Media accountability mechanisms in South Africa : a critical study of the regulatory bodies for print, broadcast and online media, and a model for regulation

Abstract

Media accountability mechanisms in South Africa – a critical study of the regulatory bodies for print, broadcast and online media, and a model for regulation, investigates the effectiveness of the media-initiated regulatory institutions in South Africa. Questioning “to what extent are the media accountability mechanisms (MAMs) in South Africa responsive and fit to regulate complaints on media conduct?”, evaluating the media councils' functioning and fitness-for-purpose in the South African context, the comparative case study evaluates the Broadcasting Complaints Commission of South Africa and the Press Council of South Africa. The study explores the councils' operations, records, organisational procedures, and mandates, drawing on textual and document analysis methods, and interviews with chairpersons, directors, and ombudspersons. Adopting an audience-centred approach, the study centres the public complainants’ experiences of the institution through an in-depth analysis of the complaint’s resolution process. The analysis is informed by observations of a selection of cases and supported by qualitative interviews with the core participants in the complaint’s resolution process; namely, the public complainant, the media respondent, and the regulatory adjudicator. The study finds that, while the media councils operate and rule on complaints successfully, they may not be entirely fit-for-purpose within the current South African context. The thesis proposes a set of structural and procedural considerations, offering a model of regulation which centres public participation, responds to digitalisation, and supports the collaboration of councils through cross-platform engagement. The model also signals the value of developing media accountability systems and media accountability instruments in support of media councils and their mandate to raise media standards. Theorising the relationship between the citizenry, the media and their accountability processes, the study examines media regulation as a public service and explores the notion of regulatory bodies as a public good. The study further affirms the need for public participation and accessibility, noting these indicators of the institution's fitness to serve its South African audience.

Media-aanspreeklikheidsmeganismes in Suid-Afrika – 'n kritiese studie van die regulerende liggame vir gedrukte, uitsaai- en aanlynmedia, en 'n model vir regulering, ondersoek die doeltreffendheid van die media-geïnisieerde regulatoriese instellings in Suid-Afrika. Die vergelykende gevallestudie bevraagteken mediarade se funksionering en geskiktheid vir doel in die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks, en evalueer die Uitsaaiklagtekommissie van Suid-Afrika en die Persraad van Suid-Afrika. Met behulp van tekstuele en dokumentontledingsmetodes en onderhoude met voorsitters, direkteure en ombudspersone, verken die studie die rade se werksaamhede, rekords, organisatoriese prosedures en mandate. Deur 'n gehoorgesentreerde benadering aan te neem, sentreer die studie die publieke klaers se ervarings van die instelling deur 'n in-diepte ontleding van die klagtes se oplossingsproses te onderneem. Die ontleding word ingelig deur waarnemings van ’n seleksie van sake wat ondersteun word deur kwalitatiewe onderhoude met die kerndeelnemers in die klagte se oplossingsproses, naamlik die openbare klaer, die media-respondent en die regulatoriese beoordelaar. Die studie bevind dat, alhoewel die mediarade suksesvol funksioneer, hulle dalk nie heeltemal geskik is vir die doel vir die huidige Suid-Afrikaanse konteks nie. Die tesis stel 'n paar strukturele en prosedurele oorwegings voor, wat 'n model van regulering bied wat openbare deelname sentreer, op digitalisering reageer, en die samewerking van rade deur kruisplatform-betrokkenheid ondersteun. Die model dui ook die waarde van die ontwikkeling van media-aanspreeklikheidstelsels en media-aanspreeklikheidsinstrumente ter ondersteuning van mediarade en hul mandaat om mediastandaarde te verhoog, aan. Die studie teoretiseer die verhouding tussen die burgery, die media en hul aanspreeklikheidsprosesse, asook mediaregulering as 'n openbare diens en ondersoek die idee van regulerende liggame as openbare goed. Verder bevestig die studie die behoefte aan publieke deelname en toeganklikheid, en neem kennis van hierdie aanwysers van die instelling se geskiktheid om sy Suid-Afrikaanse gehoor te dien.

Olu phando lweendlela zokuphendula kwamajelo eendaba eMzantsi Afrika – luphando oluhlalutya amaqumrhu alawula ezoshicelelo, ezosasazo namajelo eendaba angeintanethi, kunye nomfuziselo wommiselo, oluphanda ukusebenza kwamaziko olawulo asungulwe ngamajelo eendaba eMzantsi Afrika. Esi sifundo ngomzekelo sothelekiso siphonononga iKomishoni yeZikhalazo zoSasazo yoMzantsi Afrika kunye neBhunga leeNdaba loMzantsi Afrika, ngokubuza ukusebenza kwamabhunga amajelo eendaba kunye nokufaneleka kwenjongo yawo kwimeko yoMzantsi Afrika. Olu phando luhlola imisebenzi, iinkcukacha ezigciniweyo, iinkqubo zequmrhu, kunye nokugunyaziswa kwala mabhunga, ngokutsala kwiindlela zokuhlalutya okubhaliweyo namaxwebhu kunye nodliwanondlebe noosihlalo, abalawuli kunye noosozikhalazo okanye oonozikhalazo. Olu phando lugxininisa amava ezikhalazo zoluntu kula maziko ngohlalutyo olunzulu lwenkqubo yokusombulula izikhalazo, ngokusebenzisa indlela ejoliswe kwabo ekugxilwe kubo. Uhlalutyo luhambelana nemigqaliselo yokukhetha izehlo ezithile, luxhaswa ludliwanondlebe lophandontyilazwi kunye nabathathinxaxheba abangundoqo kwinkqubo yokusonjululwa kwezikhalazo, oko kukuthi uluntu olufaka izikhalazo, umntu ophendulela amajelo eendaba kunye nomgwebi wezolawulo. Olu phando lufumanisa ukuba ngelixa amabhunga amajelo eendaba esebenza ngempumelelo, asenokungafaneleki ngokupheleleyo kwimeko yangoku yoMzantsi Afrika. Le thisisi iphakamisa iindidi ezahlukileyo zeengqwalasela zolwakhiwo nenkqubo, inikeza umfuziselo wommiselo ojolise ekuthatheni inxaxheba koluntu, ukuphendula kwidijithali, kunye nokuxhasa intsebenziswano kumabhunga ngokuzibandakanya namaqonga amaninzi. Lo mfuziselo ukwabonisa ixabiso lokuphuhlisa iinkqubo kunye nezixhobo zokuphendula kwamajelo eendaba ekuxhaseni amabhunga amajelo eendaba kunye nogunyaziso lwawo lokunyusa imigangatho kula majelo eendaba. Ngokuyamisa ithiyori kubudlelwane phakathi kwabemi, amajelo eendaba kunye neenkqubo zawo zokuphendula, olu phando luchaza ummiselo wamajelo eendaba njengenkonzo yoluntu kwaye luphonononga ingcinga ethi amaqumrhu alawulayo abonwa njengazenzo zawo zilungele uluntu. Olu phando luqinisekisa ngakumbi imfuneko yokuthatha inxaxheba nokufikelela koluntu kula maqumrhu, luphawula ezi zalathisi zokufaneleka kwala maziko ekuncedeni abo ajolise kubo boMzantsi Afrika.

Izindlela zokuziphendulela kwabezindaba eNingizimu Afrika – ucwaningo olubalulekile lwemigwamanda elawulayo yokugaywa kwamaphephandaba, ukusakaza, imithombo yokwazisa nge-intanethi, kanye nemodeli yokulawula, luphenya ukusebenza ngempumelelo kwezikhungo zokulawula ezisungulwe abezindaba eNingizimu Afrika. Ukubuza ngokusebenza nokulungela ukufeza izinjongo kwemikhandlu yabezindaba kumongo waseNingizimu Afrika, ucwaningo oluqhathanisayo luhlola umgudu wokufaka izikhalo owaziwa ngeBroadcasting Complaints Commission of South Africa kanye nomkhandlu wezokugaywa kwamaphepha waseNingizimu Africa owaziwa ngePress Council of South Africa. Ucwaningo luhlola imisebenzi yemikhandlu, okukhona okuqoshiwe, izinqubo zenhlangano, kanye nemiyalo, luthatha ezindleleni zokuhlaziya imibhalo nemiqulu kanye nezingxoxo nosihlalo, abaqondisi kanye nabangeneleli. Ukulandela indlela egxile kuzethameli, ucwaningo lubheka lokho labo abafake izikhalazo ababhekane nakho ezikhungweni ngokuhlaziya ngokujulile inqubo yokuxazululwa kwesikhalazo. Ukuhlaziywa kuncike ekubhekweni kwezigigaba ezikhethiwe, okusekelwe yizingxoxo eziqukethe amaqiniso kanye nababambiqhaza abasemqoka enqubweni yokuxazululwa kwesikhalazo, okungummangali womphakathi, ophendulayo kwabezindaba kanye nomahluleli olawulayo. Ucwaningo luthola ukuthi nakuba imikhandlu yabezindaba isebenza ngempumelelo, kungenzeka ukuthi ayikulungele ngokuphelele ukufeza izinjongo ngokomongo wamanje waseNingizimu Afrika. Umbhalo wocwaningo uphakamisa iqoqo lokungacatshangwa ngakho maqondana nesakhiwo nenqubo, unikeza imodeli yomthethonqubo egxile ekubambeni iqhaza komphakathi, ohambisanayo nokwenziwa kwezinto zisebenze ngekhompuyutha, futhi usekela ukubambisana kwemikhandlu ngokuxhumana ezinkundleni ezahlukahlukene. Le modeli iphinde ibonise ukubaluleka kokusungulwa kwezinhlelo zokuziphendulela kwabezindaba kanye namathuluzi okuziphendulela ekusekeleni imikhandlu yabezindaba kanye nasemsebenzini wayo wokuphakamisa amaqophelo abezindaba. Ukucabanga ngobudlelwano phakathi kwezakhamuzi, abezindaba nezinqubo zabo zokuziphendulela, ucwaningo luveza imibono yezinjulalwazi yokulawulwa kwabezindaba njengomsebenzi ohlinzekelwa umphakathi nohlola udaba lwemigwamanda elawulayo njengempahla yomphakathi. Ucwaningo luphinde luqinisekise isidingo sokubamba iqhaza komphakathi kanye nokufinyeleleka, luphawula lezi zinkombazilinganiso zokulungela kwezikhungo ukuhlinzeka izethameli zaseNingizimu Afrika.