US media activist Robert Jensen refelects on the mainstream media coverage of the Haitain earthquake and argues failure to give suffient context to the story lead to misrepresentation and sensationalism. As alternative media reports have noted: "There's no such thing as a 'natural' disaster. 200,000 Haitians have been slaughtered by slum housing and IMF "austerity" plans".
Media and communication activists and organizations in South Africa have united into the strongest communication advocacy campaign since the collapse of formal apartheid: the SOS Support Public Broadcasting coalition. The coalition formed first in response to the governance and financial crisis at the SABC and then broadened to engage the Department of Communication's (DOC) bold steps to review Broadcasting legislation.
Civil society has welcomed thePublic Service Broadcasting Bill's acknowledgment that existing governance and funding policies have orientated broadcasters (the public SABC and community radio) with a social mandate to commercial practices where they are not accountable to their communities and the public at large, but rather driven largely by the pursuit of advertising.
While civil society have welcomed the proposed Public Broadcasting Fund that promises to finance non-commercial programming they have rejected elements of the Bill that narrow the social mandate of broadcasters to serve the "developmental goals of the Republic" and undermine the independence of broadcasters. Rather than strengthening ICASA to regulate broadcasting, the Bill gives virtually unlimited powers to the Minister of Communications and other government officials. In the case of community radio, rather than strengthening mechanism that would ensure greater community participation and democratic governance, the Bill obligates stations to partner local governments, locate thier studios at municipal offices and have government officials serve on their boards. The Bill goes so far as to prescribe a Charter of Community Broadcasting. Civil Society assert that community broadcasters should develop their own Charter based on the principles already affirmed in the existing NCRF Charter.
The SOS Support Public Broadcasting coalition is calling for though policy review process be followed, including a review of the Broadcasting White Paper, 1998.
As part of the Popular Media Mindblast 2009's practical skill sessions Kurt Orderson and Kim Munsamy facilitated Guerilla Film encouraging Afrikans to use cinema to tell personal narratives and contest the ways in which their stories are told by Western filmmakers. Students learnt theory about Afrikan cinema, the representation of women in cinema and produced short films in the space of 4 days.
Here is a compilation of the films participants made:
Jonathan Steele says there is a big hole in South Africa's media coverage: "The sad fact is that, with very few exceptions, South Africa's mainstream commentators, editorialists, reporters, and headline-writers espouse rightwing pro-business views. Some have bought unthinkingly into the neo-liberals' Tina line - "There is no Alternative" - initially popularised by Thatcher. Others peddle it deliberately. The bogeyman of "leftward lurches", given flimsy substance by the ANCYL's mine-nationalisation waffle, is used deliberately to tell us that we must all knuckle under to neo-liberal economic management and the harsh reality that Tina is right."
In October 2009 over 80 community media stakeholders gathered in Johannesburg to reflect on the state of community media In South Africa. The Conference confirmed the vision and principals contained in the NCRF Charter and developed resolutions mapping a path for an independent media able to play its critical role in promoting social and economic justice. Many of the Conference Resolutions stand in direct contradiction of the Public Service Broadcasting Bill published by the Government weeks later. Download the Conference Report here.
Jonathan Steele says there is a big hole in South Africa's media coverage: "The sad fact is that, with very few exceptions, South Africa's mainstream commentators, editorialists, reporters, and headline-writers espouse rightwing pro-business views. Some have bought unthinkingly into the neo-liberals' Tina line - "There is no Alternative" - initially popularised by Thatcher. Others peddle it deliberately. The bogeyman of "leftward lurches", given flimsy substance by the ANCYL's mine-nationalisation waffle, is used deliberately to tell us that we must all knuckle under to neo-liberal economic management and the harsh reality that Tina is right."
In October 2009 over 80 community media stakeholders gathered in Johannesburg to reflect on the state of community media In South Africa. The Conference confirmed the vision and principals contained in the 
