The significance of this week’s Press Council Appeals Panel ruling by Judge Bernard Ngoepe, in setting aside the ombud’s finding on hate speech, should not get drowned out amid all the other layers of noise.
Not only was the judge’s finding important for freedom of expression and for reaffirming the principles of the Constitution, but it demonstrates the effective functionality of the current media Press Council and, importantly, its ability to self-correct in the public interest.
The infamous blog post, Could it Be Time to Deny White Men the Franchise, was published in The Huffington Post SA. It turned out to be a fake and a hoax, resulting in the editor in chief Verashni Pillay apologising and resigning.