Some journalists were banned from court after they cornered a witness in the Senzo Meyiwa trial. Picture: Jacques Nelles
The South African National Editors’ Forum (Sanef) has encouraged journalists to familiarise themselves with court proceedings and how to behave when it comes to witnesses.
This comes after some journalists reporting on the high-profile Senzo Meyiwa murder trial were seen trying to corner a material witness in the case at the Pretoria High Court on Tuesday.
The three media houses were then asked to step out of court after the incident before having met with the court manager to map the way forward on the treatment of the witnesses.
ALSO READ: WATCH: Senzo Meyiwa struggled with suspect before death – Witness
State advocate George Baloyi said the three media houses, SABC, eNCA and Newzroom Afrika apologised “for their reprehensible behaviour.”
Sanef said it has always reiterated that journalists are not above the law and are also not beyond criticism.
“The journalists overstepped the line and as such, we appreciate the apologies from the media houses involved. We also commend the journalists involved for apologising and recognising the error of their ways.”
However, Sanef said the journalists should not have been banned from court.
“As much as the actions of the journalists were uncalled for, the immediate reaction to ban them from the court proceedings was also unfortunate as it meant most television viewers’ privilege of watching the live proceedings was taken away from them. This court case has huge public interest.”
The media body has urged journalists to reflect on the implications of their behaviour.
“Sanef has put together an exhaustive court manual that is meant to assist editors, news editors, and ultimately, journalists who cover court matters.”
“Our newsrooms must always be reminded that they have a duty to care about how they treat stories and the subjects of their reporting. Sanef will continue to invest in the training of journalists and encourages all court-reporting journalists to utilise the court manual,” it said.
ALSO READ: Senzo Meyiwa trial: Media houses apologise after chasing witness
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