S. African Blogger Explains Apology to Sunday Times Public Editor

iMediaEthics publishes international media ethics news stories and investigations into journalism ethics lapses.

Menu

Home » Anonymous Sources»

See a screenshot of the story that triggered Akanyang's complaints from LexisNexis above. (Credit: LexisNexis, Sunday Times, screenshot)

Last month, iMediaEthics wrote about a blogger’s complaints over the South African Sunday Times’ story on Zimbabwe president Robert Mugabe’s wife.  The story alleged that Mugabe had a bodyguard killed, and that Mugabe’s wife, Grace Mugabe, had an affair. (See our first story here.)

We learned about the story from a political and media blogger, Akanyang, who had blogged his criticism of the story in a letter he sent to three South African media figures.  Akanyang also apologized profusely – in a separate post from his complaint – for using the word “crap” in his complaint — an odd and unsolicited move, in StinkyJournalism’s view.

At the time of publication, we hadn’t heard back from either Akanyang or one of media figures we wrote to, Avusa public editor Thabo Leshilo.

We have since heard from both.

We asked Akanyang several questions, including if he worked in media, why he apologized, and if anyone had complained about his critical letter.

Akanyang Merementsi responded and told iMediaEthics in an e-mail that while he is a blogger, his profession isn’t related to the media — he is “an HR Officer.”

He explained that this letter of complaint, posted on his blog, is the same one he sent in complaint to the three.

According to Akanyang, Leshilo was the first and only person to reply to his letter of complaint.

“In his response to my initial letter to him – which I later apologised for – the Public Editor said he could not entertain my complaint because of what I had said. He said: ‘I’m sorry but you won’t be getting any feedback from me. I could not read beyond the first paragraph of your missive because of the crudeness of your language. I do not, as a matter of principle, entertain insults”. He also wished me a ‘good weekend’ and that I should ‘keep blogging’. This he sent to the editor who never bothered to take on my initial complaint, and sent it also to the Press Ombudsman (of course I did not expect any reaction from the latter). The Public Editor accepted my apology, and that was it.”

Akanyang further explained that he apologized for his complaint because he had sent it to the Press Ombudsman.  If he hadn’t copied the ombudsman on his letter, Akanyang wrote that he likely would not have apologized for using the word “crap.”

While Akanyang’s blog apology was profuse, he again apologized for his choice of language in the complaint: “I realised that I may have messed up my complaint by the tone of my language, and after I had apologised, I certainly did not expect anything at all from the Sunday Times newspaper.”

We also heard back from Leshilo, the public editor for Avusa, which owns the Sunday Times. He confirmed with us that he received Akanyang’s complaint and dismissed it because it was “vulgar.”

“I have no intention of indulging Akanyang and his vulgar blog. I told him that much. I’ve not received a complaint from President Mugabe or his representatives or any reader about the story you’re referring to and don’t see the point of responding to what this blogger, or any other for that matter, has to say about it,” he wrote.

“It is up to the editor of the Sunday Times to respond to the criticism of his newspaper by other media, not me. I have seven other newspapers in the group to deal with. I have not felt a compulsion to deal with this specific story, just as I don’t critique all stories published by all eight Avusa Media newspapers. Feel free to check the SA Press Code on the website of the Press Ombudsman of South Africa.”

In a follow-up e-mail, Leshilo wrote: “I forgot to mention that I’m quite willing to discuss the Sunday Times story with you, given the nature of your blog and as one professional to another. I think the exchange of ideas is invaluable and would enrich our craft. Also, the Mugabe story has been criticised in a story carried by the Mail&Guardian, which suggested it was an urban legend.”

We wrote back to Leshilo with follow-up questions and will update with any response.

Leshilo also addressed our previously unanswered questions about another Avusa Media newspaper article.  StinkyJournalism also wrote last month about Avusa’s The Herald.

The Herald was also criticized for its use of anonymous sources in a political story.  We had e-mailed the Herald’s editor, Heather Robertson, who explained that all Avusa newspapers would soon follow a new anonymous sources code.  (See more about the draft code here.)

We e-mailed Leshilo to ask about the code at the time.  He recently responded to explain that the code “incorporates the South African Press Code,” and is a revision of a standing policy on anonymous sources.

In an Oct. 22 Sunday Times column, Leshilo explained some of the updates to the code.  (See that column here.)

  • Stories shouldn’t be based on just one anonymous source
  • Corrections and apologies should be published “on the same page as the original report”
  • “Apologies should be published within one week, provide a clear explanation of and disclose how the error could have been avoided and how it will be prevented in the future.”

iMediaEthics is writing to President Mugabe’s team to confirm Leshilo’s claim that Mugabe had no complaint to the story alleging he had a man killed and his wife had an affair.  We will update with any response.

UPDATE: 12/1/2010 5:08 PM EST:  Thabo Leshilo responded to iMediaEthics’s follow-up questions.  He wrote: “All editorial staff were alerted to the new code via our intranet on November 16. That can be taken as the official date of application.”

We asked what ethical issues he frequently encounters as public editor.  He responded: “The frequent ethical challenge we have pertains to the depiction of children.”

And, regarding the Mugabe story, he reiterated: ” I haven’t received a complaint from Mugabe and consider the matter closed.”

Submit a tip / Report a problem

S. African Blogger Explains Apology to Sunday Times Public Editor

Share this article:

ทดลองเล่นสล็อต
คาสิโน
slot demo
sa gaming
tkb365
https://tkb399.com/login
ทดลองเล่นสล็อต
ทำความรู้จักกับ
tkb138
ซุปเปอร์สล็อต
สล็อต
sa gaming
https://www.hotelplayagolf.com/es/instalaciones/piscinas
tkb365
บาคาร่า
สล็อตเว็บตรง
บาคาร่า
ทดลองเล่นสล็อตฟรี
ทดลองเล่นสล็อต
สล็อตเว็บตรง
tkb138
คาสิโน
tkb138
สล็อตเว็บตรง
tkb365
สล็อต
changbet789
คาสิโนออนไลน์
สูตรสล็อต pg ทดลองเล่นฟรี
สล็อต
สล็อต
tkb138
https://www.hotelalbora.com/
https://tkb108.co/register
tkb696
เว็บบาคาร่าโดยตรง
changbet789
สล็อตทดลอง
pg
betflix
pg slot
สล็อต
tkb138
https://titanium-hotel.com/
สล็อต
tkb138
taokaebet
tkb777
อันดับแรก
คาสิโน
changbet789
แจกเครดิตฟรี 100%
ทดลองเล่นสล็อตทุกค่ายฟรี
สล็อต
changbet789
tkb365
changbet789
finfinbet
สล็อต
changbet789
tkb108
tkbneko
สล็อต
สล็อต
pgสล็อต777
สล็อต
https://www.gday96.com/
สล็อต888
สล็อต
โป๊กเกอร์ออนไลน์
สล็อต
changbet789
ทดลองเล่นสล็อต pg
ทดลองเล่นสล็อต
ทดลองเล่นสล็อตฟรี
tkb365
tkb365
tkb365
tkb555
tkb555
tkb555
tkb555
tkb555
tkb555
tkb555
tkbking
tkbking
tkbking
tkbking
tkbking
tkbking
thb889
thb889
thb889
thb889
thb889
thb889
thb889
tkb4
tkb4
tkb4
tkb4
tkb4
tkb4
tkb4
tkb9
tkb9
tkb9
tkb9
tkb9
tkb9
tkb9
tkb33
tkb33
tkb33
tkb33
tkb33
tkb33
tkb33
finfinbet
finfinbet
finfinbet
finfinbet
finfinbet
finfinbet
finfinbet
TKB96
tkb96
tkb96
tkb96
tkb96
tkb96
tkb96
tkbfun
tkbfun
tkbfun
tkbfun
tkbfun
tkbfun
tkbfun
tkbpg
tkbpg
tkbpg
tkbpg
tkbpg
tkbpg
tkbpg
tkbpussy
tkbpussy
tkbpussy
tkbpussy
tkbpussy
tkbpussy
tkbpussy
tkbrich
tkbrich
tkbrich
tkbrich
tkbrich
tkbrich
tkbrich
tkbsexy
tkbsexy
tkbsexy
tkbsexy
tkbsexy
tkbsexy
tkb777
tkb777
tkb777
tkb777
tkb777
tkb777
tkb777
taokaebet
taokaebet
taokaebet
taokaebet
taokaebet
taokaebet
taokaebet
tkbsexy
tkbrich
tkbpussy
tkbpg
tkbfun
tkb96
tkb33
tkb9
tkb4
thb889
tkbking
tkb555
tkb365
changbet789
บาคาร่า
sa gaming
คาสิโนออนไลน์สด
ทดลองเล่นสล็อต
ลองเล่นสล็อต
สล็อต
สล็อตเว็บตรง
ทดลองเล่นสล็อต pg ซื้อฟรีสปิน
ทดลองเล่นสล็อต
บาคาร่า
คาสิโน
ทดลองเล่นสล็อต
ทดลองเล่นสล็อต
สล็อต777
สล็อต
บาคาร่า
สล็อต
สล็อต
สล็อต
สล็อต
สล็อต789
pg
ทดลองเล่นสล็อต
sa gaming
ทดลองเล่นสล็อต100000
ตรงไปที่สล็อต
SA Gaming
สล็อต
สล็อต
สล็อต
สล็อต
บาคาร่า
สล็อต
สล็อตทดลอง
สล็อตทดลอง
ทดลองเล่นสล็อตทุกค่ายฟรี
คาสิโน
ทดลองเล่นบาคาร่าฟรี
สล็อตออนไลน์
pg slot
ทดลองเล่นสล็อตทุกค่ายฟรี
บาคาร่า
แทงบอล
สล็อต555
สล็อตวอเลท
ทดลองเล่นสล็อต99
สล็อต
สล็อต99
สล็อต
superslot
สล็อต
สล็อต456
สล็อต
แทงบอล
สล็อตออนไลน์
ทดลองเล่นสล็อต
สล็อต
SUPERSLOT
สล็อตเว็บตรง
สล็อตเว็บตรง
คาสิโน
สล็อต
pg slot
ช่องฟรี
ทดลองเล่นสล็อต
สล็อต555
สล็อต
ทดลองเล่นสล็อต
ทดลองเล่นสล็อต
ทดลองเล่นสล็อต
ทดลองเล่นสล็อต
คาสิโน
สล็อต
สล็อต
บาคาร่า
ทดลองเล่นสล็อต pg
ทดลองเล่นสล็อต
ทดลองเล่นสล็อต100000
สล็อต
betflik
แทงบอล
สล็อต888
ช่องฟรี
การสาธิตสล็อต
สล็อต
สล็อต
บาคาร่า
สล็อต
สล็อต
สล็อต
สล็อต
สล็อต
สล็อต
สล็อต
สล็อต
สล็อต
สล็อต
สล็อต
สล็อต
สล็อต168
สล็อต
สล็อตเว็บตรง
สล็อตเว็บตรง
สล็อต
สล็อตทดลอง
สล็อต
สล็อต
สล็อต888
คาสิโน
สล็อต
สล็อต999
สล็อต
สล็อต
m98
สล็อต
betflix
สล็อต
สล็อต
สล็อต
สล็อต
pg zeed
สล็อต
สล็อต
สล็อต789
สล็อต789
สล็อต168
สล็อตเว็บตรง
สล็อต666
สล็อต