Johannesburg - Cosatu has labeled the SABC’s decision not broadcast the destruction of public property during protests as “autocratic and patronising”.
The federation called on the public broadcaster’s board on Monday to reconsider its decision and allow its journalists to tell stories uncensored.
Various quarters have criticised the SABC following its announcement last week that it would cover protests, but would not show visuals of public property being vandalised.
It said this was encouraging violence.
Cosatu’ spokesman Sizwe Pamla said in a statement that while it condemned violent protests and expected swift action from authorities to curb vandalism, it was against sanitised news.
“It is not the public broadcaster’s mandate to mask the challenges that this country is facing and gag itself from exposing people’s anger including their criminality,” said Pamla.
He said the decision assumed that citizen’s were easily influenced and should therefore be protected to prevent copycat action.
He further warned of the dangers of censorship and that it could only lead to a downward spiral for news diversity.
Labour Bureau