20 September 2019 –The South African Football Association (SAFA) and South African National Editors Forum (SANEF) held a roundtable meeting at SAFA House on Wednesday, 18 September 2019 to discuss ways to enhance the mutual understanding around football matters and administration.
The roundtable, attended by SAFA leadership and SANEF members, including SAFA President Danny Jordaan and CEO, Russel Paul and SANEF’s Projects and Office Manager Hopewell Radebe, agreed on five (5) principles of engagement going forward:
These are:
- Open and honest engagements between SAFA and media;
- Access to SAFA leadership and players;
- A level playing field where all media are granted a fair and unbiased access to information;
- Improved communications from SAFA as regards its agenda, strategy, progress and challenges; and
- That SAFA would ensure journalists have access to a repository of relevant data.
The fundamental underlying principle which both parties emphasized is the mutual respect for the independence of and upholding the integrity of media organisations and its’ stakeholders.
SAFA and SANEF agreed Wednesday’s engagement was an important one and should not be a once-off but a regular event.
Consequently, the parties agreed, the Association will share the organisation’s calendar that captures the essential cycle of important SAFA initiatives and events so that media can have a line of sight of the organisation’s agenda and prepare adequately to ensure that the coverage, where warranted, is fair, substantiated and informed.
“We are very pleased to be able to build on our long and supportive relationship with the media who are an important stakeholder not just of reporting on football but on building positive perceptions about the country globally,” says Danny Jordan.
Hopewell Radebe says Sanef appreciates SAFA is willing to engage with the media openly and in a frank and constructive manner. “This level of discussion with the media will go a long way towards leveling the playing field and increasing the media’s access to the information about the development of this wonderful and most popular sport in the country.”