Government working to prioritise journalists for vaccines

The government is working with media companies to proceed with the registration and vaccination of journalists, government spokesperson Phumla Williams said.

“Last year 2020 when the first state of disaster regulations were gazetted, members of the media were declared an essential service. It is only fair to also provide for them when the essential service workforce is prioritised,” she said on social media.

While the announcement was met with criticism by some who accused the government of prioritising the media to ensure only positive reporting, Williams said this was not so.

“No one can take away their independence, they know that very well. Registration and vaccination is voluntary. Also members of the media know that their independent space of work in SA is protected in our Constitution.”

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The South African National Editors’ Forum (Sanef) welcomed the government’s decision.

“Journalists, as designated frontline workers have risked their lives every day for the past 16 months, working throughout the pandemic as part of their responsibility to the public,” Sanef said in a statement on Tuesday.

“Even during the different peaks of the pandemic, they have not had the option to suspend work or work from home because of the nature of their work and the critical service they provide. They have traversed the country, going to hospitals, clinics, vaccination sites, mass rallies, press conferences etcetera to reflect on the pandemic in service to the country to ensure the public is adequately informed.”

Sanef said the government had said journalists would be in line to get the Covid-19 jab as soon as all media houses submit information on their employees’ age groups and regions where they are stationed.

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According to Sanef, all community media establishments around the country, including freelance journalists, will receive forms they must complete and submit to the Government Communications and Information System (GCIS).

Not only will journalists be prioritised, but also all categories of media workers as the government wants to target and deal with the media as a sector rather than a selected group.

“We call on all journalists and the media fraternity to vaccinate so that the government can quickly move onto the next priority sectors.

“While many industries have scaled back operations, journalists are needed more now more than ever and will be out in the field to report on the now highly transmissible Delta variant, thought to be twice as contagious as the Beta strain of the virus.”