Boycotting the media threatens liberty

This is not to suggest that a boycott should never be practised in a democratic state, rather MMA asserts that such drastic action only be undertaken when every possible avenue for constructive engagement and change has been exhausted with no effect.

The ANCYL press statement gives no supported evidence of such engagement. For such a drastic measure surely there would have to be incontrovertible research showing and proving the allegations made against Media 24. There is a claim in the press release that Media 24 publications "attack the ANC-led government as well as ANC leaders 37 times per day through publications such as Beeld and City Press." No source for this is provided nor is it clear if the league had approached Media 24 with such evidence and sought redress, or indeed if it had lodged complaints with the Press Council or the courts.

Perhaps the most fundamental error in calling for a boycott is in not asking the question, 'who will lose out if the boycott succeeds?' You can be sure that the wealthy owners will not, they will simply move their capital elsewhere. The real losers will be the ordinary citizens, who will be deprived of numerous media titles and crucial information about what happens in South Africa. Maybe some of it is inadequate and perhaps some even biased, but surely access to a greater diversity of views and news enables citizens to decide for themselves?

Physical attacks deplored

MMA is also deeply concerned by the viciousness of the recent attacks on the South African media - from the physical attacks on Tuesday outside Luthuli house, to calls for a boycott and other threats to media freedom.

There can be no doubt that our media leaves a lot to be desired. We have seen it make some stupid, awful choices in reporting, misquoting, making errors, being played by others, as well as poor ethical decision making. All these things are true. However, we must not forget that overwhelmingly the media gets it right most of the time, far more than it gets it wrong. Indeed if we were to look at any area in South African society, we could make the same claim. A glance at the National Planning Commission Report on the State of our Nation could lead one to calling for a boycott of government for the failings pointed out therein. Clearly however that would be equally pointless, destructive and anti-democratic.

Journalists and media risk their lives on a daily basis to bring us the news. They have to report the best and the worst of our society and they have to help us make sense of it. They will get it wrong, and they will err, but their role in reporting to us and the world big events, such as when we became a democracy in 1994 through to matric children who pass with several distinctions enables our democracy to function. Without free media there can be no democracy. The MMA calls on the ANCYL in Limpopo to rescind its call for a boycott and rather to engage with Media 24 directly with its concerns.