
“With World Press freedom Day approaching it is an opportunity to celebrate the fundamental principles of press freedom; to evaluate press freedom around the world, to defend the media from […]
13 February marks the celebration of World Radio Day. The media in Southern Africa joins the rest of the world to celebrate the 2015 World Radio Day under the banner Youth and Radio. Particular interest in this year’s thence comes about, as there is gross underrepresentation of the youth in the media
For the past few weeks in South Africa the news channels have been plagued with parents’ pleas to have their kidnapped children brought back to safety, to have murderers and abusers imprisoned for various crimes against children. The high rise in crimes against children is a national tragedy and citizens need to assist the police in ensuring that perpetrators are arrested.
Sexist and racist remarks directed at the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ms. Navatheenam Pillay in Sri Lanka this week cannot be tolerated. Sri Lanka’s Minister for Public Relations and Public Affairs, Mervyn Silva declared to the media that he was “willing to marry” the Human Rights Commissioner.
In the run up to International Women’s Day on 8 March 2004, the Southern African Gender and Media Network (SAGEM) challenged South African editors to “strip the back page” and replace it with content that celebrates women in all their diversity (GEM Networks, South Africa). The campaign generated heated argument and unprecedented media coverage.
In Mauritius, Media Watch Organisation has successfully taken up several cases of sexist advertising, leading to hearings by the Independent Broadcast Authority (IBA) and in some instances to the withdrawal of advertisements deemed to be offensive.