine, given the political climate in the country and in the ruling party when this study was conducted. This was said to be the challenge the SABC must overcome.”

Xhosa viewers experienced SABC presenters as ‘apologetic”, saying they should expose ‘the truth without fear”.

‘There was a deeply held view among respondents that the SABC current affairs tends to cover up and treat government officials with kid gloves. This is apparent, they say, when the SABC would be inclined to attack government institutions and not government officials in charge of these institutions.

‘Concern was raised as to how these institutions could then be fixed without touching the people who are in charge of them. This finding was consistent with most of the groups in this research.”

Swati- and Ndebele-language speakers found social issues more pressing and challenging than politics. ‘This means, respondents asserted, that the current affairs programmes should relate to people’s social needs and also fight for them.”

Sotho-language speakers favoured Tim Modise’s Lekgotleng Le Modise and Special Assignment. They thought, however, that Modise was too nice. ‘Special Assignment is not just a current affairs programme, it is the police,” remarked one viewer.

Venda- and Tsonga-language speakers also praised Special Assignment for fighting corruption. English-language speakers reckoned ‘conflict, entertainment and confrontation” were ‘necessary ingredients” of a gripping current affairs programme.

Afrikaans viewers were complimentary about current affairs programme Fokus. ‘Expectations of current affairs programmes in this language segment are not vast and complex.” These viewers wanted no airing of politics.

They wanted the broadcaster to expose crime and corruption, the report said.

The report recommended that Zikalala’s department review its strategy on the coverage of political stories. ‘For various reasons respondents show signs of fatigue with this subject.”

It also proposed a ‘consolidation” of debate and investigative journalism to attract audiences and asked for presenters to be given the freedom ‘to express themselves either during the production phase, on air or both”.

The researchers couldn’t find anyone in the focus groups who watched the television programme In the Public Interest, the brainchild of Zikalala and SABC chief executive Dali Mpofu. The programme assesses the media.