”Uh oh, here we go again.” That is one thought that crosses your mind as you wade through the complexities of the revised Convergence Bill. ”Whew, at least there is some progress” is another sentiment that surfaces. The second of these feelings reflects the substantial improvements on last year’s much-flawed original Bill. The first feeling arises because there are still very sizeable problems that need to be ironed out.
Hogging the headlines about the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) in recent times has been the resignation of the broadcaster’s CEO, Peter Matlare, and speculation about his successor. Whoever takes his job will face the fundamental tension of running a public broadcaster service through commercial means. And by the rules.
Judging a journalism competition means you get to peruse a pile of poor quality products, but also that you are sometimes rewarded with exhilarating examples of quality work. In the intricate field of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) coverage, your chances of encountering the good stuff — the narratives that go beyond a geek audience — are even more challenged. But scattered amongst the sad stuff, some very good ICT journalism can be found.
So, 2005 is remorsefully underway, and many of us are truculently trickling back from vac. Still, it’s not too late for some new year’s resolutions — a wish list of what could happen in regard to media in the coming months. I accept that long ago some people resolved to never make any resolutions for an anno novus. But bear with this Initiative for Media Improvement in 2005.
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/ 8 December 2004
A South African editor tells this story: ”I asked my newsroom when a story should not identify a victim of abuse. One answer: ‘In cases of bestiality, the pet should not be named.”’ It’s a true tale and one that predates the rise, and rise, of tabloid journalism — which is the really appropriate context in which to discuss such species distinctions.
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/ 10 November 2004
Isn’t it getting to you that the decade of democracy still seems so far from overcoming poverty? That South Africa is still lined with shacks, and that Reconstruction and Development Programme matchbox dwellings — where they exist — are no different in size and uniformity to the houses laid out during apartheid? Then, in this mindset, you read that Minister of Finance Trevor Manuel has said, ominously, there is too much money going to social grants.
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/ 29 September 2004
Two South African daily papers, and one weekly, still have a majority of white readers, ten years after apartheid was abolished. Four other papers have higher ratios of white readers in 2004 than was the case in 1994. This can be gleaned from the latest All Media Products Survey (Amps). Surprising? Scary? Evidence, yet again, of the reluctant pace of racial transformation? Not quite.
”That readers of Sowetan saw their paper as an advice office was a consequence of the aura projected by Klaaste. Upon his death this weekend, it is time to appreciate and celebrate his life.” Guy Berger pays his respects to Aggrey Klaaste — an editor for whom making money was not the main purpose, nor the main utility, of a South African newspaper.
”It’s hard not to get excited about the explosion in cellular telephony. Africa is now the world’s fastest-growing region for mobile telecoms. Thus crowed the industry’s cocks in front of the crowds at an international conference in Cairo last week. Yes, but…” Guy Berger takes a closer look at Africa’s mobile miracle.
Come May Day, the spokesperson for the Minister of Labour will become South Africa’s most powerful news manager. It’s a second stint at SABC for Snuki Zikalala. In a Q&A below, he talks about his background and the new job, as well as lessons of the BBC’s run-in with Lord Hutton, plus the business of competitive broadcasting. You can also read his views on the future of bi-media and his understanding of ”objectivity”.