Durban - South African media experts agree with a US study that revealed that communities are affected the most by the lack of presence of local media, saying the absence of strong print or digital news organisations resulted in a decline in voter participation and an increase in corruption.
In light of Independent Media facing the closure of its bank accounts by Standard Bank, media experts said the presence of local media was crucial in communities.
Independent Media publishes several local newspapers across three provinces, including KwaZulu-Natal newspapers The Mercury, Daily News, Independent on Saturday and the Sunday Tribune.
The US report from Northwestern’s Medill School of Journalism, said most communities that have lost newspapers do not get a print or digital replacement, leaving millions of residents either living in an area with no local news organisations, or one at risk, with only one local news outlet and very limited access to critical news and information that can inform their everyday decisions.
Reacting to the study, advocate Robin Sewlal, chairperson of Radiocracy, said the relationship that local media has fostered with the reader/listener through the years puts it in a pivotal position to report on challenges being faced. “In a sense, community media acts as facilitator and, at times, arbiter for the disgruntled. Community media ought not to shun away from thorny issues like corruption that directly impacts on livelihoods.”
Sewlal added that communities rely on the media to expose wrongdoing being committed by local politicians as well as private individuals.
“The community relies heavily on grassroots media to expose wrongdoing in all its manifestations. It’s critical for community media to play its civic role and encourage local people to both register and vote.”
Samkelo Mokhine, executive director at the Freedom of Expression Institute (FXI), said local media is supposed to be close to local issues and report on how problems affect local communities in all their different facets.
“It is difficult to sensationalise and/ or lie to local communities about their own everyday problems. Local media is not only invested in local community problems but also in the outcomes and/or resolutions of those problems.”
Bongani kaMthembu from the Right2Know (R2K) campaign said it was very important for communities to have local media.
“R2K has a campaign called ‘love your community radio’, encouraging communities to love and utilise their radio station, including print media. It is evident that the current local media platforms have managed to expose deep challenges and many factors of life in the various communities.”
Sithuthukile Mkhize, head of the civil and political justice programme at Wits University, agreed that local media is the main vehicle for information dissemination in communities.
“Social media has become very popular, but local media remains relevant for communities because it provides relevant, appropriate content. It’s also reliable as the information is always verified as opposed to social media.”
Mkhize said local media speaks to current issues affecting communities. “Above all, communities have a right to access information, particularly information that would benefit them, whether indirectly or indirectly, allowing people to make informed decisions on current issues.”
Local media is crucial to holding local government accountable on various issues, he said. “It provides a platform for communities to voice their dissatisfaction whether it be to stage a protest, a petition, engage with government officials or even institute litigation against the state to hold it accountable for its actions/inaction.”