‘Media must be free and also account to the public’ – Magopeni
In a significant move for media accountability in South Africa, the Press Council has appointed seasoned journalist Phathiswa Magopeni as its Executive Director.
Magopeni told anchor Iman Rapetti she is ‘excited for the industry and the work we have to do, and the road ahead, looking at all the media developments locally, continentally and globally’.
Rapetti noted that ‘one of the big reasons for the existence of the Press Council is to make sure there is media accountability, but also that we keep interference – state and government interference – at bay, so it’s that delicate dance that needs to happen’. She asked Magopeni ‘where we are right now’ in terms of both of those.
‘You need both to function as a media sector,’ Magopeni said. ‘What the Press Council does is balancing the need for the media to have the freedom to do its work, which is derived from the Constitution, [and] in doing so, you have to account to the public for the nature of the work you do, and how you do your work. That is where the “balance” part comes from.’
Watch the whole interview here:
