‘The three media houses worked in concert to undermine our democracy. It was not a mistake. It was a conspiracy to undermine the readers and the public at large.’
By HASSEN LORGAT
Recent media reporting clearly demonstrates that South Africans are opposed to the bribing, cajoling and influencing of journalists. Whether the bribery comes in a brown envelope or stacks of R200 notes or in other unknown forms, it is contrary to our democracy and a violation of the ethics and standards of journalism.
Research by civil society activists has found that two newspapers – Sunday Times and The Citizen – and a news website – BizNews – acted in concert to hide the sponsorship of the South African Jewish Board of Deputies (SAJBD) for their trips to Israel/ Palestine to write ‘balanced’ stories. They all eventually admitted that the SAJBD paid for their trips.
These stories happened during the months of April and May 2025 and, when originally published, failed to disclose that the cost of the trips had been sponsored by the SAJBD. This non-disclosure is a breach of the Code of Ethics and Conduct for South African Print and Online Media.
On April 20, Sunday Times published an article in its print edition and online an opinion piece by S’thembiso Msomi, Editor-at-Large, titled ‘Two sides of a tragedy’. It’s lead read: ‘On a trip to Israel and the occupied West Bank, S’thembiso Msomi speaks to Israelis and Palestinians in search of answers to the seemingly endless suffering”. (The Online version of the article can be found here).
The Citizen, on May 6, published a special feature by its journalist, Itumeleng Mafisa, after his trip to Israel: ‘ “I don’t believe we pray to the same God’ – The heartbreaks at the centre of the Gaza conflict’.
Sunday Times and The Citizen responded to my complaint in a business-as- usual manner, implying that they did not see it as a serious or gross violation of the code. BizNews, whilst outside the ambit of the Press Code, did ‘fix’ their ‘error’ but failed to show they were asked to do so.
The two newspapers apologised separately but the contents were substantially similar.
The Citizen and Sunday Times, confirmed that when the articles, mentioned above, were published they had omitted to say who had sponsored the cost of the trip, in violation of the code, which ‘prescribes that publications should clearly indicate when an outside organisation has contributed to the cost of newsgathering.’ They then wrote that the ‘trip was in fact sponsored by the SA Board of Jewish Deputies.’
Both apologies point out that they had not indicated this sponsorship to their readers at the time. ‘We have taken steps to avoid such an error in the future’, they concluded.
Journalism 101
This violation of the code is basic journalism and is a fundamental breach of the standards and practice of their craft. I do not buy the story that these media houses have taken steps to avoid what they call ‘an error’. I believe that this is a wilful neglect and the three media houses worked in concert to undermine our democracy. It was not a mistake. It was a conspiracy to undermine the readers and the public at large.
Let me explain:
Firstly, in the complaints that I lodged at the Press Council, I argued that all these journalists together have close to 90 years of top-level journalistic experience. There was no way these media professionals, if acting on their craft, would make such a mistake. There were other motivations at play.
Secondly, both Sunday Times and The Citizen were in some way involved in the South African National Editors’ Forum (SANEF) commissioned ‘Inquiry into Media Ethics and Credibility’, some four years ago.
Subsequent to that, SANEF hosted on their website ‘Decoding the Code’ by former Press Ombudsman, Johan Retief, which was adopted in 2019.
‘Decoding the Code’ 1.10 states that when the media has to make amends for presenting inaccurate information or comment – which the omission of the SAJBD funding is – it represents a distortion of the news and or a implosion of quality journalism.
The author of ‘Decoding the Code’ advises that when an editor realises that a mistake has been made the matter should be rectified ‘promptly’ and with ‘appropriate prominence’. He warns: ‘The problem, though, is that publications often obfuscate such corrections or apologies by placing a short sentence or two at the bottom of a page, obviously in an attempt to minimise the harm to their image. Clearly, that is against the spirit of self-regulation and of good, sound, ethical journalism.’
The clarification, in particular that of Sunday Times, I emphasise, undermines the spirit of self-regulation and of good, sound and ethical journalism.
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Sanctions
Where are we now? I suggested to the Press Council that the ruling demand that The Citizen and Sunday Times apologise in line with the Press Code.
While Sunday Times’ compliance has been inconsistent, both failed to fully correct errors on all platforms. The issue is now with the ombud due to their refusal to hold a public education seminar – amongst other requests – on their supposed errors.
Sanctions for Sunday Times: I asked that they must publish a prominent correction in print and online (bold, above the headline). The apology must fully disclose how many people the SAJBD funded from the newspaper.
I also asked that Sunday Times ‘contribute to a good Palestinian cause, and or donate to the Palestinian victims of Israeli violence (mostly women and children) in Gaza, and if this was difficult, to use the services of Gift of the Givers.’ The Satchwell Report after the Inquiry into Media Ethics and Credibility
This would have been in line with the sanctions called for by ‘The Satchwell Report after the Inquiry into Media Ethics and Credibility’. This report was commissioned by SANEF ‘after the publication and subsequent retraction of a series of stories by the Sunday Times between 2011 and 2016.’
The Sunday Times in Satchwell were sanctioned and were to establish a Chair in Ethics in Journalism at one of South Africa’s formerly black universities, making payment for the full foundation thereof to the relevant university.
Sanctions for The Citizen: By the time I complained it was easy to establish that the SAJBD had funded them, and I pointed out that the non-disclosure has impacts on many levels and reveals them as supporters of the genocide – ‘mindless killings of Palestinians, now said to be closer to 60 000, which undermines our collective humanity.’
The ombud must rule per the Press Code. Their non-disclosure of SAJBD funding supports genocide complicity. They must fund (not via sponsors) a public seminar on the Press Code, ensuring affected communities attend in person or virtually for healing.
The Press Council stated that The Citizen opposed the proposed redress measures, while Sunday Times delayed and showed no willingness to address them. Press Council Public Advocate, Fanie Groenewald, noted that The Citizen would apologise but refused further actions like sponsoring a seminar, calling it ‘unprecedented’ for the Press Council to direct such a sanction. I disagreed, pointing out that these redress measures were modest and desirable.
To conclude, I believe that this is a scandal of major proportions and warrants a response on the scale of the South African Human Rights Inquiry into Racism in the Media (1998) and the Inquiry into Media Ethics and Credibility.
One needs to go beyond the ritualised apologies and promises of never again. The fight for ethical journalism is inseparable from the fight for justice in Palestine and beyond.
Hassen Lorgat is a trade unionist and media activist who lodged the complaint with the Press Council against Sunday Times (on June 17) and The Citizen (on June 20), and directly to BizNews on (June 19), for their failure to disclose that their journalists’ trip to Israel was funded by the South African Jewish Board of Deputies.
