Date: 02/08/2006
Source: Mpumalanga Provincial Government
Title: Makwetla: Launch of Sowetan Mpumalanga Edition
Remarks by Premier TSP Makwetla at the launch of the Sowetan Mpumalanga Edition, White River
Master of Ceremonies,
The Editor of the Sowetan, Thabo Leshilo,
Members of the editorial brand,
our provincial public representatives,
Members of the business community,
Distinguished guests,
Ladies and gentlemen
Good morning. We are honoured to be here this morning and to be part of your 25th anniversary celebrations and the launch of the Sowetan newspaper’s Mpumalanga edition. I am pleased because we now have a provincial partner that will contribute actively in our quest to improve the lives of all our people.
For the past 12 years all our endeavours have centred on creating a better life for our people by amongst others transforming the State, building the economy, eradicating poverty and accelerating service delivery.
Today many of our people have access to basic facilities such as primary health centres, schools, clean and running water, electricity, proper sanitation, roads, houses and recreational facilities. We were able to work hard fulfilling our mandate of eradicating poverty and improving the lives of all our people because as government we entered into meaningful partnerships with those willing to lend a hand in building a new country.
Many of our partners in the broadcast, information and communication sector played a vital role in fostering and supporting discussion relevant to our unfolding democracy. Throughout the 12 years these partners made it their mission to inform and educate our people; they made the complex coherent; they challenged conventional wisdom and told a diversity of human stories that inspired and enlightened our era.
Most media really explains issues and ideas. As they say, it unpacks issues. As a democracy we depend on accurate information. We know an informed and knowledgeable citizenry is needed for successful self-government. In order to understand complex issues, ideas and events, we need context, background, history, and most of all analysis. We need to know the why and the how, not just who, what, where and when.
That is why at times it may become necessary for us to write, edit, and then rewrite and re-edit our stories in order to make them more lucid, more literate.
There are many things that journalists did and continue to do in helping us inform our people about the workings of democracy. Democracy depends on citizens having reliable, accurate facts put in a meaningful context.
But journalists must not pursue truth in an absolute or philosophical sense, but they must pursue it in a practical sense. This "journalistic truth" is a process that begins with the professional discipline of assembling and verifying facts. Then journalists try to convey a fair and reliable account of their meaning, valid for now subject to further investigation. They must continue to do that.
I also believe that most of the South African media has its first loyalty to its citizens. While news organisations answer to many constituencies, including advertisers and shareholders, most of our journalists continue to maintain allegiance to citizens and the larger public interest, above any other. This they have to do if they are to provide the news without fear or favour. This commitment to citizens first, is the basis of a news organisation's credibility, the implied covenant that tells the audience the coverage is not slanted for friends or advertisers. Commitment to citizens also means journalism should present a representative picture of all constituent groups in society. Ignoring certain citizens has the effect of disenfranchising them.
I believe that the Sowetan will continue to provide a forum for public discussion. But remember this discussion serves society best when it is informed by facts rather than prejudice and supposition. It also should strive to fairly represent the varied viewpoints and interests in society, and to place them in context rather than highlight only the conflicting fringes of debate. Accuracy and truthfulness require that as framers of the public discussion we not neglect the points of common ground where problem solving occurs.
Journalism is storytelling with a purpose. It should do more than gather an audience or catalogue the important. For its own survival, it must balance what readers know they want, with what they cannot anticipate but need. In short, it must strive to make the significant interesting and relevant. Quality is measured both by how much a story or piece engages its audience and enlightens it. These means journalists must continually ask what information has most value to citizens and in what form. While journalism should reach beyond such topics as government and public safety, a journalism overwhelmed by trivia and false significance ultimately engenders a trivial society.
Programme Director, finally every journalist must have a personal sense of ethics and responsibility - a moral compass. Each of us must be willing, if fairness and accuracy require to voice differences with our colleagues, whether in the newsroom or the conference room. News organisations do well to nurture this independence by encouraging individuals to speak their minds. This stimulates the intellectual diversity necessary to understand and accurately cover an increasingly diverse society. It is this diversity of minds and voices, not just numbers that matters.
Ladies and gentlemen, this morning when we ask some pointed questions the answers should be consistent. If we ask ourselves the question, are we on track in executing our mandate of informing and educating the public, the answer should not be “no!” If we asked ourselves the question, do our analytical pieces contribute to the struggle against poverty, ignorance and disease; the answer should not be, ““maybe”. If we asked ourselves the question, are we winning the struggle for the inculcation of a culture of caring and sharing in our communities, the answer must not be “we are not so sure”.
The Sowetan launches its Mpumalanga Edition at a time when a new generation of media consumers has raised demanding content delivered when they want it, how they want it, and very much as they want it. This new media audience in South Africa and around the world is already using technology, especially the web, to inform, entertain and above all to educate them. This knowledge revolution empowers the reader, the student, the victim of injustice, anyone with a vital need for the right information. It is part of wider changes that reach far beyond the media industry. What happens to print journalism in an age where consumers are increasingly being offered on demand, interactive, news, entertainment, sport and classifieds via broadband on their computer screens, TV screens, mobile phones and handsets? Many people look at these things and predict gloom and doom for the print and electronic media. I believe traditional newspapers have many years of life left and will be just one of many channels to our readers. Great journalism will always attract readers. The words, pictures and graphics that are the stuff of journalism have to be brilliantly packaged; they must feed the mind and move the heart.
Many newspapers have created and continue to build large audiences for their content online and have provided readers with added value features such as email alerts, blogs, interactive debate, and podcasts. Content is being repurposed to suit the needs of a contemporary audience. Those people, those companies, those nations which understand and use this new knowledge will be the ones to prosper and grow strong in our age of discovery.
I am sure that as the Mpumalanga Government builds today’s bridge to Commando Street, the Sowetan will contribute to a greater understanding of issues and themes that concern the people of this province. I believe this is a bridge worth building. Who knows, this could be the beginning of a beautiful new friendship! I for one would like to think so. As you take regional news seriously, complement that with creating jobs for our people. Let there be jobs and more jobs for our people.
Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for inviting me to share this important occasion. On behalf of the Mpumalanga Government I wish you every success with the launch of the Sowetan Mpumalanga edition I thank you.
Issued by: Mpumalanga Provincial Government
2 August 2006
Source: Mpumalanga Provincial Government
Title: Makwetla: Launch of Sowetan Mpumalanga Edition
Remarks by Premier TSP Makwetla at the launch of the Sowetan Mpumalanga Edition, White River
Master of Ceremonies,
The Editor of the Sowetan, Thabo Leshilo,
Members of the editorial brand,
our provincial public representatives,
Members of the business community,
Distinguished guests,
Ladies and gentlemen
Good morning. We are honoured to be here this morning and to be part of your 25th anniversary celebrations and the launch of the Sowetan newspaper’s Mpumalanga edition. I am pleased because we now have a provincial partner that will contribute actively in our quest to improve the lives of all our people.
For the past 12 years all our endeavours have centred on creating a better life for our people by amongst others transforming the State, building the economy, eradicating poverty and accelerating service delivery.
Today many of our people have access to basic facilities such as primary health centres, schools, clean and running water, electricity, proper sanitation, roads, houses and recreational facilities. We were able to work hard fulfilling our mandate of eradicating poverty and improving the lives of all our people because as government we entered into meaningful partnerships with those willing to lend a hand in building a new country.
Many of our partners in the broadcast, information and communication sector played a vital role in fostering and supporting discussion relevant to our unfolding democracy. Throughout the 12 years these partners made it their mission to inform and educate our people; they made the complex coherent; they challenged conventional wisdom and told a diversity of human stories that inspired and enlightened our era.
Most media really explains issues and ideas. As they say, it unpacks issues. As a democracy we depend on accurate information. We know an informed and knowledgeable citizenry is needed for successful self-government. In order to understand complex issues, ideas and events, we need context, background, history, and most of all analysis. We need to know the why and the how, not just who, what, where and when.
That is why at times it may become necessary for us to write, edit, and then rewrite and re-edit our stories in order to make them more lucid, more literate.
There are many things that journalists did and continue to do in helping us inform our people about the workings of democracy. Democracy depends on citizens having reliable, accurate facts put in a meaningful context.
But journalists must not pursue truth in an absolute or philosophical sense, but they must pursue it in a practical sense. This "journalistic truth" is a process that begins with the professional discipline of assembling and verifying facts. Then journalists try to convey a fair and reliable account of their meaning, valid for now subject to further investigation. They must continue to do that.
I also believe that most of the South African media has its first loyalty to its citizens. While news organisations answer to many constituencies, including advertisers and shareholders, most of our journalists continue to maintain allegiance to citizens and the larger public interest, above any other. This they have to do if they are to provide the news without fear or favour. This commitment to citizens first, is the basis of a news organisation's credibility, the implied covenant that tells the audience the coverage is not slanted for friends or advertisers. Commitment to citizens also means journalism should present a representative picture of all constituent groups in society. Ignoring certain citizens has the effect of disenfranchising them.
I believe that the Sowetan will continue to provide a forum for public discussion. But remember this discussion serves society best when it is informed by facts rather than prejudice and supposition. It also should strive to fairly represent the varied viewpoints and interests in society, and to place them in context rather than highlight only the conflicting fringes of debate. Accuracy and truthfulness require that as framers of the public discussion we not neglect the points of common ground where problem solving occurs.
Journalism is storytelling with a purpose. It should do more than gather an audience or catalogue the important. For its own survival, it must balance what readers know they want, with what they cannot anticipate but need. In short, it must strive to make the significant interesting and relevant. Quality is measured both by how much a story or piece engages its audience and enlightens it. These means journalists must continually ask what information has most value to citizens and in what form. While journalism should reach beyond such topics as government and public safety, a journalism overwhelmed by trivia and false significance ultimately engenders a trivial society.
Programme Director, finally every journalist must have a personal sense of ethics and responsibility - a moral compass. Each of us must be willing, if fairness and accuracy require to voice differences with our colleagues, whether in the newsroom or the conference room. News organisations do well to nurture this independence by encouraging individuals to speak their minds. This stimulates the intellectual diversity necessary to understand and accurately cover an increasingly diverse society. It is this diversity of minds and voices, not just numbers that matters.
Ladies and gentlemen, this morning when we ask some pointed questions the answers should be consistent. If we ask ourselves the question, are we on track in executing our mandate of informing and educating the public, the answer should not be “no!” If we asked ourselves the question, do our analytical pieces contribute to the struggle against poverty, ignorance and disease; the answer should not be, ““maybe”. If we asked ourselves the question, are we winning the struggle for the inculcation of a culture of caring and sharing in our communities, the answer must not be “we are not so sure”.
The Sowetan launches its Mpumalanga Edition at a time when a new generation of media consumers has raised demanding content delivered when they want it, how they want it, and very much as they want it. This new media audience in South Africa and around the world is already using technology, especially the web, to inform, entertain and above all to educate them. This knowledge revolution empowers the reader, the student, the victim of injustice, anyone with a vital need for the right information. It is part of wider changes that reach far beyond the media industry. What happens to print journalism in an age where consumers are increasingly being offered on demand, interactive, news, entertainment, sport and classifieds via broadband on their computer screens, TV screens, mobile phones and handsets? Many people look at these things and predict gloom and doom for the print and electronic media. I believe traditional newspapers have many years of life left and will be just one of many channels to our readers. Great journalism will always attract readers. The words, pictures and graphics that are the stuff of journalism have to be brilliantly packaged; they must feed the mind and move the heart.
Many newspapers have created and continue to build large audiences for their content online and have provided readers with added value features such as email alerts, blogs, interactive debate, and podcasts. Content is being repurposed to suit the needs of a contemporary audience. Those people, those companies, those nations which understand and use this new knowledge will be the ones to prosper and grow strong in our age of discovery.
I am sure that as the Mpumalanga Government builds today’s bridge to Commando Street, the Sowetan will contribute to a greater understanding of issues and themes that concern the people of this province. I believe this is a bridge worth building. Who knows, this could be the beginning of a beautiful new friendship! I for one would like to think so. As you take regional news seriously, complement that with creating jobs for our people. Let there be jobs and more jobs for our people.
Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for inviting me to share this important occasion. On behalf of the Mpumalanga Government I wish you every success with the launch of the Sowetan Mpumalanga edition I thank you.
Issued by: Mpumalanga Provincial Government
2 August 2006
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