Grocott's Mail
  • NEWS
    • Courts & Crime
    • Features
    • Politics
    • People
    • Health & Well-being
  • SPORT
    • News
    • Results
    • Sports Diary
    • Club Contacts
    • Columns
    • Sport Galleries
    • Sport Videos
  • OPINION
    • Election Connection
    • Makana Voices
    • Deur ‘n Gekleurde Bril
    • Newtown… Old Eyes
    • Incisive View
    • Your Say
  • ARTSLIFE
    • Cue
    • Makana Sharp!
    • Visual Art
    • Literature
    • Food & Fun
    • Festivals
    • Community Arts
    • Going Places
  • OUR TOWN
    • What’s on
    • Spiritual
    • Emergency & Well-being
    • Safety
    • Civic
    • Municipality
    • Weather
    • Properties
      • Grahamstown Properties
    • Your Town, Our Town
  • OUTSIDE
    • Enviro News
    • Gardening
    • Farming
    • Science
    • Conservation
    • Motoring
    • Pets/Animals
  • ECONOMIX
    • Business News
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Personal Finance
  • EDUCATION
    • Education NEWS
    • Education OUR TOWN
    • Education INFO
  • Covid-19
  • EDITORIAL
Facebook Twitter Instagram
Trending
  • Traditional Healer rape case postponed due to delayed DNA test results
  • Rhodes University mourns the sudden passing of respected, award-winning alumnus, Eusebius McKaiser
  • Juniors football to make come back on Youth Day
  • Abuyile AmaTaliyane emva kwethuba elide
  • 9/10ths programme participants graduate from Rhodes University
  • Final report on Makhanda High Court move delayed until end October
  • Dozens of local kids turn out for Spelling Bee
  • Mbangeli makes a difference in the community through sports
Facebook Twitter Instagram
Grocott's Mail
  • NEWS
    • Courts & Crime
    • Features
    • Politics
    • People
    • Health & Well-being
  • SPORT
    • News
    • Results
    • Sports Diary
    • Club Contacts
    • Columns
    • Sport Galleries
    • Sport Videos
  • OPINION
    • Election Connection
    • Makana Voices
    • Deur ‘n Gekleurde Bril
    • Newtown… Old Eyes
    • Incisive View
    • Your Say
  • ARTSLIFE
    • Cue
    • Makana Sharp!
    • Visual Art
    • Literature
    • Food & Fun
    • Festivals
    • Community Arts
    • Going Places
  • OUR TOWN
    • What’s on
    • Spiritual
    • Emergency & Well-being
    • Safety
    • Civic
    • Municipality
    • Weather
    • Properties
      • Grahamstown Properties
    • Your Town, Our Town
  • OUTSIDE
    • Enviro News
    • Gardening
    • Farming
    • Science
    • Conservation
    • Motoring
    • Pets/Animals
  • ECONOMIX
    • Business News
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Personal Finance
  • EDUCATION
    • Education NEWS
    • Education OUR TOWN
    • Education INFO
  • Covid-19
  • EDITORIAL
Grocott's Mail
You are at:Home»Uncategorized»The price of media freedom
Uncategorized

The price of media freedom

Busisiwe HohoBy Busisiwe HohoFebruary 8, 2010No Comments2 Mins Read
Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email

Fifa, the organisation that runs the  Soccer World Cup (SWC), has gone to great lengths to assure the media
in South Africa that it has no intention of restricting press freedom in the country.

Fifa, the organisation that runs the  Soccer World Cup (SWC), has gone to great lengths to assure the media
in South Africa that it has no intention of restricting press freedom in the country.

This reassurance follows a series of consultations between Fifa on the one hand, and the World Association of Newspapers and the South African National Editors Forum (Sanef) on the other.

Local media houses raised concerns when some employees signed up for accreditation to the SWC, set to begin in June this year.

The terms of the accreditation bind not only individual journalists but also their entire media houses to a number of conditions, that if rigorously applied, could be extremely restrictive.

For example, one of the clauses says that journalists may not generate reports that bring Fifa into disrepute  does this mean that the entire event will be above criticism?

Fifa rejects such an interpretation of its regulations saying that, “The purpose of the media accreditation terms and conditionsb is to regulate the behaviour of people entering the 2010 Fifa World Cup venues,
first and foremost to ensure the safety of everyone in those venues.

The purpose is not, and has never been, to restrict press freedom.” The obvious question in response to
this statement is why make journalists commit to such draconian regulations, if you have no intention of applying them?

There is, however, a simple solution for any journalist who wishes to remain completely free of any Fifa restrictions don’t apply for accreditation.

If you do not have Fifa accreditation, you will not be subject to Fifa regulations, but you will also not be
allowed to work as a journalist at any Fifa event, including soccer matches.

Is this price too high? This newspaper has not applied for accreditation to this year’s SWC. Not because
we intend publishing any nasty articles about the event, but simply because we do not have the resources for such wide ranging coverage.

Previous ArticleSt Andrew’s win by 149 runs
Next Article Restructuring posts creates uncertainty
Busisiwe Hoho

Comments are closed.

Tweets by Grocotts
Newsletter



Listen

The Rhodes University Community Engagement Division has launched Engagement in Action, a new podcast which aims to bring to life some of the many ways in which the University interacts with communities around it. Check it out below.

Humans of Makhanda

Humans of Makhanda

Weather    |     About     |     Advertise     |     Subscribe     |     Contact     |     Support Grocott’s Mail

© 2023 Maintained by School of Journalism & Media Studies.

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.