/ 3 December 2007

Press-code booklet for journalists, public released

The press council, the press ombudsman and the press appeals panel on Monday jointly announced the publication of the South African Press Code booklet.

The booklet is intended ”for use by journalists and the public in pursuit of excellence in journalism”.

Press Ombudsman Joe Thloloe said he hoped that journalists would embrace the code as it was now easily available.

He also hoped the public would be more vigilant about the quality of news and opinion they read in newspapers and magazines.

The Office of the Ombudsman dealt with 268 cases between January 2006 and July 2007.

Thloloe believed the number of cases would increase as the code and the ombudsman’s office became more visible.

Cases should, however, over time decrease as journalists live up to the demands of the code.

The council, the ombudsman and the appeals panel are self-regulatory mechanisms set up by the print media to provide impartial, expeditious and cost-effective adjudication to settle disputes between members of the public and newspapers, as well as magazines, over the editorial content of publications. — Sapa