Newshounds

Dear SABC TV News People

Time was when you broadcast long, lingering coverage of funerals and quite inconsequential ANC internal meetings. 

I noticed that, in a surge of innovation and creativity, you have moved on to long, lingering coverage of court cases. During one such broadcast, a legal expert was brought in to explain why the accused had not been granted bail. I thought that the judge had already explained that quite well.  But then again, he's just a judge. Perhaps,  like me, he does not understand how critical it is for South Africans to have the matter minutely dissected, like a frog in a school laboratory. Certainly far more important than examining what's going on with the global powers that are threatening to blow us all to smithereens. Or the cancerous politics gnawing at our national innards.

I think that it would be quite useful to bring all that attention and analysis to bear on.

the challenges of crime  and corruption run riot, incompetence  and buffoonery in government and politics, and all that makes our country stranger than fiction. I imagine that normal media companies would regard all of the above as God's gift to journalism. However, you do seem far more intent on reporting on mediocre soccer, mediocre politicians, mediocre politics and the like.

Perhaps I missed your reports but I did not see much about the solar storm

threatening Interruptions to.electricity output recently. Rightly so. We are way ahead of the global curve with our own scheduled interruptions. In fact, at times we cut to the chase and just simply do away with electricity altogether. We South Africans do not fear solar storms. We have politicians.

I see that, in typically fearless reporting style, you dropped the DA flag-burning advertisement. I am absolutely certain that this had nothing to do.with influences from above (I am not sure if that shouldn't be 'from below'). Your decision was surely based solely on patriotism and strong values alone. I am sure that your frequent, nay continuous, coverage of the most irrelevant and insignificant ANC gatherings stems from the same convictions. The unveiling of a solitary tap in a village is indeed of great consequence. After all, how many politicians worldwide can boast of having attended such significant,  ceremonial occasions. I am surprised that our government has never taken the opportunity to invite heads of state and royalty to such ceremonies. Just imagine what that would do for South Africa's image and status abroad. 

I do enjoy the relentless, ruthless way in which you destroy the lying, dodging and kakspeak of many politicians during interviews. Oops, sorry, that was the BBC and CNN. Got a little mixed up with all this news channel surfing. I realized my mistake when a journalist failed several times to point out the obvious during a newscast. Based on much watching of South African TV news, I understand that that's the job of a journalist or a political analyst: state the obvious with as much drama and conviction as you can muster.

I wish you well on your journey of 

fearless news and truth hunting. Should we have a change in government after 29 May,

I hope that that is not too disruptive for you. If you should be forced to do real journalism, that leaves us with only The Daily Sun for light entertainment.

Yours in the scuffle for real news.

 Richard

Tips for the blogger gratefully accepted 

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