Public protector calls for responsible reporting
The South African media struggles to find its place for many years but even during Apartheid, it was not possible to suppress the voice of the pen, according to public protector, advocate Thuli Madonsela.
She spoke at the Association for Independent Publisher Conference, recently held at the Birchwood Hotel and Conference venue.
Her address focused on the role of independent print media in the South African media context while also touching on the challenges they face.
In her address she compared the role of the press to that of her office, saying that although both function very differently, they both operate as watchdogs that give people a voice.
“As a watchdog, the media plays an oversight role over the State, corporations and civil society.
“It watches closely over those that exercise power and control over State resources and actors in civil society including corporations,” she said.
Madonsela added that both offices are committed to letting the public know of what is happening in the world, but the only power they have is to persuade those in power to take moral action.
She showed some concern for the community media sector, saying that though the Media Development and Diversity Agency (MDDA) had made strides in fulfilling its role to develop and bring diversity in the media sector, the community media outlets still faced traditional challenges.
The public protector advised that despite all the challenges faced by the media, the media should strive for fairness and accuracy.
