The South African Broadcasting Corporation churns out “straightforward public-relations puffery” paraded as news.

So says the Democratic Alliance’s Dene Smuts, in her response to SABC board member Thami Mazwai’s defence of the corporation’s news division against “a band of white liberals who circulate their views as public opinion”.

[Adriana Stuijt has a brilliant idea. She is thinking of setting up an “SABC UNCENSORED” website – to spread all the news the SABC is HIDING!!! I think its a stroke of genius. These allegations against the SABC are very valid. Jan]

The row follows claims that news coverage under Snuki Zikalala, a former spokesperson for Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana, has degenerated into a procession of ministers during TV news and that Zikalala has set a quota of ministers to be paraded to at least four.

“The allegation is patently untrue,” said Mazwai. “As a professional journalist, and one who earned his stripes and recognition, I must point out that there is nothing wrong with cabinet ministers being on the screen in whatever numbers if what they say is newsworthy.”

“Zikalala has been at the SABC for only three months. To suggest that he has changed the mindset of journalists, some of them senior, in such a short space of time credits him with phenomenal powers over the minds of people. This is ludicrous,” insisted Mazwai.

Smuts said: “Mr Mazwai could render a great public service by giving a clear and concrete answer to the following questions: Did managing director of news Snuki Zikalala tell staff that he wanted to see four cabinet ministers on every bulletin?”

“If yes, will Mr Mazwai publicly repudiate this instruction and put on the record for the benefit of both news staff and the viewing public that newsworthiness and the news mix are the only criteria.”

“If no, will he publicly state that no such statement was made, and that no such instruction or expectation exists in any form?”

Smuts complained about the coverage of the opening of a multi-purpose community centre, saying it “was a straightforward piece of public relations puffery”.

“It featured singing and dancing and was presented as proof that government was communicating with the citizenry ‘as it had promised during the election’.” This type of journalism was becoming commonplace at the SABC, she suggested.

Mazwai said this was the view of a motley group of people who paraded their views “as public opinion when, when in actual fact, it is the outlook of a handful of loudmouths”.

This article was originally published on page 4 of Pretoria News on July 23, 2004.

Source: Independent Online (IOL)
URL: http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click…/p>