JOHANNESBURG - The South African National Editor&39;s Forum (Sanef) says it’s concerned about the SABC decision not to show footage of the destruction to property during violent protests.
Opposition parties have also condemned the move.
Sanef chairman Mpumelelo Mkhabela said people will not trust that they have the full picture.
"The SABC announced that they will not be covering the full story. They will covering the protests but not the full story," he said.
"Proper research needs to be done to affirm if showing picture of violence does indeed encourage people to be violent."
Sanef also says the public broadcaster’s reasons for the move are not good enough.
The public broadcaster released a statement saying it will not give publicity to arsonists, and people seeking media attention.
The broadcaster’s Chief Operating Officer Haludi Motsoeneng says the move will discourage copycats and the spread of lawlessness.
Motsoeneng has descended from hero to zero on social media.
Last week he was praised for calling for the promotion of local content on SABC radio.
eNCA&39;s editor-in-chief says people have a right to the full story.
"We need to respect the intelligence of our audience and viewers," said Anton Harber.
"We have to be cognisant of the context so it doesn’t promote violence. We learned through the apartheid era our job is to report on stories without fear or favour and never hold back. "
It’s understood the SABC&39;s new editorial stance is not a change in policy, but a directive from the top to the newsroom.
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