Mismanagement aside the SABC has to understand that its primary function as the national broadcaster is to air the views of all the people of this country as well as keep them informed of all ongoing news regardless of whom this may favour or prejudice.
Accordingly the decision to sit on the Zapiro episode of Special Assignment — using the fatuous excuse that the editor-in-chief, Gab Mampone, was yet to sign off on it — is not only ridiculous it’s insulting. It presupposes that South Africans will not be mature enough to re-enter the debate surrounding the series of cartoons on “the rape of Lady Justice” without the SABC being sued and/or the president firing those responsible and/or the ruling party and its allies calling for a national protest and so on and so forth.
Worse it suggests that those authorising it at the SABC value their jobs more than they value carrying out the task they were mandated to do ie keep the public informed.
Of course there is going to be robust debate surrounding the programme, which is what every editor dreams of. That is why people join the media — to be noticed and have their opinions heard. This unfortunately involves intelligence coupled with bravery. The former is required to understand what fits in where and the latter to have the guts to show that which will not endear you to the powers that be.
How do you make a broadcaster into a narrowcaster?
You employ editorial and management staff whose primary concern is not to rock the boat. Eventually that will ensure that your national viewership becomes reduced to those who support the government AND like to live in a cocoon. That number will continue to evaporate each time you refuse to cover issues which are important to people who support the government but are at odds with it over a certain issue.
In other words you will experience a daily reduction.
The refusal and/or failure to show the programme on Zapiro smacks of cowardice, attempts at ingratiation and flies in the face of Zuma’s own words at his inauguration whereat he confirmed that the ruling party and government must be prepared to accept more criticism.
Accordingly the editor-in-chief or whoever else is required to give the go-ahead best get his act in order before they create an incident out of a non-event.
It is time for those who run and manage the SABC to understand that when they act like a national broadcaster — as their conduct will either confirm or disprove — rather than an instrument of government, then they will enjoy the support of the people of this country.
During the last election everybody from the ANC to DA supporters condemned them as biased and unprofessional.
In this case the Zapiro story should have been aired and any criticism accepted as part of the job of bringing all views to the table.
Where information is not to be withheld in the interests of national security, copyright, civil or criminal law infringements the items should be placed before the public for their response. The test should not be whether it will antagonise the president, government or ruling party.
The test is whether it is information that is of interest to the public and is not excluded by the restrictions I referred to above.
In the mind of the viewers, content is king and if you only present what is safe and expedient they’ll switch you off.
If they switch you off you make your case for R6 billion required to bail you out very difficult to swallow.
And remember one swallow does not make an orgy/summer … something like that.
Cartoon: SABC, Zapiro and Freedom of Speech
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