Pretoria – Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) Acting Director General Donald Liphoko says stories generated by the media must contribute to development by allowing South Africans to make better decisions or take advantage of opportunities.
Speaking at the launch of the Media Landscape Handbook 2014 in Johannesburg on Friday, Liphoko said an independent and free media is as important now as it was at the dawn of democracy.
“Media are the prism through which we view our society, exposing the good, the bad, the challenges and shortcomings,” he said.
The journey to democracy over the last 21 years has been an inspiring one and the media has walked this path every step of the way.
“Media Landscape 2014 captures various aspects of this journey. Each chapter in the book considers the media landscape from 1994 and reflects on how far we have come, while considering future challenges.
“We trust that it will lead to broader debate on the media and communication in South Africa. It explores many pertinent issues such as media diversity, media ownership, the rise of social media, diversity in the media space and a raft of other topical issues,” he said.
According to Liphoko, the views expressed in the book encompass a range of views and opinions about the constantly evolving print, broadcast and digital media space.
The book contains chapters from various media experts including William Bird, Shaka Sisulu, Reg Rumney and Professor Tawana Kupe, who discuss the changes that have taken place in the media sector since 1994 and provide a vision for the future.
It aims to stimulate debate around current issues impacting the media environment in South Africa and also reflects on the changes in the media environment and considers how far South Africa has come in this time.
With regard to the emergence of social media, Liphoko said consumers are spoilt for choice in terms of media offerings.
“A multitude of news sources are freely available on the internet. The days where the realm of breaking news was the sole privilege of the media are also long gone. Social media in the guise of twitter, Instagram, Facebook, blogs and many others has made every person a potential journalist,” he said.
Acting Deputy Director General Content Processing and Dissemination, Tasneem Carrim, explained that the purpose of the handbook was to, among other things, actively encourage debates and discussions amongst media stakeholders to ensure the best solutions for South Africa, to reflect on the debates taking place in civil society and government around media issues and to provide a reference and educational tool.
Media houses and representatives welcomed the launch of the book, saying it was very interesting.
Dimakatso Qocha from the Natural Association of Broadcasters, who was involved in the planning of the book, explained that the book was first drafted in 2013. She said although the book was finally put together, identifying writers was a mammoth task.
“We wanted the book to reflect on 20 years of democracy,” she said.
Sowetan Editor, Mpumelelo Mkhabela told the audience at the launch he is happy that South African journalists are able to express their views as opposed to their peers in other countries.
“Journalists must adjust to change in society,” he said, adding that journalism has always tried to change the world.
The National Association of Broadcasters also welcomed the book and congratulated government for the initiative, describing it as innovative.
Veteran journalist and Executive Director of the Press Council of South Africa Joe Thloloe was impressed by the manner in which the book was compiled.
Thloloe said in a democratic country, the ordinary person must have the power to say whatever he wants.
“The problem is that we still want to look at the changing landscape with the old glasses,” he said. – SAnews.gov.za
