Cape Town – Director of Media Relations at the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) Tshegofatso Modubu has urged a closer examination of women’s roles in media ownership and control.
This is despite the fact that government policies have facilitated women’s involvement in the media sector,
Speaking at a panel discussion on “30 Years of Women Excellence in the Community Media Sector”, Modubu acknowledged the progress made since 1994 in expanding media freedom and diversity.
She noted that while women have increasingly entered operational and managerial roles, they remain underrepresented in ownership and decision-making positions, such as on media boards and as CEOs.
“In terms of shattering the glass ceiling with the 30 years of democracy, we are seeing women get into the operational space and a bit more into the managerial space. We need to think about ownership and control of media in terms of women,” Modubu said on Thursday.
Tshegofatso Modubu, Director for media relations at GCIS, emphasised the progress women have made in the media industry over the past 30 years of freedom and democracy. She highlighted several women’s achievements in founding and managing newsrooms.#WomensMonth#FromGood2Great pic.twitter.com/Y7elmId5vv
— Official TUT (@Official_TUT) August 8, 2024
“We have done a lot as a country in terms of catching up on freedom of expression, on issues of plurality in the media sector and ensuring that the space is opened [up] to women.
“If you think about the era of apartheid when there was a lot of censorship, and certain voices were not allowed to speak, the media was slightly controlled because there were some newspapers that were aligned to the agenda of the regime.
“Since 1994, the media landscape has expanded, and it has been able to keep up with technological developments. We have a thriving convergent media. We see our media being challenged to move from print into the digital space because of the convergence.”
Modubu noted that the Media Development and Diversity Agency (MDDA) supports the growth of community and small commercial media, while the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) and Preferential Procurement Policy encourage women’s participation across sectors.
She highlighted women’s advancements in journalism, including roles in talk shows and political reporting, but emphasised the need for more female representation in media boards and executive positions.
She praised the South African National Editors’ Forum (SANEF) for appointing Nwabisa Makunga as Chairperson and stressed the importance of addressing challenges such as cyberbullying and harassment against women, advocating for effective policies and laws to tackle these issues.
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Source: AFP
Picture: X/@Official_TUT
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