SECTOR 4 4.6 Journalists and editors do not practise selfcensorship in the private broadcasting and print media In general, South African journalists do not generally practise self-censorship, however, it has been evident in specific instances due to pressure from media owners. For example, Independent journalists, regardless of seniority, cannot write freely and critically about the Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa bloc, particularly China, because of the Independent-Chinese shareholding link. In this sense, journalists do practise self-censorship to keep their jobs. ‘If columnists of stature are self-censoring, there is a sense that it [the practice] is permeating to younger journalists.’ With editors facing a daily battle for readers, they try their hardest to produce stories that will attract an audience and sell, rather than focus on quality content. This sometimes leads to self-censorship in a bid to attract readers. Journalists at Jacaranda FM were allegedly told they had to generate a certain number of tweets to maintain their status in the newsroom, which may lead to a degree of sensationalising the angle of a story for the sake of generating interest on social media. ‘Sometimes commercial pressure from advertising in the print media means stories have to be replaced with adverts at the last minute. This advertising has an impact on editorial, which is forced to be silent in the face of commercial pressure.’ Political pressure can also play a role in encouraging self-censorship. The incident of e.tv CEO Marcel Goulding being fired in relation to him and his wife Bronwyn Keene-Young – then e.tv COO – refusing to bow to Economic Minister Ebrahim Patel’s pressure to cover a story that would give positive coverage to thenPresident Jacob Zuma, shows the consequences of not giving in to such dictates. Scores: Individual scores: 1 Country does not meet indicator 2 Country meets only a few aspects of indicator 3 Country meets some aspects of indicator 4 Country meets most aspects of indicator 5 Country meets all aspects of the indicator Average score: 57 AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER SOUTH AFRICA 2018 ✓✓✓✓ ✓✓✓ ✓✓✓✓ 3.7 (2013: 3.8; 2010: 2.9; 2008: 2.2; 2006: 2.3) ✓