There is a major row between South Africa’s editors and Fifa, the owners of the Soccer World Cup, over what the editors charge are outrageous infringements on our constitutional right to freedom of expression.

The SA Media interest group, a group made up of members of the South African National Editors’ Forum (Sanef) and industry body Print Media South Africa, are unhappy about a raft of Fifa requirements for journalist who apply for accreditation to cover the tournament. Among the main areas of contention are:

1. Newspapers will not be able to push pictures on to their mobile platforms (they can, however, push text);
2. There are restrictions on newspapers doing video packages for their websites;
3. That reporters will not be able to report on the names of hotels in which the teams are staying;
4. No newspapers will be able to sell papers within the restricted zone around stadiums, which has a radius of about 800m;
5. Although Fifa commits itself to guaranteeing freedom of expression there is also a clause that says that news organisations may not bring Fifa into disrepute; and
6. Many of the terms and conditions apply to reporters and photographers and their “organisations” (suggesting their colleagues, some of whom will not be covering the World Cup) rather than “employer” (ie, their editors).

Fifa’s Zurich-based media head, Pekka Odriozola, told me that the requirements have applied to previous World Cups. He also said Fifa respects freedom of expression, that its intentions are good and that it has dealt with and explained its position further in writing to Sanef to iron out misunderstandings.

But the SA Media interest group – for whom the point man in dealing with Fifa is former Rand Daily Mail editor Raymond Louw – says the written clarifications are not satisfactory and that the seriousness of the issue demands that they are able to sit down formally with Fifa and deal with the contentious issues, clause by clause – rather than in broad discussions as has happened in the past.

Thabo Leshilo, head of Sanef’s media freedom committee, said: “It’s outrageous what Fifa is used to getting away with. The tragedy though is the virtual absence of outrage by local media and editors on the violation of freedom of the press on such a scale. The local media has simply lost the will to fight and is simply going along so long as it can cover the event. It’s not too late though to catch a wake up.”… TO READ MORE OF MY MONDAY COLUMN ON MONEYWEB, CLICK HERE.

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