(MISA/IFEX) – The South African government’s plans to form an independent Media Diversity and Development Agency (MDDA) to regulate the South African media industry could lead to political interference with press freedom, the Print Media Association of South Africa (PMSA) warned on 4 April 2001. The association was responding to comments by Minister in the […]
(MISA/IFEX) – The South African government’s plans to form an independent Media Diversity and Development Agency (MDDA) to regulate the South African media industry could lead to political interference with press freedom, the Print Media Association of South Africa (PMSA) warned on
4 April 2001.
The association was responding to comments by Minister in the Office of the Presidency Essop Pahad in January, when he said South African media were still suffering from a colonial mentality. The minister was quoted as saying the media represented a narrow range of interests, which did not do enough to cover communities marginalised by gender, race, disability and the broad democratic movements that fought against apartheid.
PMSA spokesman Brian Pottinger said the media were concerned that the draft document seemed to give the MDDA too much power to interfere with every area of publishing, including published, broadcast or circulated information.
“The proposed mandate for the MDDA is broad, which then creates a legal entity with much wider powers of investigation, lobbying, intervention and advocacy in virtually every area of publishing. The wider the powers for MDDA, the more it sets itself up as a target for potential sectarian political appropriation,” he said.
“Within the draft policy document for the establishment of the MDDA, Government Communications and Information System (GCIS) said the body would operate in accordance with governmental policy and guidelines. It would have an arms-length relationship with the government and the media industry, which will then operate with a broad mandate to promote diversity and development in print, broadcast and new media,” Pottinger continued.
Delegates at the PMSA presentation pointed out that a number of bodies that regulate media operations already existed in South Africa, among them the Advertising Standards Authority, the Press Ombudsman’s Office, the Independent Communications Authority and the Broadcasting
Complaints Commission of South Africa.
A new body, appointed by the president, exposed the media to a danger where it became a highly regulated industry, vulnerable to political pressure. “We are of the view that the government’s draft policy document is too broad and does not provide proper definitions to a number of key crucial aspects. There is a definite hint of a threat to press freedom if the draft document is adopted as [is],” said Pottinger.
PMSA delegates will be meeting officials from the GCIS over the coming weeks to register their concerns over the government plans for an MDDA.
Source: The Citizen, 5 April 2001
