The Online Publisher's Association (OPA) has cautiously welcomed the announcement of further consultation on the controversial Film and Publications Amendment Bill. In a recent submission to the Home Affairs portfolio committee, the OPA raised strong concerns over the impractical nature of implementing the legislation for online media and its potential harm to freedom of speech in South Africa.
Following the announcement that the Bill would not be finalised in this session of Parliament, to allow time for greater consultation, the OPA, which represents SA's key Internet media owners, submitted a detailed response to the Home Affairs portfolio committee.
"The OPA has strong concerns over the impractical nature and potential limits to free speech of the proposed Film and Publications Amendment Bill," said Russell Hanly, chairman of the OPA.
"The implications for online media, which relies on an immediate response to breaking news, are extremely concerning to our members. We also believe that the bill does not adequately deal with the unique challenges of online environment. We welcome the further consultation announced by the Government and will endeavour to help find a workable solution to the challenges of this legislation,"
The document highlights the specific challenges the Bill would raise for the online industry, as well as agreeing with the broader concerns of other media organisations.
The key concerns raised in regards to the online media environment include:
- The hampering of an immediate response, critical to the business of online news media, to breaking news by the imposition of a censorship board
- The challenges in dealing with the immense amount of Internet content generated in South Africa on a daily basis
- The inadequacy of the Bill in dealing with user-generated content, for example blogs, photos and video, responses posted to articles
- The complications of the use of hyperlinks to material elsewhere on the Internet in articles.
The OPA suggests in its response that aims of the Bill might be better served by self-regulation either by the Press Ombudsman or the creation of a specific Online Press Ombudsman.
