Bill gives government power to classify documents such as government contracts or those produced by state-owned enterprises as secret and arrest an journalists who publishes them
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Journalism and media schools in South Africa have signed a joint statement opposing the
proposed Protection of Information bill and Media Appeals Tribunal
.
In its current form, the bill offers provisions for the government to classify documents such as government contracts or those produced by state-owned enterprises as secret. Any journalist who published such documents could then face a lengthy jail sentence.
Signatories of the statement include the Centre for Film and Media Studies at the University of Cape Town, as well as Rhodes University and Tshwane University of Technology according to a release from Rhodes University . In the statement they say they fear free speech and press freedoms are at risk if the bill were to proceed in its current form.
A campaign against the proposed law has already been launched by the South African National Editors' Forum.
The journalism academics added in their statement that they are also worried about a "climate of intimidation" in the country towards journalists, which they say was illustrated in the recent arrest of Sunday Times reporter Mzilikazi wa Afrika earlier this month.
"We note that these developments have led to a rapid deterioration in the relations between the state and the media," the statement says.
"Further, we are concerned that the ensuing discussion about the state of media freedom in the country has taken on an antagonistic, either-or character which worsens these tensions instead of working towards solving the underlying problems. One of our jobs is to prepare students to join the media industry, and we are concerned about what all these developments signal to young South Africans wishing to start a career in journalism.
"As scholars and researchers we are not blind to the faults of the South African media. In our scholarship we will continue to point to these shortcomings and suggest ways of improving the media’s democratic role. But critique can only bear fruit in an environment that allows for unhindered investigation, the gathering of sound empirical evidence, and the free exchange of ideas."
