The South African Civil Society Information Service
A nonprofit news agency promoting social justice. Seeking answers to the question:
How do we make democracy work for the poor?
A nonprofit news agency promoting social justice. Seeking answers to the question:
How do we make democracy work for the poor?
SACSIS columnist, Liepollo Pheko contends that there absolutely nothing wrong with having a subjective opinion of social justice.
Pheko also challenged editor Mondli Makhanya's assertion that the media accommodates a wide range of views. She argued that it is incredibly difficult to get alternative views into the media.
"It's incredibly difficult to get 'different' articles into the media…this whole notion that you are welcome, just send us an email, just pop your article...
SACSIS columnist, Ebrahim-Khalil Hassen, argues that progressive activists should be given a fair chance to get their views into newspapers.
Hassen provides an example of how newspapers ignore civil society's views. Civil society raised concerns about aluminium smelters and their burden on South Africa's (SA's) electricity supply as far back as the year 2000, but they were ignored by the media. More recently, however, when the CEO of a bank said that the way to solve SA's electricity crisis...
Nic Dawes, Editor in Chief of the Mail & Guardian newspaper speaking about how the media reports on the economy in South Africa. Dawes delivered this presentation at a roundtable discussion co-hosted by SACSIS and the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung South Africa Office (FES).
Dawes started of by saying that the media is not very good at covering the economy. He conceded that there are indeed deficiencies in how the media treats issues that relate to the lives of the poor and the policies...
Reg Rumney, Head of the Centre for Economics Journalism in Africa, Rhodes University, speaking about how the media reports on the economy in South Africa.
Rumney argued that the media does not have a common vision for South Africa's economic development as it is not a homogenous entity.
He also said that focusing only on the social responsibility aspect of the media and neglecting the financial or market aspect of it can lead you astray.
Rumney spoke at length...
Axel Schmidt, Resident Representative of the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung Office in South Africa, speaking about the misunderstanding between the media and civil society in his opening remarks at a roundtable discussion, which sought to probe how the South African media reports on the economy.
Schmidt explained that there is an increasing need for fresh discussion and for organisations to identify shared interests.
At a recent gathering regarding the 2010 Media Barometer that is developed...
Fazila Farouk, Executive Director of the South African Civil Society Information Service talks about how the media has polarised the debate on the economy between the left and the right in her opening remarks at a roundtable discussion, which sought to probe how the South African media reports on the economy.
The event, held in mid September was co-hosted by SACSIS, and the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung South Africa Office.
Farouk explained that SACSIS is a social justice news agency...
