Acrobat PDF - Kubatana

Sector 4: The media practice high levels of professional standards.4.1 The media follow voluntary codes of professional standards which areenforced by self-regulatory bodies.ANALYSIS:The Swaziland National Association of Journalists (SNAJ) in 2002 developed and approved acode of ethics to ensure professional standards are maintained by all journalists practicing inthe country. The code was recently updated to include clauses on the coverage of HIV/AIDSand gender issues. However, in the absence of an enforcement instrument to ensure the code ofethics is adhered to, SNAJ currently relies on willing editors in newsrooms to sensitise journalistsabout the code. SNAJ has also embarked on an awareness campaign to educate itsmembers about the code. This is an ongoing challenge because of high staff turnover. Due tolow pay and poor working conditions, more and more journalists are leaving the profession forgreener pastures. The result is a dangerous juniorisation in the newsrooms.In the absence of an umbrella body to enforce the code of ethics, each newsroom has developedits own professional standards. For instance, the Times of Swaziland has created an internalombudsman to address concerns of readers and sanction offending journalists. The Observerhas its own internal structures to address concerns raised by readers. When the Observerloses a court case, the editor is made to pay a portion of the awarded damages from hisown pocket.Owners are reluctant to endorse the common SNAJ code because they regard professionalstandards as “our own turf”. Their main criterion for editorial decisions is said to be the question“Are we going to be sued?” There is hardly any introduction to ethical standards fornewcomers in the profession, the motto rather being “give them a pad and a pen”, and tell themto “go and find a story”. There is no mentoring in the newsrooms. Journalists, for their part,tend to see a code as a straightjacket and not as a means to help them improve their performance.Members of the public are not yet aware of the existence of the SNAJ code.Efforts are under way to put in place a Media Complaints Commission (MCC). The process iscurrently in its final stages. As soon as all stakeholders agree on the structure, the MCC isexpected to begin operations.SCORES:Individual scores: 1, 2, 2, 1, 1, 2, 1, 1, 1, 1Average score: 1.34.2 The standard of reporting follows the basic principles of accuracy andfairness.ANALYSIS:The general perception is that ownership structures and stakeholder considerations influencethe degree of accuracy and fairness exercised. Different media have their own ‘sacred cows’So This Is Democracy? 2005-258-Media Institute of Southern Africa