The Print and Digital Media Transformation Task Team (PDMTTT) launched...

The Print and Digital Media Transformation Team (PDMTTT) was launched in Johannesburg today following its first meeting held on Tuesday September 25. The PDMTTT was initiated by the Print and Digital Media SA (PDMSA), formerly PMSA, which is a body of print and digital media owners. The PDMTTT is a result of longstanding debates and calls within the broader society and Parliament for transformation of this sector of the SA media landscape. From the Human Right Commission investigation into racism in the media, to the recent interactions between Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Communications, the accusation against print media in particular was that it was untransformed, did not reflect the diversity of SA voices, especially the rural and the poor, and was white-dominated both in ownership and issues covered. Further accusations have been of cartel-like behaviour where emergent community and small privately owned media were smothered through a variety of anti-competitive behaviour. In recognition of this, and in line with the national priorities of transformation, Print and Digital Media SA, formerly Print Media SA, have gathered together this task team of independent experts. The team will take submissions from industry players and identified stakeholders and then produce a report which will form the blueprint for transformation of print and digital media in the country. The mandate of the PDMTTT is defined as: To assist the industry to develop a common vision and strategy for transformation. The first objective of the PDMTTT is to research, study and make findings on transformation of all areas of print and digital media, for mainstream and community media. The second objective of the PDMTTT is to recommend areas of transformation, methodology of implementing transformation, targets and the mechanism to monitor and enforce transformation. The PDMTTT Terms of Reference note that the media previously played a key role in both propping up the apartheid regime and in fighting it. As part of a new society, it must be proactive in redressing the imbalances of the past, while still ensuring its independence and being proactive in its vital role of promoting democracy. Thus, efforts to transform the South African society have to include transformation of the media in all its facets. The mandate of the PDMTTT is therefore to research the issues of transformation, and make recommendation, and make recommendations to PDMSA about how to implement transformation and the mechanism to effect such transformation. This will be addressed through both quantitative and qualitative indicators such as: • Ownership • Management, control and employment equity • Skills development • Preferential procurement and enterprise development • Socio-economic development • The low levels of blacks ownership within many large media groups • The extent to which concentration and market power results in anti-competitive behaviour that blocks new entrants • The need to develop new media products for regions and communities as well as the languages of those publications • Diversity of voices The Task Team intends to call all industry players as well as identified stakeholders to make inputs about all these issues in order to assist it with its work. The Scope of the PDMTTT’s work has been further defined as follows: The PDMTTT has a transparent mandate to research transformation and recommend the best practise for SA and how this should be implemented, monitored and enforced. Its mandate is specific to the print and digital media and, but reference may be made to electronic and broadcast media, if and when relevant. It will look at the indicators mentioned above across all areas of the industry, including advertising, printing and distribution. This will be in relation to newspapers, magazines and digital, for mainstream, and community publishing. It will define transformation and set thresholds and benchmarks for transformation with regard to staffing, turnover, enterprise development and areas of focus for these. It will determine whether such benchmarks should be lower or higher than the generic codes benchmarks. The task team members are: • Nkwenkwe Nkomo – Chairperson and expert on Advertising • Neo Bodibe – Spokesperson and expert on Competition policy • Anastacia Martin – Representing member of Digital media • Jan Malherbe – Management, Printing and Distribution • Nomvuyiso Batyi – Lawyer and expert on Telecoms and Broadcasting policy • Duma Gqubule – Expert on Economic Transformation and BEE • Nixon Kariithi – Academic and expert on Media Economics Mathata Tsedu, who heads the secretariat and is the Project Director of the PDMTTT said, “As a team, we realise that the issue of transformation of the media was first tackled formally since the advent of democracy, when the Human Rights Commission held its hearings into racism in the media in 1998. The issues raised in their report will need to be revisited by us. Admittedly, there has been important progress in some areas, such as senior appointments of editorial staff, but the perception out there is still that the print media had still not transformed on all levels. What this team needs to do, therefore, is to get the print industry to a point where transformation is accepted as being done. The print and digital media have to do everything possible to show us South Africans that they are part of where we are going as a country – we need a media that is truly South African.”