DA condemns Motsoeneng's remarks at New Age Briefing
14 February 2015
SABC COO Hlaudi Motsoeneng's remarks at The New Age Business Briefing yesterday tell you all you need to know about the symbiotic relationship between the SABC, The New Age and Jacob Zuma.
Motsoeneng told Cabinet Ministers present:
"We as the public broadcaster, we are different to New Age but, at least, while we have this relationship with New Age, they share the same views with us: 70% good story to tell. And we must do that."
He went on to berate some of the Ministers present for advertising in other media:
"I want to say to some of the Ministers here. You need to spend money on the SABC and those people who are progressive, like the SABC. Because I don't understand why you are spending money on people who are not even appreciating what government is doing."
Motsoeneng also accused journalists of being "lazy" and "making a hullabaloo about headlines." He said that a mindset change was needed "because people when they think about South Africa, some of the people, not all of them, they think about corruption."
Motsoeneng's remarks are part of a sustained assault on media freedom being waged by Zuma and his proxies. They are designed to put pressure on media houses to focus on the government's "good story to tell" or risk losing advertising revenue.
These remarks come in the wake of reports that the Government Communication and Information System is to withhold advertising revenue from newspapers that do not toe the ANC line. They also follow the DA's recent exposé that government is spending more on advertising in the Zuma-aligned New Age than any other newspaper, despite its comparatively small readership.
The DA calls on journalists, civil society groups and members of other political parties to condemn Motsoeneng's remarks and join us in the fight to keep media freedom alive in our country.
Statement issued by Gavin Davis MP, DA Shadow Minister of Communications, February 14 2015
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