‘Media is in distress and requires urgent relief’

THE SA NATIONAL Editors’ Forum (Sanef) has commissioned research into a possible media industry relief fund, with the sector coming under severe financial stress since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.

Sanef chief executive Kate Skinner said in an interview yesterday that the industry came under financial stress quicker than anticipated ahead of the national lockdown.

Skinner warned that if nothing was done urgently, the production of quality news would suffer as more jobs could be lost with media companies forced to close. She said Sanef had done some research on funds – both local and global – that could provide media companies with financial relief.

“We have been monitoring the situation. The Mail & Guardian warned it might not be able to pay April salaries. The Independent Group said it would reduce salaries by 40 percent in the same month. Shortly after that the Association of Independent Publishers, which represents some 200 small, independent community print publications across the country, put out a distress call for additional government advertising support,” said Skinner.

The lockdown has seen many advertisers curbing their spend, and the effective closure of the events industry also had a severe impact on media companies.

Last week, Associated Media Publishing – whose publications included Cosmopolitan, House & Leisure, Good Housekeeping and Women on Wheels – announced its closure due to the dire state of advertising in the industry.

Skinner said community media journalists and freelancers do not meet the traditional protections of paid sick leave, insurance and funds from the Unemployment Insurance Fund, and they face a bigger risk of financial hardship than ordinary employees.

A survey by the South African Freelancers Association showed that more than 50 percent of members had lost more than 70 percent of their income.

It said many lost 100 percent of their income, and because their work was often ad hoc rather than contractual, they had been turned down for government relief funding.