Johannesburg – A report into transformation in print and digital media was welcomed by the SA National Editors’ Forum [Sanef] on Saturday.

“As Sanef, we believe the media industry must lead change and be ahead of the curve,” it said in a statement.

“This is because we are industry-styled as a fourth estate and we enjoy constitutional protection.”

This meant that the media had a higher responsibility to be an exemplar of transformation.

On Friday the report was handed to Print and Digital Media SA (PDMSA) in Johannesburg.

The task team recommended that the annual transformation targets of each company should be made public, so that progress could be monitored and measured.

It found that print and digital media had failed to sufficiently transform in terms of ownership, management control, skills development, and employment equity, especially with reference to women and the disabled.

The industry achieved more in areas such as socio-economic development, preferential procurement, and, in certain cases, enterprise development.

Sanef said the report was the first exhaustive study of the state of transformation in the industries.

“We thank the task team led by Nkwenke Nkomo and his commissioners and managed by Mathatha Tsedu and his team at the secretariat.”

Sanef hoped PDMSA would tackle the slow rate of transformation in media ownership.

“As senior managers in our industries we will continue to do all possible to ensure transformation in the areas in which we have control such as training, hiring and promotion of editorial staff.” 

SAPA