Government urged to protect journalists’ independence
THE South African government has been called on to ensure an environment that better protects media freedom and the independence of journalists‚ notably in the face of proposed legislation that threatens a free press.
This comes from the board of the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA).
The board drew attention to the Cybercrime Bill as an assault on the right to digital privacy and a threat to the protection of journalists’ sources.
The WAN-IFRA board denounced the draft Prevention and Combating of Hate Crimes and Hate Speech Bill – which would criminalise bringing contempt and ridicule onto figures of authority – as well as the Film & Publication Board Amendment Bill‚ which broadens state power to censor content.
The board also noted that the controversial Secrecy Bill could still be signed into law after parliament recommended that President Jacob Zuma give it his final approval‚ despite vigorous opposition from media and civil society groups.
“WAN-IFRA has expressed its deep concern that the government is considering a range of measures that will intimidate the press‚ promote self-censorship and silence criticism,” the board said.
“To address the shrinking space for independent journalism‚ WANIFRA has urged the South African authorities to adopt a more open‚ inclusive approach to dialogue and to work with media‚ legal and civil society organisations to craft legislation that seeks to enable a more positive environment for freedom of expression.”
WAN-IFRA met in Durban last week‚ an event attended by media from around the world.
During its meeting, the WANIFRA board also passed six other press freedom resolutions‚ calling on global solidarity for media facing extreme challenges in Botswana‚ Cameroon‚ Tanzania‚ Zambia‚ Mexico and Turkey.
WAN-IFRA’s mission is to protect the rights of journalists across the world to operate free media‚ and provide its members with professional services to help their business prosper in a digital world.