Molefe's mission impossible to ‘exorcise' SABC News

Molefe last week announced his renewal news strategy, saying: "We must reposition SABC News as the number one news service in the country and the continent of Africa, providing credible, compelling and distinctive programming."

However, some critics believe he will be unlikely to succeed as long as the public broadcaster's complex and deep-rooted problems remain unresolved.

"Not editorially independent"

Lesley Cowling, senior lecturer at Wits University's School of Media Studies and Journalism, told Bizcommunity.com yesterday, Sunday, 24 May 2009, “It really does not matter which personality is made director of news as long as the SABC is dysfunctional, and the news department is not editorially independent of the senior executives in the organisation and the board.

“Until those issues are sorted out, I cannot see how the SABC news division can regenerate itself, even if it were to appoint a news professional with a great deal of credibility in the industry. We have seen many highly respected news and broadcast executives come and go - why is that?”

Cowling also said that the SABC has a structural problem because its board is selected by a parliamentary committee that is dominated by the ruling party.

Molefe, who acknowledged that the news division was a badly damaged brand with eroded credibility, said, “We will review the editorial systems, processes and value chain, and a proper briefing and debriefing of news gathering staff would form a foundation of the new newsroom order.”

Cautiously welcomed

Media Monitoring Africa (MMA) director William Bird cautiously welcomed Molefe's renewal strategy, saying: “There is a need to question whether now is the best time given that he is only a temporary appointment. What will happen when the new person is appointed? Will he or she review again?

“We need bold and courageous news - news that questions and interrogates. One of the core concerns about SABC news is the fear of rocking the boat which has resulted in timid and often dull reporting.

“We would also welcome greater emphasis on research and context in stories. SABC still has truly amazing research resources which are under-utilised.”

An SABC insider said: “Look, it is too soon to tell if things have improved or not. Let's give him some time. He only announced his new strategy last week and I think judging him now would be unfair to say the least. However, we all remain optimistic about the future.”

R2 billion bailout

Meanwhile, The Sunday Independent yesterday reported that the public broadcaster has asked the government for R2 billion to help it get out of its financial crisis.

However, the newspaper also reported that while the SABC was crying for help and struggling to pay its debts, its company secretary Thelma Melk is in Los Angeles - her sixth overseas trip since October 2008 - on a content purchasing visit, with her air tickets costing R175 000.

Wits University's Cowling said: “The board has too much power in the daily workings of the public broadcaster, which is why we have had the distasteful spectacle of board members who know nothing about media flying business class all over the world to television markets (on 'buying' trips) and staying in expensive hotels on Rodeo Drive and so on.

“The government needs to urgently consider how it can rescue the broadcaster, and then consider ways in which to get it functional again, and to restructure it so that these problems do not arise again.”