War On Truth: Karyn Maughan to lead summit panel on protecting SA journos, whistleblowers

• News24's On The Record Summit is headed to Johannesburg at the end of August. 
• The thought leadership event will be a springboard for key conversations about the many crises facing South Africa.
• The vulnerability of journalists and whistleblowers in South Africa will be one of several panel discussions on the day. 
• To purchase your tickets for the summit, hosted in partnership with Nedbank, click here.

In the daily pursuit of staying informed, South Africans are forced to navigate a toxic terrain of fake news, disinformation, and agenda-driven political narratives.

Meanwhile the country's journalists and whistleblowers, who risk it all to expose the wrongdoing eroding democracy in South Africa, are confronted with threats to their safety and democratic freedoms - all for telling the truth. 

News24 legal journalist Karyn Maughan will lead a panel discussion about the coordinated attacks - both online and offline - facing journalists and whistleblowers in South Africa at the publication's On The Record Summit in Johannesburg on 31 August. 

Maughan, who recently overcame the legal threat of private prosecution by former president Jacob Zuma, will be joined by Prasa whistle blower Martha Ngoye, veteran journalist Anton Harber, and News24's Jeff Wicks.  

On The Record, hosted in partnership with Nedbank, is a bi-annual thought leadership event focused on driving nation-building conversations to help shape South Africa's future.

The full-day summit will be attended by some of the country's leading minds, who will engage in a range of panel discussions about pressing issues affecting our nation. 

The Joburg edition of the event, held at the Kyalami International Convention Centre, will include six panels facilitated by News24 editors and senior journalists, including editor-in-chief Adriaan Basson.

READ | Karyn Maughan: Jacob Zuma tried to silence me – but his attacks have amplified media freedom

Maughan, who has described Zuma's failed prosecution bid as an attempt to cultivate a climate of fear and intimidation around court reporting, is one of many South African journalists who have been targeted and harassed for speaking truth to power. 

Those who seek to discredit or conceal the truth often go to extreme lengths to avoid accountability.

It has become common practice for companies and prominent public figures to use lawsuits as a way to stifle journalists and whistle blowers from speaking out about what they know through so-called SLAPP (strategic litigation against public participation) cases. 

"Former president Jacob Zuma and his supporters believed they could silence me with a meritless private prosecution and vicious online harassment, but they have unwittingly strengthened the very media freedom they sought to destroy," said Maughan.

In addition to being muzzled legally, journalists and whistleblowers are also exposed to cyber harassment, physical violence, threats to their livelihoods, and in some cases, threats to their lives.

News24's ongoing investigation into the murder of Gauteng health department official Babita Deokaran is a striking example of the high price of speaking out for the country's corruption whistleblowers. 

READ | News24's 'Silenced' series named finalist for global investigative journalism award

To delve further into this topic at News24's upcoming summit, Maughan will facilitate a panel discussion titled "War on Truth" and speak to some brave individuals who have never shied away from the facts.

Martha Ngoye, a whistleblower at the Prasa, is embroiled in a lengthy legal battle with her employer. 

As head of legal at Prasa, Ngoye lifted the lid on irregular procurement that cost the rail agency billions of rand and blocked several unlawful deals involving companies that took advantage of years of mismanagement at the utility.

READ | Martha Ngoye: Honest public servants, whistleblowers at the heart of functioning democracy

News24 investigative journalist Jeff Wicks looked into Deokaran's death and uncovered a multimillion-rand extraction syndicate at Tembisa Hospital, which she flagged shortly before her murder. 

Wicks has faced threats and intimidation while producing the ongoing series, which has exposed massive health sector corruption and resulted in various investigations.

Veteran journalist Anton Harber is executive director of the Campaign for Free Expression, an independent NPO dedicated to protecting the right to free expression.

Harber, who remains an authoritative figure in South Africa's media landscape and public sphere, has warned against increasing attacks on critical and independent voices as the country approaches the 2024 elections.

If you are invested in the future of South Africa, join Maughan, Ngoye, Wicks, Harber, Zikode, and many more speakers at the On The Record Summit. Book your tickets here.