Huff Post blog a sad day for journalism – Media24 head
Cape Town – Media24 announced on Sunday that it would investigate the controversial blog "Could It Be Time To Deny White Men The Franchise?” published on Huffington Post South Africa on Thursday.
Huffington Post South Africa removed the blog on Saturday after it was unable to establish the couldn’t confirm the veracity of the source, Shelley Garland, who claimed to be a Masters student at the University of Cape Town.
In the blog post, Garland argued that white men should be denied the right to vote for 20 years.
In a statement, Media24 CEO Esmaré Weideman said the post has damaged the Huffington Post South Africa and Media24 brands.
“Responsible journalism is at the heart of what we do; it’s the currency we trade in,” she said.
“When our systems fail, we’re not just alarmed, we’re outraged. This is a sad day for journalism.”
Huffington Post South Africa is a joint venture between Media24 and Huffington Post international.
Fury erupted on social media on Friday after it was established that Shelley Garland was not a student at the University of Cape Town and most likely an imposter.
Huffington Post South Africa subsequently removed the blog on Saturday and promised to increase scrutiny when publishing future blogs.
“We apologise for the oversight. We welcome further discussion,” editor-in-chief Verashni Pillay wrote in a blog post.
“We have bolstered and strengthened our blogging procedures that, until now, have operated on the basis of open communication and good faith. From now on, bloggers will have to verify themselves.”
* News24 is a Media24 publication
Text of statement:
Media24 to investigate controversial HuffPost SA blog
16 April 2017
Media24 today announced it was launching an investigation into the controversial blog “Could It Be Time To Deny White Men The Franchise?” published on HuffPost South Africa on April 13, 2017. The blog was subsequently taken down on 15 April when HuffPost South Africa couldn’t confirm the veracity of the source.
Media24 CEO Esmaré Weideman said the company took the matter very seriously. “This has been hugely damaging not only to the Huffington Post South Africa brand but also to Media24. Responsible journalism is at the heart of what we do; it’s the currency we trade in. In an era of fake news, I know only too well that our editors spend an inordinate amount of time checking the veracity of information before they publish. When our systems fail, we’re not just alarmed, we’re outraged. This is a sad day for journalism.”
Andreij Horn, head: 24.com, added that the incident and the circumstances that made it possible in the first place, will be investigated thoroughly and the appropriate action will be taken to avoid a future recurrence. “As a company we make an enormous investment to ensure quality journalism, precisely because we know that trust is non-negotiable.”
Issued by Media24, 16 April 2017
