The launch of the Wits State of the Newsroom Report 2019-20 is about to start. QW+ director Kathy Magrobi will be there, with Nechama Brodie, author, media academic and analyst, and Sbu Ngalwa, chairperson of @SAEditorsForum and Newzroom Afrika political editor. #SOTN #SOTN2020

We'll be doing some livetweeting as @sbungalwa @brodiegal
and @kathymagrobi unpack the report. #SOTN #SOTN2020
@Journ_SA

This year’s #SOTN looks back at 2019 and offers some initial reflections on 2020. QW+'s contribution to the report delves into how journalists choose to amplify the opinions and perspectives of men over women when they use the same men news experts time after time. #SOTN2020

To quote @Journ_SA: The South African news media has had a tough few years. Declining newspaper sales, shrinking newsrooms, a problem with media ethics, and a struggle to sustain new media markets, all featured in 2019. #SOTN #SOTN2020

Webinar is live - Alan Finlay, editor of the report, opens proceedings. Hands over to @franzkruger. Franz Krüger is head of Wits Journalism. Says launch is delayed (Covid19!) but glad it is finally out. #SOTN #SOTN2020

@franzkruger says report is only online this year, thanks everyone who contributed. #SOTN #SOTN2020

Lots to provoke thought in this edition, says Alan Finlay. @sbungalwa will be first speaker... to talk about problem of media ethics in SA. . #SOTN #SOTN2020

. @sbungalwa - when allegations of journ corruption came at the state capture inquiry, @SAEditorsForum regretted that journalists not named. But it is a serious issue - affects public trust in the media. Important for the profession to introspect, #SOTN #SOTN2020

Report into ethics in SA journ will be released soon says @sbungalwa.
#SOTN #SOTN2020

. @SAEditorsForum press releases used as #pressfreedom indicator says Alan Finlay. What are the threats to media freedom, he asks @sbungalwa. #SOTN #SOTN2020

. @sbungalwa says security forces targetting journos is an issue. Harassment of journalists by police - this happens in a democracy in 2020. #PressFreedom #SOTN #SOTN2020

Link to report has been released! #SOTN and #SOTN2020. There's a download link here. https://journalism.co.za/resources/state-of-the-newsroom/

Alan Finlay now talking to @brodiegal whose contribution to #SOTN report looked at media ownership in SA. #SOTN2020

Dr Brodie says it is hard for journalists to speak out against each other - we don't speak out. But the same names circulate over the years - on paper media ownership seems to have changed, but we still have a concentration of ownership in similar places.
#SOTN #SOTN2020

. @brodiegal says newsroom diversity has been achieved in newsrooms themselves - but not in ownership. And hard to unpack who owns what. No big shift from 1997 to now. And we have lost checks and balances over that time.
#SOTN #SOTN2020

What's missing is strong journalists - they have been pushed out or go and work in NGOs. A strong editor can push back against problematic publisher. A problem for a strong democratic news environment. Not exclusively an SA problem says @brodiegal #SOTN #SOTN2020

Politicians are undermining faith in the media - media is not speaking out against power as it should because powers that be in the media doesn't really care, says @brodiegal
#SOTN #SOTN2020

. @brodiegal - looking at the donor funding model for journalism - important for "independent" journalism. It does allow journs to pursue stories free of pressure to hunt for clicks. But donors can exert benign pressure to cover particular issues.
#SOTN #SOTN2020

But how sustainable is donor funding, asks @brodiegal. Makes journalism dependent on goodwill.
#SOTN #SOTN2020

. @sbungalwa - worried about the SABC. If you look at issues of media ownership, you see erosion of small print operations in rural areas. Makes the #SABC even more important, must be able to carry out its public service mandate.
#SOTN #SOTN2020

Alan Finlay asks about QW+ work -how successful, how difficult? @kathymagrobi says yes successful, yes difficult! Particularly difficult to find marginalised community voices.
#SOTN #SOTN2020

Also the issue of women feeling they don't "qualify" - and also women feeling they don't want to stick their necks out. Glenda Grey example was very worrying for many women, says @KathyMagrobi. #SOTN #SOTN2020

Another difficulty is media houses think they quote women more often than they do - but we don't have stats on how African language outlets are quoting women sources. Looking for funding for this right now, says @KathyMagrobi . #SOTN #SOTN2020

Our media roundtable in the #SOTN report shows patriarchal structures are still present. QW+ knows we need more media, more journalists. But we also need level playing fields - we don't charge to access our database. Salaries should be consistent! @KathyMagrobi #SOTN #SOTN2020

Issue that arose from the roundtable was sense of differentiated experience for women journs - pay, harassment, home pressures, says Alan Finlay. #SOTN #SOTN2020

. @KathyMagrobi says what stood out was burdens that women were carrying in lockdown - home pressures, yet still doing amazing reporting. Take my hat off to them! #SOTN #SOTN2020