Weekly report

Focus of the week

Are editorial decision moral selective?

This week at the Commonwealth conference titled “parliament and media” where the two discussed way of co-operation in Cape Town, minister in the presidency Essop Pahad accused the media of “selective morality” by reporting media attacks in Africa and not in Israel. If Pahad’s claim is correct then journalists are guilty of committing a serious crime against their own profession, by letting their sympathies define what constitutes “public interest”.

The decision on what constitutes the public interest and therefore what is brought into national debates through the media, is a thorny issue, because it touches on editorial independence and freedom of the press. However, widely the understanding is that editorial decisions on what constitutes matters of public interest are aimed at promoting human rights and democracy.

There are several institutions that constantly fight to define what constitutes the public interest, the state in most cases has been suspect of being the enemy of the media. However business sector, social, political and ethnical groups are equal suspects of being enemies of the media, because they constantly try to influence media in defining what is of public interest in an attempt to promote their agendas and interests. It when agendas about particular interest groups continuously come into national debates, while other do not make it no matter how significant they are, that the issue of selective morality come into question.

The increasing power of western media particularly American and British media has also enabled the powerful western media and other institutions to influence the kinds of issues that find their way into national debates, for example in African countries and even opinions, which are constructed. In that way the west has also became suspect of being an enemy of African media.

Let us take for example the coverage on the recent developments in Zimbabwe where global news organisations, African news agencies and Southern Africa groups particularly South Africa, were all focusing. The focus on the harassment of citizens, journalists and media at large was deserved so were the criticisms, on the drafting and passing of laws that clearly would impact negatively on the free circulation of information and the plight of ordinary citizens. The reports on the plight of media are still coming out, as the Zimbabwean government becomes more hostile to the press. At least four journalists have been arrested under the new laws namely the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act and the Public Order and Security Act. According to Reporters sans frontières (RSF), about the 30 journalists have been arrested over the past two years in Zimbabwe, making the Zimbabwean government one of the worst enemies of the media.

Mainly Southern Africa and western media have captured this and in the process managed to create almost a common opinion on the problems facing Zimbabwe, without really serious attempt to illustrate the complexities that exists. In order to deal with Pahad’s accusations of selective morality, the media should answer questions about their concentration on Zimbabwe. How independent were editorial decisions from say racial influences, or any group pressures that had either economic or political interests? Critics say the concentration was because there is a significant white population in Zimbabwe under attack by the Mugabe regime, hence media interest and commitment of resources to illustrate their plight to the world. Whether this is true or not the media has the obligation to explain why for example why Madagascar is not feature prominently in the western and Southern Africa news when it is on the brink of a civil war. The media should also explain as Pahad alleged why media attacks in Israel are not featured in the news.

Madagascar is today on the brink of a civil war, according to reports from Africaonline at least 32 people have dies since self-proclaimed opposition President Marc Ravalomanana declared himself president on 22 February. He argues he won the 16 December presidential poll, claiming it was rigged to favour President Didier Ratsiraka. The official results declared no candidate had won enough votes to be declared an outright winner, Ravalomanana has rejected a court-ordered run-off poll.

According to information gathered by Reporters sans frontières (RSF), Paris, in Madagascar which is on the brink of a civil war on 2 February, Lieutenant-Colonel Coutiti, the information minister's technical advisor, confiscated the private FM 91 radio station's equipment in Nosy Be (an island in the country's northern region) and closed the station. A provincial councillor who supports Ravalomanana owns FM 91.

On 20 February, striking secondary school students ransacked and threw stones at the offices of the Amoron'i Mania Radio-Television (Art) station in Ambositra les Roses (south of Antsirabe). The students were protesting the station's coverage of events, which they considered to be overly partisan. Ratsiraka owns the station.

During the night of 23 February, about ten masked men attacked the offices of Ravalomanana's Madagascar Broadcasting Service (MBS) radio station in Fianarantsoa (300 km south of the capital, Antananarivo). The offices were set on fire and three night watchmen were seriously injured in the attack. "We have locked ourselves inside the station offices for three days because we fear for our safety," the radio station's editor-in-chief told a Madagascan daily.

On 27 February, Radio Tsiokavao was set on fire by Ravalomanana sympathisers. The station's offices were totally destroyed in the blaze. Radio Tsiokavao is a Ratsiraka supporter. One of the people responsible for the fire told Agence France-Presse: "We set the fire to avenge the one at MBS radio station." In addition, on 16 March, soldiers ransacked the offices of Radio Soleil, which is owned by a pro-Ravalomanana member of the Malagasy National Assembly. Two days later, the same servicemen returned to the premises to destroy the rest of the equipment.

On 8 April, the private station Radio-Télévision Analamanga (RTA) announced that it would drop its news flash because of "telephone threats" and "threats against journalists." According to one press release, the radio station had taken the liberty of "merely providing information and had not slanted it in favour of, or against, any individual, entity or party."

Last week, there were reports of gun battles, bombing of bridges and attempt to cut supplies to areas were supporters of Ratsiraka are based. Ravalomanana has now call upon his supporters to prepare for war. Women and children are being killed, in gun clashes at least by the 16 of April a 16-year-old girl and a 31-year-old woman were killed. thanks to President Abdoulaye Wade Senegal that invited them to go to Dakar the capital of his country for peace talks. Thanks to President Abdoulaye Wade Senegal that invited them to go to Dakar the capital of his country for peace talks.

Madagascar is a potential dangerous situation that could grow into Sierra Leone or Rwanda, yet western media and even African media has not touch the issue at least with some seriousness. Despite the gravity of the situation Madagascar has not made it to national debates of many countries including South Africa until the constitutional crisis was resolved. The media has not committed any resources to cover the problem in Madagascar,

While the Madagascar people are left in the cold, Israel versus Palestine conflict receives enormous attention. However, questions of selective morality are arising from the way events are covered opinions constructed and conclusions are arrived at.

In his address to the Commonwealth conference Pahad mentions about six influential bodies of the media world that have protested against Israel on its attack on the media. The Foreign Press Association (of Jerusalem), the Committee to Protect Journalists (based in New York), the International Federation of Journalists (Brussels), the International Press Institute (Vienna), Reporters sans frontiers (Paris) and the World Association of Newspapers (Paris) – have recently (9 April) issued an unprecedented statement attacking the action of the Israeli Government in seeking to seal off entire cities in Palestine as “excessive, unjustifiable and utterly counterproductive”.

According to Pahad these bodies have urged Israel to allow the foreign media access to the cities of the West Bank, and asked Israeli officials “to desist from public attacks on the foreign press” through “irresponsible generalisations”. They have made a “fervent call” on Israel to accredit Palestinian journalists working for the foreign press out of the Palestinian territories.

The attack of press in Israel is obviously a matter of great concern. In a war situation like Israel and Palestine free circulation of information is essential for the protection of the rights of the people in those countries. The move by the six bodies was also such an important issue because it began to highlight the plight of the media in that region yet the media has chose not to take this up as an important debate on the Middle East crisis.

The selection of events in this manner has obviously resulted in media being blamed for being unfair and partial. Journalism as a profession is supposed to have honest practitioners who stand for truth virtuous, and this has no place for selective morality.

The Dairy

Media charged with failing to respect the rights of children

The media was attacked last week for failing to respect the rights of children when covering matters involving them. According to the Mail and Guardian report of April 12, well-known constitutional law expert Gilbert Marcus said the main problem is that the voluntary codes of conduct governing the media "don't seem to be working". As it currently stands, members of the public who find their rights have been violated by media reporting have recourse in the form of the Advertising Standards Authority for advertising-related complaints, the Broadcasting Complaints Commission for television and radio reporting, and the Press Ombudsman for reports in the print media. But the guidelines relating to reporting on a variety of issues, including child abuse and sexual assault, are voluntary and, aside from making a finding and issuing a report, none of these bodies can actually sanction a media group in the form of a penalty or fine. In addition, Section 154 (3) of the Criminal Procedure Act states it is illegal to identify children who are either witnesses or perpetrators in a criminal act if they are under the age of 18. South Africa is also signatory to several treaties on children's rights, including the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, which the government ratified in 1995. The Freedom of Expression Institute opposes regulation of press through legal means, how we call upon journalists to respect the rights of all people and also adhere the ethics journalism.

Jacob Zuma on Morality

Deputy President Jacob Zuma said sex and violence on TV is undermining moral values in South Africa and it is bad for children. According to the Star newspaper of April 19 Zuma said persuasion of broadcasters to be cautious about showing explicit sex on TV could form part of the quest to renew moral values in South Africa.

While the concept of moral regeneration should be taken serious, South Africa is a violent society and the violence that is shown on television is a result of what happens in the country. It will be then a mistaken for broadcasters to ignore the events surrounding them. It is therefore important for the Deputy President to concentrate on finding ways of fighting violence rather than trying to stop the media from broadcasting it. Attack on City Press journalists

Three City Press journalists were attacked in KwaZulu Natal. According to a report in the City Press of April 14, Michael Mwangi a businessman’s henchmen at his business premise assaulted journalists Wonder Hlongwa, Mandla Zulu and Bongani Hans. The three had gone to Mwangi’s business premises to cover a march by the workers.

The City Press says the assault comes after the newspaper published an article about Mwangi’s criminal activities last week.

The FXI condemns the attack as a serious offence against the free press and should be taken up by police as a matter of priority. Attacks on journalists at work are more than attacking individuals. If journalists are attacked on their line of duty, circulation of information impeded and the public’s right to information is affected.

Commonwealth conference

At least twenty-eight members of Parliament and media professionals, attending the Indian Ocean Rim Conference on Parliament and the Media in Cape Town, South Africa signed a declaration on the events in Zimbabwe. The event was co-organised by the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, the World Bank Institute, the Commonwealth Press Union, the Commonwealth Journalists Association, the Commonwealth Broadcasting Association and the South African Parliament.

According to press statement from Media Institute of South Africa (MISA) of April 17 the conference noted the following.

1. Note with deep concern The serious obstruction of the free flow of information to the citizens of Zimbabwe; The restrictive and punitive nature of the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act; and the deterioration of relations between the Government and independent journalists.

2. Reaffirm, as shared value of Commonwealth nations, that a free press is fundamental to democracy.

3. Call on the Government of Zimbabwe to uphold the Principles of the Coolum Declaration of February 2002 in which it joined with other Commonwealth leaders united in a commitment to democracy, the rule of law, good governance, freedom of expression and the protection of human rights;

To immediately repeal all laws that are inconsistent with these principles, and ensure the safety and protection of its citizens, parliamentarians and those working in the media who seek to exercise their democratic rights.

Zimbabwean journalists arrested

Another three journalists have been arrested in Zimbabwe Dumisani Muleya, chief reporter for the independent business weekly Zimbabwe Independent, and also correspondent for Business Day newspaper in South Africa and that of Geoff Nyarota, editor-in-chief of Zimbabwe's only independent daily The Daily News were arrested on April 16. Iden Wetherell, the editor of the Zimbabwe Independent was also arrested on Wednesday April 17 for publishing Muleya’s story.

According to the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) in a statement issued on 16 April Muleya was arrested for “tarnishing the image” of the First Lady Grace Mugabe. Muleya reported that Erasmus Marufu, Mugabe’s brother was involved in a labour dispute in which he had solicited the help of his sister. Nyarota was arrested on allegations of publishing a false news item on the outcome of the controversial March 2002 presidential elections. He stands accused of having falsified information by alleging that Registrar General Tobaiwa Mudede announced contradicting results in the presidential elections in different media outlets.

SA Journalists snubbed at conference

Citizen newspaper reported that the Press Gallery was snubbed in parliament this week when a Commonwealth conference on “Parliament and Media” excluded them from representation. Ironically the conference that meant to find ways for parliament and media to work together snubbed the very media it encourage to work with parliament.

For further information please contact Freedom of Expression Institute Information and Communications Officer Scotch Tagwireyi Phone: 27 11 403 8403 Cell: 27 82 821 0756