Media Freedom News South Africa

SABC: Wanted... more zip to Zuma news

NEWSWATCH: Party spin doctors reportedly want to 'reclaim' the public broadcaster to polish the president's halo, and they're apparently not too pleased with The New Age, reports Mail & Guardian...

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    <& Guardian: ANC wants SABC to show JZ more love...

    The ANC wants the SABC to present more &quot;sunshine&quot; news when it comes to Zuma. (Image: GCIS)
    The ANC wants the SABC to present more "sunshine" news when it comes to Zuma. (Image: GCIS)

    The Mail & Guardian reports that the ANC wants "a compliant SABC", but it wasn't all plain sailing when the party faithful met last week when some communicators at the public broadcaster resisted the party line.

    A proposal that President Jacob Zuma be given even "more love" on the broadcaster's channels was made last Sunday a week ago at a meeting of the ANC's party communicators and those deployed to work in government communications positions.

    According to the Mail & Guardian report, "the assembled spin doctors expressed the fear that the ANC is losing the propaganda battle" and therefore want to "reclaim the SABC to tell the government's good story", to ensure that the public broadcaster shows "positive coverage" of Zuma and is "unapologetic" about it.

    The Mail & Guardian reports, however that it "understands that some communicators objected on ethical grounds, indicating that Luthuli House cannot dictate the SABC's editorial policy."
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