Hardegat Rapport reaction hardly surprising

And this has absolutely nothing to do with freedom of expression, freedom of association or freedom of speech but everything to do with money.

For the past decade, that solid wall that existed between the private sector mass media's editorial and management functions has crumbled slowly but surely. In the pre-democracy days when the mass media in this country was not having to work in such a competitive environment due to lack of competition, editors were sacrosanct and if advertisers threatened to withdraw advertising or readers threatened boycotts, well, frankly there was so much money floating about that editors were able to tell everyone including their advertisers to like it or lump it.

Stronger voice

But, nowadays with the media having just gone through a particularly testing economic period towards the end of the last decade and the first few years of this one, editors are no longer as powerful as they were and management is having a far stronger voice in terms of things that might upset circulation, distribution or advertising.

That doesn't meant say that all newspapers are cracking under the pressure. For example, the Sunday Times has demonstrated that its editor still has a lot of clout with the recent ding dong with the ANC and the health minister in particular. You can be sure a lot of lobby pressure has been brought on Sunday Times management to muzzle its editor, but so far to no avail.

Wedge

So it is sad to see some newspapers cracking under pressure and now that Rapport has opened the floodgates and set a precedent, editorial life there will probably hardly be worth loving because it has allowed the thin end of the commercial wedge to be driven in to a crack in the editorial door.

Frankly, it should have braved it out and not just assumed that all its Afrikaans readers were as narrow-minded as the bunch threatening action.

Equally sad is the fact that newspapers have been the last bastion of allowing money to control editorial policy.

SABC is culprit

Broadcast media, particularly the SABC, has long succumbed. For example, have you ever wondered why motoring programmes on SABC TV and Radio are never as good as BBC's Top Gear? Simple answer; SABC presenters are not allowed to say anything bad about a car in case advertisers get upset.

But equally, with the exception of Car magazine, Star Motoring and a few others most motoring publications, particularly magazines, don't even dream about criticising cars they test for fear of losing advertising from a particularly paranoid motor industry.

There are dozens of other examples of media in this country compromising editorial integrity for fear of losing money.

But this is the first time a major newspaper has gone this route in so public a fashion.

Expect more, particularly when ad spend growth and the economy start slowing down.

For more:

• Mail & Guardian Online: Commercial pressure leads Rapport to scrap column