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“We, the undersigned educators in journalism, media studies and related subjects, condemn in the strongest terms the arbitrary suspension and firing of some of the leading journalists at the SABC.

The journalists were suspended after making legitimate editorial inquiries about edicts from management that proposed censoring visuals of particular protests.

Any editorial conference or discussion should be a forum where journalists can make their views known and ask questions. In this case the question went to the heart of the mandate of the public broadcaster which is created by, and subject to, statute. One of the objects of the Broadcasting Act, which is among the laws governing the SABC, is to: “ensure plurality of news, views and information and provide a wide range of entertainment and education programmes.” Section 9 (d) of the Act calls on the broadcaster to “ provide significant news and public affairs programming which meets the highest standards of journalism, as well as fair and unbiased coverage, impartiality, balance and independence from government, commercial and other interests”.

The SABC is a public broadcaster belonging to the country. It is the primary source of news for millions of people. It is a place where many of our young graduates should be able to practise their profession and adhere to the highest ethical standards possible.

Unfortunately, this is no longer the case at the broadcaster. The SABC has turned into a place where those who try to maintain a sense of ethics and professionalism are harassed, suspended and dismissed. It has turned into a place where the very basics of the law – complying with the regulatory authority, ICASA – are flouted.

As educators that strive towards instilling values of democratic debate, independent thinking, ethics and accountability in our students, we are shocked by the disregard shown to the independent regulator in an attempt to silence critical questions.

The SABC is a national resource. It does not belong to one person or even a small group of people. This was evident as far back as 1993 when the ANC and civil society groups, which opposed censorship, insisted at the constitutional negotiations in Kempton Park that the legislation governing the broadcaster be the first to change so that a free and fair election in 1994 could be guaranteed.

The SABC is not only flouting the law, but has violated the entire vision of democracy and constitutionalism that brought it into being. This is not the media environment that we want to see our graduates working in.

We call on the SABC to reinstate the fired journalists with immediate effect, and for the Portfolio committee on communications to urgently convene a public hearing into the matter. The SABC is a public resource and must operate in a lawful manner, consistent with the Broadcasting Act and the Constitution. The very principles of democratic debate, public participation and rule of law are at stake.”

Signed:

• Herman Wasserman, Professor and Director, Centre for Film and Media Studies, University of Cape Town
• Martha Evans, Senior Lecturer, Centre for Film and Media Studies, University of Cape Town
• Pippa Green, Media manager, Research Project on Employment, Income Distribution and Inclusive Growth, UCT (former head Journalism Programme, University of Pretoria)
• Alexia Smit, Lecturer in Television Studies, Centre for Film and Media Studies, University of Cape Town
• Litheko Modisane, Senior Lecturer, Centre for Film and Media Studies, University of cape Town
• Martin Botha, Associate Professor, Centre for Film and Media Studies, University of Cape Town
• Tanja Bosch, Senior Lecturer, Centre for Film and Media Studies, University of Cape Town
• Ian-Malcolm Rijsdijk, Senior Lecturer, Centre for Film and Media Studies, University of Cape Town
• Musawenkosi Ndlovu, Senior Lecturer, Centre for Film and Media Studies, University of Cape Town
• Wallace Chuma, Senior Lecturer, Centre for Film and Media Studies, University of Cape Town
• Lesley Marx, Associate Professor, Centre for Film and Media Studies, University of Cape Town
• Ron Irwin, Lecturer, Centre for Film and Media Studies, University of Cape Town
• Marion Walton, Associate Professor, Centre for Film and Media Studies, University of Cape Town
• Ian Glenn, Professor Emeritus, Centre for Film and Media Studies, University of Cape Town
• Adam Haupt, Associate Professor, Centre for Film and Media Studies, University of Cape Town
• Philippe-Joseph Salazar, Distinguished Professor of Rhetoric, Centre for Rhetoric Studies, University of Cape Town
• Larry Strelitz, Professor and Head of the School of Journalism and Media Studies, Rhodes University
• Anthea Garman, Associate Professor and Deputy Head of the School of Journalism and Media Studies, Rhodes University
• Peter du Toit, Research Associate, Project for Conflict Sensitive Reporting, School of Journalism and Media Studies, Rhodes University
• Jeanne du Toit, Senior Lecturer – Radio. School of Journalism and Media Studies, Rhodes University
• Alette Schoon, Lecturer, School of Journalism and Media Studies, Rhodes University
• Rod Amner, Lecturer, School of Journalism and Media Studies, Rhodes University
• Simon Pamphilon, Lecturer, School of Journalism & Media Studies, Rhodes University
• Jenny Gordon, Lecturer, School of Journalism & Media Studies, Rhodes University
• Gillian Rennie, Lecturer, School of Journalism & Media Studies, Rhodes University
• Glenda Daniels, Senior Lecturer, Department of Media Studies, Wits University
• Mehita Iqani, Associate Professor, Media Studies, Wits University
• Nicky Falkof, Senior Lecturer, Media Studies, Wits University
• Cobus van Staden, Lecturer, Media Studies, Wits University
• Iginio Gagliardone, Lecturer, Media Studies, Wits University
• Lesley Cowling, Associate Professor, Department of Journalism, Wits University
• Elna Schütz, radio producer, Department of Journalism, Wits University
• Kenneth Kaplan, Lecturer, Film & TV Division, Wits University
• Julie Reid, Senior Lecturer, Department of Communication Science, UNISA
• Danie du Plessis, Professor and former Chair of the Department of Communication Science, UNISA
• Elirea Bornman, Research Professor, Department of Communication Science, UNISA
• Gysbert M. Kirsten, Lecturer: Department of Communication Science, UNISA
• Christo P Cilliers, Senior Lecturer, Department of Communication Science, UNISA
• viola milton, Associate Professor, Department of Communication Science, UNISA
• Babalwa Sibango, Junior Lecturer, Department of Communication Science, UNISA
• Marie van Heerden, Lecturer Department of Communication Science, UNISA
• Keyan G Tomaselli, Distinguished Professor, Faculty of Humanities, University of Johannesburg. Professor Emeritus, University of KwaZulu-Natal.
• Elna Rossouw, Lecturer, Department of Journalism, Film and Television, University of Johannesburg.
• Pier Paolo Frassinelli, Associate Professor, Department of Communication Studies, University of Johannesburg
• Ylva Rodny-Gumede, Associate Professor, Department of Journalism, University of Johannesburg
• Colin Chasi, Associate Professor, Department of Communication Studies, University of Johannesburg
• Phyllis Dannhauser, Lecturer, Department of Journalism, Film and Television, University of Johannesburg
• Ruth Teer-Tomaselli, Professor, Media and Cultural Studies, University of KwaZulu-Natal
• Nicola Jones, Senior Lecturer, Media and Cultural Studies, University of KwaZulu-Natal
• Sarah Gibson, Lecturer, Centre for Communication, Media and Society, University of KwaZulu-Natal
• Mike Maxwell, Media and Cultural Studies, University of KwaZulu-Natal
• Ayesha Mall, Head of Department of Media, Language and Communications, Durban University of Technology
• Anthony Collins, Professor, Department of Media, Language and Communications, Durban University of Technology
• Maud Blose, Lecturer, Department of Media, Language and Communications, Durban University of Technology
• Robin Sewlal, Senior Lecturer, Department of Media, Language and Communications, Durban University of Technology
• Deseni Soobben, Lecturer, Department of Media, Language and Communications, Durban University of Technology
• Lizette Rabe, Professor and Chair, Department of Journalism, Stellenbosch University
• Gabriël Botma, Senior Lecturer, Department of Journalism, Stellenbosch University
• George Claassen, Professor Extraordinary, Department of Journalism, Stellenbosch University
• Marenet Jordaan, Lecturer, Department of Journalism, Stellenbosch University
• Corli van der Merwe, Rykie van Reenen Fellow, Department of Journalism, Stellenbosch University
• Wiida Fourie-Basson, Part-time lecturer and science communication specialist, Department of Journalism, Stellenbosch University
• Arrie de Beer, Professor Extraordinary, Department of Journalism, Stellenbosch University
• Charles King, Journalism Lecturer, Media Department, Cape Peninsula University of Technology
• Nic Theo, Senior Lecturer, Media Department, Cape Peninsula University of Technology
• Colin Charles Adonis, Lecturer, Media Department, Cape Peninsula University of Technology
• Zubeida Vallie, Photography & Photojournalism Lecturer, Media Department, Cape Peninsula University of Technology
• Ashraf Jamal, Media Studies, Cape Peninsula University of Technology
• Asanda Ngoasheng, Journalism Lecturer, Media Department, Cape Peninsula University of Technology
• Jude Mathurine, Journalism Department, Cape Peninsula University of Technology
• Lizette Odendaal, Head of Department: Journalism, Tshwane University of Technology
• Hilke Steenkamp, Lecturer, Department of Journalism, Tshwane University of Technology
• Sholain Govender-Bateman, Lecturer, Department of Journalism, Tshwane University of Technology
• Pedro Diederichs, Former Head of Department, and part-time lecturer, Department of Journalism, Tshwane University of Technology
• HC (Bok) Marais, S&T Network, Former President South African Communication Association Liesbet van Wyk, Cape Town
• Sean Jacobs, Associate Professor, The New School, New York
• Kiva S.Joseph, Tutorial Assistant, Department of Mass Communication, Uganda Christian University

Issued by educators in journalism and media studie