EWN loses focus in ordering Bateman to apologise

It was unprofessional of Eyewitness News (EWN) reporter Barry Bateman to call Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema a “p**s” during an emotional outburst at a press conference last month.

Journalists are there to record events, not become part of those events themselves. Bateman crossed that line and, in the process, opened himself up to accusation of bias and – as the EFF like to trumpet – racism.

Even though he may have thought he was making an off-the-record comment, the reality is that he was seen as an employee of EWN.

So one cannot quibble with the fact that the news organisation has punished him by getting him to issue a public apology, along with suspending him without pay for a month.

But, we believe, EWN embarked on some weapons-grade “virtue signalling” in making Bateman apologise for damaging the company’s campaign against gender-based violence, because the word he used was a derogatory reference to female genitalia.

If only EWN, and other organisations who are abused by the likes of Malema, were as outraged by the attacks by the EFF leadership and some of its supporters on journalists, some of them female.

Sadly, though, EWN, Malema and his cronies still think you’re part of a racist conspiracy.

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