Johannesburg – A new competition for soccer reporters by the Premier Soccer League (PSL) violates professional journalism codes, the SA National Editors' Forum (Sanef) said on Monday.
“This competition seeks to turn journalists who use their skills to report and analyse football into gamblers,” it said in a statement.
On Friday, PSL chairman Irvin Khoza announced the competition, where sports journalists had to correctly predict the results of each game to win R500,000.
If the media company which employed the journalist did not allow them to win money from competitions, the prize would be donated to charity.
Sanef said Khoza had claimed the PSL consulted widely before deciding to hold the competition.
“Sanef wishes to place on record that it was not party to this 'extensive' consultation process, nor is it aware of any other credible industry bodies that were consulted about this competition.”
It would have objected if it had been consulted as “the competition undermines the ethics of our profession”.
Sanef did not object to journalists participating in other competitions, such as lotteries in their private capacity, but should not use their positions for gambling.
“Sanef will be seeking a meeting with the PSL to voice our concerns about this competition and its potentially corrosive impact on journalism and media ethics.” –Sapa