Media tribunal, the way it should be

19 Jul 2010

As the season of calls to curb the media's power in South Africa is upon us again, maybe there is a way to bring warring parties together in an institution that would be trusted and respected by everyone - and have some real teeth.

The ANC has again brought up its perennial idea of a "media tribunal", a proposal to regulate the media somehow using the power of the government. All the country's media outlets are, quite rightly, up in arms.

It is surely unconstitutional to have Government, no matter which agency is used, regulate the media in a way that would see pre-publication censorship. This country is based on the anvil of freedom, and quite frankly, it's not going to give it up easily. Yet, that doesn't mean there isn't a problem that needs fixing. The fact is it's very easy for any publication to get away with metaphorical murder in this country.

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Source: Daily Maverick

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