S.A. press watch-dog

Press, 5 September 1983, Page 10

S.A. press watch-dog

NZPA Johannesburg The South African newspaper industry disclosed details yesterday of a new watch-dog body aimed at avoiding more Government controls on the press. The Media Council, which will start work in November, is being given a chance to prove itself by the Government, which has delayed enforcing a law passed by Parliament last year. The law, known as the Registration of Newspapers Amendment Act, requires all newspapers to subject

themselves for disciplinary purposes to a “voluntary” body and empowers the Minister of Internal Affairs to cancel the registration of any newspaper that fails to accept its decisions.

It was rushed through Parliament in the final days of the 1982 session, but was shelved earlier this year after bitter opposition from newspapers of all political opinion. Announcing the details of the new council the Newspaper Press Union and Conference of Editors said that it was aimed at “setting and

keeping the highest standards of journalism, free of Government controls.”

Representatives of the public would sit on the council, which could impose penalties from a reprimand to a 10,000 rand (?NZ13,860) fine for breaching its code of conduct.

South African newspapers are already subjected to some 100 laws and regulations which restrict their coverage in the name of national security on a wide range of subjects such as defence matters and energy supplies.