Perhaps, Gasant Abarder writes in a new #SliceofGasant column, he is an old-fashioned fart, believing the media went too far with its coverage of the divorce of one of South Africa’s most famous couples – especially because there are children involved.
The question editors must grapple with is what is interesting to the public vs the public interest.
The very vivid details of a messy divorce of a major South African celebrity couple are locked in a safe in the bowels of what is now the former Newspaper House where the Cape Argus was published. It will never see the light of day because the papers’ lawyer said don’t touch it with a barge pole.
The divorce papers contained violent details about why the marriage ended. The lawyer at the time said the couple couldn’t be named as there were children involved. While it may be interesting to the public, was it in the public interest?
The answer was no. But times have changed and ethical standards appear to be loose.
Last week, the media went too far. It showed little regard, riding roughshod over the Children’s Act, the Criminal Procedure Act and the Constitution when it failed to take extra care in the reporting of the Siya and Rachel Kolisi divorce, particularly because children were involved.
It can be argued the Kolisis invited the coverage by issuing a statement on social media. What followed was the media, I believe, getting it wrong for the sake of clicks.
What is more, the comment sections of these reports online and on social media were left open for every Tom, Dick and Harry – and their dog – to offer their two cents with the most awful personal and hateful comments. Some were downright racist.
I believe the opinion pieces and lead story coverage on TV news were over-the-top. Perhaps, our most famous Springbok and his wife’s divorce was big news to editors. But it was not in the public interest – at least beyond the statement.
A few days later, the Department of Home Affairs declared Muslim marriages were now recognised in law – a move 30 years in the making. Were it not for activist lawyers like Igshaan Higgins, whose test cases helped Muslim widows with inheritance rights, this significant development may never have been. It’s been sitting in the inboxes of successive presidents for decades.
Now, for just R20, my wedding vows in a mosque 17 years ago will be recognised retrospectively as a civil marriage with the proper certificate in the eyes of the law, providing my spouse with protection as far as inheritance rights are concerned. My children are finally deemed legitimate.
The media coverage involving the two bits of news involving marriage and divorce was very different. Rightly, the recognition of Muslim marriages was celebrated. But the Kolisi divorce had several speculative pieces like what Rachel Kolisi would get out of it as if to villainise her, when both parties signed up for the terms and conditions.
Imagine being one of the Kolisi kids and reading such detail about your parents splitting up and speculating as to the reason and the impact it may or may not have on the South African psyche. Really?
This month, we celebrated media freedom with Black Wednesday which marked a dark day in our country’s history when several publications were shut down 47 years ago. The media in this country played a pivotal role, particularly the progressive news houses that advocated against apartheid, at great cost. It took its role as watchdog seriously in post-apartheid South Africa and the many government corruption scandals may never have been unearthed without the media.
But how far is too far? The South African Press Code advocates that journalists, editors and their publications are to limit harm in their reporting. But media bosses are letting the profession down by constantly chasing racy content it deems fit to report in UK tabloid fashion.
It is open season. Do we really want to be like the UK tabloid that polices black sportspeople’s wealth and mental health?
The click-bait chasing, no matter the cost, is morally and ethically questionable. There are much more important challenges to dissect than the divorce of our rugby captain.
We lap it up but spare little thought for the children. The Kolisis have asked for privacy; they’re not the first couple to divorce and will certainly not be the last. My hope is the public be respectful of their request as they are incredible people who have given their time and effort selflessly to promote the image of our nation.
Black Wednesday set the platform for the media to report what it likes with guaranteed freedoms protected by our constitution. But that right comes with responsibilities.
The only currency the media has in the cold light of day is its credibility. If compromised, it will give you a couple of million clicks for a day. To what lengths will it compromise that credibility to secure the next million clicks?
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Picture: Rachel Kolisi / Facebook
