PORT ELIZABETH - 12 MAY 2000
The Editor of the Evening Post, Ms Lakela Kaunda The Mayor of Port Elizabeth, Councillor Nceba Faku Distinguished Guests Ladies and Gentlemen
This celebration takes place against the background of enormous challenges facing the media industry in our country. This is an industry that is at a cross-roads following recent developments that have impacted upon it. None of us are and will remain unaffected by these developments.
However we are here tonight to pay tribute to the Evening Post on its 50th anniversary, at the transformation that the paper has undergone over the years. We are here also to pay tribute to the founders of the newspaper for the courage and foresight they showed, in particular its courageous founding editor, John Sutherland, who stood up for the intrinsically good values of fairness and liberty.
During his tenure as editor, the paper consistently and courageously opposed the practices of apartheid rule. This paper was also the first, at the time, to introduce the use of the term African in place of "Bantu" and other derogatory terms used to refer to indigenous people.
The "birth" of the Evening Post took place during a significant period in our history. The year 1950 represented a tumultuous and extremely turbulent time period in the history of this country and of the world at the time. It came into being two years after the introduction of the most vicious assault ever launched on the freedom and dignity of our people, the apartheid system. It was also at the height of the Cold War. The Evening Post, a liberal publication, sought to counter the prevailing racial orthodoxy of the time.
At the height of the struggle in this region, during the eighties, this newspaper kept many of us informed of the events that were taking place here. This was done despite the harsh restrictions placed on the media at the time by the authorities.
That was a time when the people needed brave and courageous journalists and editors to keep them informed and to expose the injustices perpetrated against their fellow South Africans by the authorities of the time. The stories and the editorials expressed in the Evening Post of the time proved to be remarkably prescient.
Six years into democracy we find ourselves asking of each other if the role being played by our media in democratic South Africa is helping to take our country forward. Is the commendable work of the brave journalists of past years being brought to fruition, or are we seeing ourselves trapped in the opposing role played by those journalists? Is it still relevant in our times to be opposed to all that emanates from government? Finally has the anit-government stance necessitated by apartheid evolved into a principle?
The submissions of the various editors speak eloquently to the challenges that still confront the media as we begin a new century. What has clearly come out in some of those submissions is the remarkable realisation that in some ways our media has largely escaped the transformation drive. There exist both subjective and objective factors for this situation.
The media is a powerful shaper of the opinions and views of the populace. As an institution it has enormous potential to influence important areas of our lives, the way we perceive ourselves and are in turn perceived by others including the international community. This is important, within the context of the prevailing display by the "markets", with regard to the perceptions on South Africa's handling of some of the recent event.
This places an enormous responsibility on the media to cover stories in a balanced and fair manner that, at the same time brings the complexity of issues to the reader in a simple and unbiased manner.
The challenges for the media re indeed manifold and complex, that is understood by all of us.
The question we must all ask ourselves however is whether in a developing country like ours, that has all the fundamentals in place and is working tirelessly to attract international investment and improve the lives of its people, is there not a role to be played by a patriotic media in ensuring the realisation of these goals? Is there a correlation between the manner in which democratic South Africa and the region are portrayed and the demographics in the media?
In this regard, I have to commend the Evening Post for having been the first newspaper to appoint a black, female editor in the history of the media in our country. Significantly, Ms Kaunda is herself deputised by other women.
This relates to the important issue of the transformation of the newsrooms. Too many publication still reflect, in their content, woefully inadequate analysis of the issues that affect our country and our people. One has to wonder at the type of training that is being accorded to journalists.
Are our junior journalists being given sufficient guidance by the senior staff, or are they simply left to their own devices? Are we as vigilent in ensuring that our media institutions make sufficient provision in their budgets for training of quality journalists, and that those budgets are used in their entirety as we are with other institutions in our society?
I believe that these are pertinent issues for our society, after all these are the people charged with the enormous task of being a window on our world. I am sure that these are not issues unique only to our country, but our special circumstances require that we look at them from a different perspective from the norm.
I believe that our relationship should be dynamic, but not inherently hostile and suspicious. I must state that I am heartened by the submission made by the editor to the HRC in this regard as well as what is written in the Evening Post itself.
The references to the negative casting of our situation seeks to highlight the need for all of us to put the interest of our country and its entire people first, and to ensure that we continue to build on, and improve, the quality of life for all.
In this regard we are encouraged by the positive developments in this region and the province. We have seen the announcement on Coega and the building of a new SAB plant in Port Elizabeth that will bring a new investment and jobs. The automobile industry continues to grow and showing they are internationally competitive with the awarding of export contract by parent companies.
The awarding of a new casino for the PE area will also boost tourism to the region. The PE-Despatch-Uitenhage corridor will also become a mega city thereby further enhancing the economic prospects of the area. This should also boost service delivery and the more effective utilisation of resources.
There is thus a distinct sense of hope regarding the prospects for this region and the province.
I also observed it this morning with the launch of the Strategic Plan to reinvigorate and rejuvenate Fort Hare and to ensure its sustainability. The same applies to the positive changes at the Evening Post under the dynamic leadership of Ms Kaunda. It augurs extremely well for the province.
In conclusion I wish to congratulate the Editor, Ms Kaunda and the staff of the Evening Post. May you go from strength to strength in all your endeavours to grow and bring the populace balanced informed and objective news coverage.
Thank you.