SANEF Speaks Out on Election Reporting

The South African National Editors’ Forum (SANEF) says it will liaise with the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) to report threats of violence and intimidation towards journalists.

SANEF chairperson, Henry Jeffreys, points out that council members have been particularly concerned about the possibility of violence in KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga.

Jeffreys states that: Although journalists at the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) often come under pressure, those working in the community press sector were perhaps most vulnerable, as their organisations were small and part of a community “where everyone knew everyone.”

SANEF plans to set up an alert system for journalists under threat and develop guidelines aimed at helping journalists to deal with threatening situations.

To read the article titled, “Journalists may be targets of election violence, warns SANEF,” click here.