UPDATE: Read the report on the 2015 media Transformation Summits
As inequality deepens and social cohesion falters South Africa needs a media that can offer expression to the full range of voices and facilitate the substantive and complex debates about the social and economic future of the country. Unfortunately, with high levels of concentration in ownership, widespread commercialisation and editorial cost cutting, and increasing threats to media freedom from government, our media is not well equipped for the challenges ahead.
There is a renewed call for ‘media transformation’ and a Media Appeals Tribunal (MAT) from the ruling party and others. Often these calls use the lack of ‘transformation’ to justify proposals to limit media freedom. Media freedom and transformation are two sides of the same coin. Without freedom the media would become the voice of the government. Without a more fundamental transformation than many imagine – including a greater diversity of ownership and non-commercial media that can serve the marginalised – the media will remain largely the voice of an economic elite.
In this sense both media transformation and the defence/expansion of media freedom are urgent and critical to future of our democracy.
Right2Know will be hosting Media Transformation Summits in
- Cape Town: Saturday 21 November, 10h00 – 15h00, Society for the Blind, Salt River.
- Durban: Saturday 28 November, 10h00 – 15h00, UKZN, Glenwood
- Johannesburg: Saturday 5 December, 10h00 – 15h00, SEIR Offices, Braamfontien
READ THE SUMMIT DISCUSSION DOCUMENT: Media Transformation and the Right to Communicate
Please complete this form to express your interest in participating in the Summits. If you have any queries email jayshreepather1@gmail.com.
