ANCYL 'fully supports media tribunal'

The African National Congress Youth League says it totally supports the establishment of a media tribunal which should "adjudicate over wrong reporting by all media and ensure that they are taken to task for falsifying stories, sensationalism and spreading lies that seek to undermine the integrity of individuals and organisations."

It says the establishment of a media tribunal is long overdue and "has allowed imposters in media, masquerading as Journalists/Editors to undermine the integrity of our organisations and spread lies about their leadership."

The ANCYL says the tribunal should also investigate journalists "dodgy financial interests and conflict of interests"

It says the tribunal should be "established to safeguard South Africa’s democracy."

The ANCYL has also criticised the Press Council of South Africa saying in all its previous attempts to write to the Ombudsman, they have either not received any response or received lame responses three months after the false reporting.

"To this day, the ANC Youth League is still waiting for Press Ombudsman’s response on matters we reported more than 6 months ago."

"The Press Ombudsman is a useless association of newspapers whose sole responsibility is to protect spiteful and dodgy newspapers, some of which have spiteful agendas to undermine the integrity of our organisations and leadership."

"The other Media institutions and organisations such as SANEF and Press Council of South Africa are equally useless in media monitoring and evaluation. This therefore calls for an immediate establishment of a Media Tribunal to save our organisations and leadership from repeated attempts to assassinate their characters and sow divisions. The Media Tribunal should then begin with investigating Newspapers such as the City Press, Mail & Guardian, The Citizen, Sunday Times, The Times, most Afrikaans Newspapers (Die Burger & Rapport) and all Independent Group Newspapers to expose their ill-intentions and programme to sow divisions in the ANC and undermine its integrity. Some of the owners and directors of these Newspapers are active funders and leaders of opposition parties and this explains why the ANC and all its structures are under constant attack."

The ANCYL says the government should immediately put systems in place to establish the media tribunal because the 52nd National Conference of the ANC resolved that such a tribunal should be established.

Read the Print Media SA submissions on the Protection of Information Bill which was submitted to Parliament in June 2010.