[DEBATE] : Re: DEBATE Digest, Vol 268, Issue 37

[Sean Jacobs]

This is predictable. Singling out the tabloids. They're bad yes. But ...
------------------------------------------------------
Sean Jacobs
tintinyana at gmail.com

“Only intellectuals love poverty. Poor people love luxury” (from a  
Brazilian samba).

http://theleoafricanus.com/

On May 30, 2008, at 10:59 AM, debate-request at debate.kabissa.org wrote:

>
> From: "Dominic Tweedie" <dominic.tweedie at gmail.com>
> Date: May 30, 2008 6:59:53 AM EDT
> To: "debate: SA discussion list" <debate at debate.kabissa.org>
> Subject: [DEBATE] : Daily Sun in hot water over 'war on aliens'
> Reply-To: "debate: SA discussion list " <debate at debate.kabissa.org>
>
>
> Daily Sun in hot water over 'war on aliens'
>
>
> Mail & Guardian, 30 May 2008
>
>
> A complaint against the Daily Sun's reporting on the recent xenophobic
> attacks in Gauteng was submitted to the press ombudsman and the South
> African Human Rights Commission on Thursday.
>
> The Media Monitoring Project (MMP) and the Consortium for Refugees and
> Migrants in South Africa submitted the complaint saying that the Daily
> Sun's reporting had the effect of supporting the violence by
> perpetuating stereotypes of foreigners.
>
> One of the major issues was the use of the term "aliens" for
> immigrants by the newspaper, which also printed alien logos and
> headlines such as "War on aliens".
>
> The use of such terms was inappropriate and discriminatory, the MMP
> said. The Daily Sun had failed to condemn the violence clearly, had
> offered no non-violent alternatives and had been biased and limited in
> its representation of government, it said.
>
> This was particularly of concern because the newspaper's large market
> in areas where the xenophobic violence had erupted.
>
> "The coverage of non-nationals by the Daily Sun during this period is
> not in line with its responsibility to fair, balanced, accurate and
> non-discriminatory reporting, contravening several fundamental clauses
> of the South African Press Code," the MMP said in a statement.
>
> It was of "vital importance" that the Daily Sun changed this trend in
> its coverage, it added.
>
> Daily Sun publisher Deon du Plessis did not want to respond to the  
> allegations.
>
> "It's like talking about a court case out of court," he said. "If the
> complaint is submitted to the ombudsman, I will deal with the
> ombudsman." -- Sapa
>
>