Black Wednesday reminder: press freedom under global and local threat

Kenny Morolong

Journalism throughout the world is facing an existential crisis. Newsrooms are shrinking, revenue from traditional advertising and subscriptions has declined.

Many well-known news staples have been forced to close or have migrated to online platforms. Journalists too are under threat and face constant pressure, ranging from accusations of peddling fake news to threats to their lives.

In Gaza alone over 200 journalists have been killed since October 2023.

The journalism landscape has never been more challenging, and the commemoration of Black Wednesday is a timely reminder that freedom of speech and expression has never been more important.

According to data collected by Reporters Sans Frontières (RSF) for the 2025 World Press Freedom Index, in 160 out of the 180 countries assessed, media outlets achieve financial stability ‘with difficulty’ – or ‘not at all’.

The data also reflects that news outlets are shutting down due to economic hardship in nearly a third of countries globally. This harsh reality is reflected in South Africa. The economic strain faced by news organisations is a constant reality and has led to newsroom closures and increased concentration of media ownership.

With fewer credible news sources, the question might well be asked; how free is the press when power is concentrated in the hands of a few? Throughout the world freedom of speech is under threat, ranging from government clamp downs to influential leaders and powerful persons criticising the media.

Even in South Africa where freedom of speech and expression is enshrined in our Constitution and protected, there have been cases where the media has come under attack. The annual commemoration of Black Wednesday is a reminder of one of the darkest days in our nation’s history.

On October 19 in 1977, apartheid-era Justice Minister Jimmy Kruger cracked down on journalists and media freedom and outlawed newspapers the World, the Weekend World and the Voice.

The then apartheid state sought to suppress the voice of black South Africans and curtail our struggle for freedom. History shows us that they failed, and this was in large part thanks to the many brave journalists who defied the regime to tell the world about the gross human rights violations by the apartheid government. Today, we live in a free society, where the rights of all are protected.

However, we can never take this freedom for granted and a strong, functioning media is essential to safeguarding it. Media have been at the vanguard of exposing ills in society and continue to educate and inform.

For our democracy to flourish we need journalists who are committed to telling their stories and searching for the truth, no matter how uncomfortable or inconvenient. Since 1994, government has understood the power of information and communication, and we truly believe that media are partners in strengthening our democracy and promoting the rights which many fought and died for.

We are unequivocal in our belief that a free media is an integral part of our democracy, and we remain committed to press freedom. Media are vital in our nation’s oversight and in ensuring that all South Africans and government are held to account and live up to their constitutional responsibilities.

It is also true that media have been at the frontline in our nation’s fight against corruption and exposing wrongdoing. In exposing uncomfortable truths government has at times been in the crosshairs.

As government we welcome the exposure of wrongdoing, and we believe that this is a vital part of the society we are tyring to build. The work of the media in exposing the looting at Tembisa hospital, along with other high-profile cases has been vital in keeping our democracy strong.

Exposures such as these are crucial in protecting the freedom and democracy that many fought and died for. As government we will continue to do all we can to support and work with the media. An important part of this endeavour is growing the footprint of community print and broadcast media.

Through the Media Development and Diversity Agency (MDDA), government has made strong inroads into developing the community media sector to reflect the needs and aspirations of all South Africans. Part of the mandate of the MDDA is to ensure media development and diversity across the South African media landscape, as well as the enhancement of community and small commercial media.

As of June 2023, the MDDA had funded 586 community media projects. This included 321 community radio and community television stations, 185 community print projects such as community newspapers, magazines and small commercial print.

This work is helping to grow the footprint of small and community media throughout our nation. In an era of ever-increasing media concentration this work is vital and is contributing to a more vibrant and diverse media sector.

As government our commitment to a thriving media sector has not changed. Information is the lifeblood of any democracy, and it must be protected at all costs. Factual information is necessary to drive informed public discourse. However, in an era of AI and rising fake news this is not always as simple as it may seem.

When information is no longer credible or not trusted, it erodes trust in government and public institutions. Citizens are deprived of making objective decisions when facts or information is falsified.

This is the new battle we now all face as government and media alike. As we commemorate one of the darkest days in our history, we must guard against those who would seek to destroy our hard-won democracy through falsehoods and distortions.

*** Kenny Morolong is the Deputy Minister in The Presidency 

** The views expressed here do not necessarily represent those of Independent Media or IOL

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