SABC has been much in the media recently on the issue of its alleged “banning” of four political commentators from its airwaves and its withdrawal of an “unauthorised” documentary on President Thabo Mbeki.
Now it has launched its own counter to this media criticism with a new programme In a€˜The public interest’ which will be broadcast live on SABC3 every Sunday at 9:30am. . It will be a live debate with different media stakeholders from TV, radio, Internet and press. Issues to be discussed will be “central to the performance of the media, such as ethics and the commercial pressures that journalists face”.
According to SABC’s website: “The programme will also unpack and provide analysis of weekly top and breaking stories (either political, social, economic etc.). This will lead into a discussion around what the forthcoming big stories are likely to be. The programme would incorporate an interactive element, in that viewers’ contributions in the form of views, opinions and analysis of media stories will be solicited on the main issue of the day through sms, faxes and e-mails.
The media is essential to the functioning of an effective democracy, yet very little information is delivered in terms of the way in which they operate a€” such as the selection of stories, the way in which stories are constructed and the constraints under which they operate. These programme promises to be fast-paced a nd hard-hitting and will be hosted by Lerato Mbele.”
Mbele’s early broadcast experience includes a stint with SAFM and SABC Africa where she devised and anchored a current affairs programme dealing specifically with diplomatic issues facing Africa.
She left broadcasting for a while to read for a MSc for a MSc Development Studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies, at the University of London. Lerato is currently a news reader on News @22H00
